Australian Music Centre | Breaking sound barriers

Work Overview

The original two-movement version of this piece, Speak, was commissioned for and premiered by Ensemble Q in November 2018. An additional movement, placed between the existing movements as a new second movement, was commissioned and workshopped by the Australia Ensemble as part of the 2019-20 Layton Emerging Composer Fellowship. The work is scored for flute (doubling piccolo), clarinet, violin, cello and piano.

Speak is cast in three distinct movements. Conceptually, each movement describes a different domain of language and communication. The first, entitled Dialogue, considers the nature of external exchanges between beings, encompassing multiple threads of conversation and intricate interactions. The second, entitled Recollection, explores the transient and often revisionary nature of recalled thoughts and conversations, with subtle variations within fixated repetitions. The third, entitled Inner Speak, is also introspective in character, but reflects patterns of a more holistic internal monologue through interweaving lines and subtle changes in feeling.

Work Details

Year: 2018

Instrumentation: Flute/piccolo, clarinet, violin, cello and piano

Duration: 15 min.

Difficulty: Advanced

Contents note: I. Dialogue --II. Recollection -- III. Inner Speak.

Commission note: Commissioned by Ensemble Q and the Australia Ensemble