Composers lunchtime Concer 22 JULY, 2021
CHAT TEXTS FOR VOICE AND STRINGS BOBBY C. H. HUEN BARITONE SOLO: CAMILO LOPEZ CONDUCTOR: JULIAN DUTHOIT SYNTHESIZER: JULIA ZHU VIOLINS: SOLA HUGHES, JULIA HILL,
GEORGINA BRINDLEY, ROBERT SMITH VIOLA: JEREMY EGERTON VIOLONCELLOS: DANIEL SHEARER,
FRANCESCA MASEL DOUBLE BASSAMELIA CHERRY
THIS VOCAL PIECE IS COMPOSED BASED ON A RANGE OF SELECTED TEXT MESSAGES FROM SOME FRIENDS IN SOCIAL MEDIA, CONSISTING THE FOLLOWING MOVEMENTS (TEXTS): 1. SLOWLY, FULL OF QUESTIONS 2. BRISKLY 3. HOLILY, RELIGIOUSLY, WITH FAITH 4. WITH IRONY AND HUMOR THEY ARE EITHER SOMETHING THAT I STRONGLY AGREE AND WOULD LIKE TO EMBRACE, OR SOMETHING THAT I STRONGLY DISAGREE WITH AND IS RIDICULING WITH THE USE OF IRONY. THE PIECE IS ORIGINALLY COMPOSED FOR SOLO AND A STRING ORCHESTRA, BUT IT IS NOW PERFORMED BY A REDUCED ENSEMBLE. AND FOR THE MUSIC, SERIALISM TECHNIQUES ARE USED THROUGHOUT THE PIECE. THE TWO SETS OF TONE ROWS ARE INTRODUCED IN THE FIRST TWO MOVEMENTS RESPECTIVELY, AND THEY WERE USED IN THE
APOIDEA SUITE FOR STRING QUINTET SEBASTIAN LINGANE VIOLIN: DAISY ELLIOTT VIOLIN: AMIRA RYAN VIOLA: ROSIE BREEDT CELLO: MATHEW TEAKLE DOUBLE BASS: CHARLOTTE SCANLAN
AT THE OUTSET OF THE 20TH-CENTURY, RECORDS OF THE NATIVE AUSTRALIAN BEE POPULATION WERE NONEXISTENT IN WHITE ACADEMIA; THAT WAS UNTIL ELIZABETH EXLEY DEDICATED HER LIFE TO ANALYSING AND CATEGORISING THEM. EXLEY IS AN OFT-FORGOTTEN WOMAN IN SCIENCE WHOSE VOICE IS INTEGRAL TO BOTANICAL STUDIES. THIS STRING QUINTET PROVIDES A COMPANION SOUNDTRACK TO HER RESEARCH OF ONE OF NATURE'S MOST PECULIAR BEASTS, WITH EACH PIECE IN THE SUITE OUTLINING A SEPARATE ELEMENT OF BEE LIFE/APOIDEA INSTINCTS IN COLOURFUL AND CHARMING WAYS. EXLEY'S WORK IS UNIQUE AND INSPIRING AND, THEREFORE, DESERVING A MUSICAL INTERPRETATION. I - I’M POLLEN IN LOVE WITH YOU II - BEE MINE III - ZZUB ZZUB ZZUB IV - BUSY AS A BEE
FOUR LYRICAL PIECES(MOV. I., II.) BOBBY C.H. HUEN PIANO: ANDREAS VAN DER WALT
THIS IS A SET OF FOUR BAGATELLES FOR THE PIANO, WITH THE TWO MOVEMENTS FOR TODAY BEING: 1. CONSOLATION: SOFTLY, CLOUDY 2. SONG: LENTO MA NON TROPPO THE FIRST MOVEMENT WAS IMPROVISED AFTER A MOTIVE CAME UP, AND IT WAS COMPLETED WITH THE INTENTION TO CONSOLE THE ONES WHO DID NOT ACHIEVE WHAT THEY INTENDED AFTER A LOT OF HARD WORK. (MAINLY REGARDS TO TRIMESTER ONE: A SALUTE TO ALL THE HARD WORK.) MEANWHILE, THE SECOND MOVEMENT WAS DRAFTED A LONG TIME AGO, BUT WAS NEVER COMPLETED BEFORE RECENTS TIME. THE THEME WAS HIGHLY INSPIRED BY THE ENGLISH COMPOSER GERALD FINZI. HOWEVER, IT IS NOT AN IMITATION. THE PIECE IS DEDICATED TO A FRIEND, ALSO BEING TODAY’S PIANIST.
EXPLORATIONS OLIVER KING VIOLA: SEBASTIEN MASEL CELLO: WILL BLAND
EXPLORATIONS IS A DUO COMPOSED FOR VIOLA AND CELLO. WHEN COMPOSING THIS PIECE, I CONSIDERED NOT THE TONAL QUALITIES OF MUSIC, BUT RATHER EXPLORED AND EMPHASISED THE TIMBRAL ASPECTS IN ORDER TO CREATE ATMOSPHERE AND COLOUR. I TOOK INSPIRATION FROM THE WORKS OF ERNST KRENEK, AS WELL AS THE EARLY EXPRESSIONIST PIECES OF ANTON WEBERN. THE PIECE TAKES THE LISTENER ON A JOURNEY THROUGH MULTIPLE TENSE AND SEEMINGLY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERES, FEATURING FREQUENT DYNAMIC AND TEMPO CHANGES, ALONG WITH THE TIMBRAL PAINTING TECHNIQUE KNOWN AS ‘KLANGFARBENMELODIE’. THE MUSICAL CONCEPT OF TENSION AND RELEASE IS CONVEYED NOT THROUGH FUNCTIONAL HARMONY, BUT RATHER THROUGH THE USE OF FERMATAS, DIFFERING INSTRUMENTAL RANGES, AND CONTRASTING TIMBRES. HARSH EXTENDED TECHNIQUES ARE UTILISED TO FURTHER CONVEY ATMOSPHERE AND THE EERIE UNSTABLE LANGUAGE OF THE PIECE.
GANKINO DANCE FOR PIANO MARCUS VAUGHN PIANO: MARCUS VAUGHN
INSPIRED BY THE DRIVING 9/8 PATTERNS OF DAVE BRUBECK’S BLUE RONDO A LA TURK, GANKINO DANCE FOR PIANO IS A SHORT PLAYFUL TUNE SET TO THE 11/8 BALKAN GANKINO DANCE PATTERN. THE PLAYFUL AND UNRESTRICTED HARMONY OF BRUBECK AND HAMASYAN COMBINED WITH THE TRADITIONAL, YET UNUSUAL RHYTHM OF THE BALKANS CREATE A WONDERFUL, EXCITING EXPLORATION OF THE POSSIBILITIES OF THE GANKINO.
TALL POPPY CHRISTINA BOWDEN MARIMBA: MATTHEW CONWAY VIBRAPHONE: STEVEN BRYER
TALL POPPY IS A PIECE INSPIRED BY A PHOTOGRAPH THAT HANGS ON MY LOUNGE ROOM WALL. THE PICTURE DISPLAYS A BEAUTIFUL POPPY FIELD THAT WAS CAPTURED IN TASMANIA BY MY MUM. IN 2012 MY FAMILY WENT ON A TRIP TO TASMANIA, WE SAW SO MANY MEMORABLE PLACES, BUT THIS PARTICULAR PHOTOGRAPH WAS TAKEN ON MY MUM'S BIRTHDAY. SHE SAW THESE POPPY'S THROUGH THE CAR WINDOW AND INSISTED MY DAD STOP DRIVING SO SHE COULD TAKE PHOTOS. OUT OF ALL THE INCREDIBLE PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THAT FIELD, ONE IN PARTICULAR STOOD OUT - RATHER ONE POPPY STOOD OUT. THIS POPPY SAT HIGHER THAN ALL THE OTHERS IN ITS AREA AND IS A BEAUTIFUL REMINDER THAT ALL BEAUTIFUL THINGS GROW IN THEIR OWN TIME. MUM TITLED THIS PICTURE 'TALL POPPY' AND IT SITS IN OUR LOUNGE ROOM AS A COLOURFUL REMINDER OF THAT SPECIAL DAY. IN THIS PIECE I WANTED TO CAPTURE THE INDIVIDUAL 'POP' OF COLOUR FROM EACH