Australian Music Centre | Breaking sound barriers

Work Overview

This piece is in one continuous movement with three main sections. It presents a series of musical interpretations of Autumn, often perceived as a season tinged with regret because Summer has ended and Winter is approaching. Much of my recent music has been influenced by images and memories of the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia, where I was born. The landscape in the Illawarra can change dramatically from season to season and I have tried to reflect this aspect in the music of this piece. The faster rhythmic sections can be thought of as dream-like sequences: imagine running or driving fast though the soft autumnal light of a late afternoon. These sections are interrupted by a slower, more contemplative, section whose rhythms suggest the irregular patterns created by the sounds of falling leaves or raindrops. Ultimately, however, Moving Fast through Autumn Light ends in a positive manner, suggesting, perhaps, that while we sometimes feel melancholy during this season it is often only because we secretly enjoy feeling this way - to feel the pain is part of the pleasure. As is usual for me, the music in this work makes much use of additive rhythms, along with continuous quaver patterns derived from minimal music and the harmonies sometimes found in rock and popular music styles.

Work Details

Year: 2002

Instrumentation: Mandolin, guitar.

Duration: 10 min.

Difficulty: Advanced

Written for: Birgit Schwab, Daniel Ahlert

First performance: by Daniel Ahlert, Birgit Schwab — 11 Aug 02. Gut Hange, Freren, Germany