Australian Music Centre | Breaking sound barriers

Work Overview

Tableau Vivant is quintessentially a lighthearted piece about string technique, especially articulations and bowing.

The viola's presence is integral and, in turn, harks back to my study at the Elder Conservatorium of Berlioz' 1834 masterwork, Harold in Italy, symphony with viola obbligato.

The main compositional idea was to use Berlioz' Childe Harold theme, which would then be processed in the algorithmic music composition and performance application M.

For compositional purposes, M has three central components: Patterns Window, Variables Window and Cyclic Variables Window.

Cognisant of M's possibilities, the musical materials of the orchestral accompaniment were pre-composed: using various interval-class sets that determined the complementary pitches of the five instrumental sections; using various rhythmic and articulation cells; and assembling the large-scale sections of the work.

Technically, I explored a range of conventional string techniques, purposefully eschewed 'extended instrumental techniques' and complex individual rhythmic durations, used contrasting, terraced dynamics, and wrote characteristic orchestral string patterns. Aesthetically, the work is an homage to Berlioz that comprises heterogenous elements, which are deployed to create a Futurist collage and parody. Hence, many of the aspects discussed are encapsulated in the full title of my work, Tableau Vivant de Childe Harold (ovvero burlesca Berlioziana)

Work Details

Year: 1993

Instrumentation: Strings (5.5.3.3.1), but any of the players can execute solo roles.

Duration: 6 min.

Difficulty: Advanced — Various soloists at Rehearsal mark L

The composer notes the following styles, genres, influences, etc in relation to this work:
Futurism, collage, parody, burlesque, ‘found object’ (objet trouvé)