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Work

Blue silence : for string quartet

by Elena Kats-Chernin (2006)

Score Sample

View a sample of the score of this work

Audio Sample

Performance by Chris Latham, Veronique Serret, Anna Colville, Katherine Philp, William Barton from the CD Four Winds Festival 2006.

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Blue silence

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Work Overview

Blue Silence was written for an exhibition in New South Wales, devoted to artists suffering schizophrenia, called "For Matthew and Others". It was commissioned by Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre and had its premiere in September 2006. At the base of the piece (which incidentally starts similarly to the way my piece Mythic” for orchestra 2004 ends) is a 4-chord progression, very simple and minimal.

A person with schizophrenia hears voices, which can be very disturbing, there is a yearning for silence. I wrote this work so that my son Alex who suffers from the illness can listen to calmness, meditation. It's called Blue Silence because blue is sometimes associated with healing. Original version was for Violoncello and Piano. There are also versions for a) Piano solo and b) for 4 Clarinets c) Flute and Piano d) clarinet and piano e) clarinet/cello and piano (made for Rachel Scott in February 2009) f) harp and cello ( a slightly shorter version, for Alice Giles and David Pereira in Jan. 09)

In February 2009 I was compelled to do one more arrangement of it for Rachel Scott, for clarinet, cello and piano. In this arrangement there is a lot of interplay and echo between the single line instruments, i.e. they are not playing a lot together, rather one after the other.

Work Details

Year: 2006

Instrumentation: 2 violins, viola, cello.

Dedication note: A present for Chris Latham's 40th birthday

Performances of this work

Unknown date: Four Winds Festival, Bermagui, NSW, 2006. Featuring Veronique Serret, William Barton, Katherine Philp, Anna Colville, Chris Latham.

29 Oct 2023: at Celestial Worlds | Brisbane Music Festival (FourthWall Arts). Featuring Emily Granger.

7 May 2023: at Kismet: Vignettes for Violin and Piano (Blue Mountains Theatre). Featuring Clemens Leske, Vov Dylan.

5 May 2023: at Muses Trio 10th Anniversary (The Red Box, State Library of Queensland). Featuring Louise King, Therese Milanovic, Christa Powell.

26 Apr 2022: at Mystic Dances (Melbourne Recital Centre, Primrose Potter Salon). Featuring Jonathan Henderson, James Wannan, Emily Granger.

13 Feb 2022: at Avant Gardens 1: Verve (Private residence in Tempe, NSW). Featuring Ensemble Offspring.

10 Mar 2022: at In Transit (Melbourne Recital Centre, Primrose Potter Salon). Featuring Emily Granger.

8 Oct 2021: at Offspring for All: Blue Silence (Live streaming event (online only)). Featuring Emily Granger, Ensemble Offspring.

12 Jul 2020: at Claire Edwardes & Jason Noble in Zoom Concert (To be confirmed). Featuring Claire Edwardes, Jason Noble.

6 Mar 2020: at Songs of Silent Earth : An International Women's Day Concert Fundraiser for CWA Drought Relief (Holy Cross Church, Lutwyche). Featuring Muses Trio.

30 Jan 2020: at Brendan Conroy and Gabriella Smart (Onze Lieve Vrouwe Kapel (Amsterdam)). Featuring Gabriella Smart, Brendan Conroy.

8 Sep 2019: at Gabriella Smart & Maryanne Piper (Boyd Education Centre). Featuring Gabriella Smart, Maryanne Piper.

3 Sep 2019: at The Game Changers: Selby & Friends (City Recital Hall). Featuring Julian Smiles, Susie Park, Kathryn Selby.

6 Feb 2019: at Lilith Night - A celebration of women composers across contemporary music genres. (Beaumont House). Featuring Gabriella Smart, Maryanne Piper.

28 May 2018: at Have Clarinet, Will Travel (fortyfivedownstairs). Featuring Ed Ferris, Morna Hu.

19 Aug 2017: at Muscle Memory: Reflex (Brisbane Powerhouse). Featuring Collusion.

17 Aug 2017: at Muscle Memory: Reflex (Brisbane Powerhouse). Featuring Collusion.

23 Jun 2017: at Twilight Musical Dialogues - Russia (Adamstown Uniting Church). Featuring Tamara Anna Cislowska, Sally Walker.

18 Jun 2017: at Twilight Chamber Music at Rippon Lea (Rippon Lea Ballroom). Featuring Rohan Murray, Svetlana Bogosavljevic.

15 May 2016: at ACACIA QUARTET present Blue Silence - string miniatures by Elena Kats-Chernin (Sydney Opera House, Utzon Room). Featuring Acacia Quartet.

13 Mar 2016: at Muses Trio: Reclaiming the Spirit for International Women's Day (Gretel Farm). Featuring Muses Trio.

12 Mar 2016: at Muses Trio: Reclaiming the Spirit for International Women's Day (Caloundra Regional Art Gallery). Featuring Muses Trio.

11 Mar 2016: at Muses Trio: Reclaiming the Spirit for International Women's Day (St Mary's Kangaroo Point (Brisbane)). Featuring Muses Trio.

10 May 2015: at Arafura Ensemble: Women in Chamber Music (Supreme Court, Darwin). Featuring Arafura Ensemble.

19 Sep 2014: at Bellingen Music Festival 2014 (Bellingen Memorial Hall). Featuring Acacia Quartet.

8 Mar 2014: at Women In Music with Muses Piano Trio (Eudlo Hall). Featuring Therese Milanovic, Louise King.

4 Aug 2013: at KPO Community Concert (Ravenswood Centenary Centre Auditorium). Featuring Ying Ho, Martin Smith.

3 Oct 2012: at Musica Botanica (Oddie Room, Art Gallery of Ballarat). Featuring Samantha Kelson Gray, Bronwyn Blaiklock.

9 Sep 12.

8 Sep 2012: at Tyalgum Festival of Classical Music 2012 (Tyalgum Hall).

20 May 2012: at The Tulip (National Museum of Australia). Featuring Canberra Festival Camerata.

11 May 12: Various venues in Canberra, ACT

11 May 2012: at QSO String Quartet (Ian Hanger Recital Hall). Featuring QSO String Quartet.

23 Mar 2011: at Ensemble Liaison (Melbourne Recital Centre, Elisabeth Murdoch Hall). Featuring Ensemble Liaison.

12 May 2010: at Clarity Clarinet Quartet: A revised history of the clarinet (Theatre Husk, Melbourne). Featuring Nicole Canham, Andrew Seymour, Samantha Kelson Gray, Lisa Clarke.

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