Music
Holdsworth – Hellfire
Mark Holdsworth's blisteringly exciting debut into the world of the wind quintet
WatchSmith – Dark Colours
Samuel Smith’s atmospheric wind quintet, Dark Colours, pushes the boundaries of colour and texture in new and unexpected ways.
Written in 2019 for the Melbourne Recital Centre’s 10th anniversary celebrations, Samuel Smith’s Dark Colours explores the sounds of the wind quintet in a particularly unique way. The composer writes the following: “dark colours finds its meaning and purpose in the assemblage of colours visible behind closed eyes. Appropriately then, it explores an interior, hushed, and […]
Skipworth – Partita for Solo Clarinet
Lachlan Skipworth’s remarkable first foray into the world of solo wind music
Lachlan Skipworth’s Partita for Solo Clarinet was commissioned by Charles Davidson and Lloyd Van’t Hoff; it was premiered by Lloyd Van’t Hoff at the Melbourne Recital Centre in 2019. Of the work, the composer writes the following: “About 18 months ago, Lloyd put in a formal request for a solo clarinet work as a follow up […]
Whitney – Five Scenes
Ian Whitney explores and subverts musical tropes in a charming series of narrative vignettes
Ian Whitney’s Five Scenes cleverly plays with different musical tropes and forms: the first scene is a modern take on a moto perpetuo; the third scene evokes Classical hunting music; and the fifth interprets American prairie music in the style of “Spanish” music written in Paris. These five vignettes are titled: I. Moto perpetuo–II. Duet–III. […]
Skipworth – Echoes and Lines
Lachlan Skipworth plays with colour and texture to create remarkable new sounds
Written in 2017, Skipworth’s Echoes and Lines marks a radical departure from the composer’s typically long structures; he challenged his usual way of working by writing miniatures that express the personalities of the instruments and their players. It consists of nine short movements: I. Mysteriously–II. Very energetic–III. March-like–IV. Four Against Three–V. Abstract–VI. Mechanically–VII. Pressing–VIII. Smoothly, unaccented […]
Greenbaum – Clarinet Sonata
Greenbaum's mysterious and haunting sonata, "A Trillion Miles of Darkness"
Originally written for clarinettist Paul Dean, Stuart Greenbaum’s Clarinet Sonata is subtitled “A Trillion Miles of Darkness”. This is a phrase from Michael Faber’s 2014 novel, The Book of Strange New Things; Greenbaum explores the book’s idea of being an unfathomably long way from one’s home planet, friends, and loved ones.
Holdsworth – Hellfire
Mark Holdsworth's blisteringly exciting debut into the world of the wind quintet
Hellfire for wind quintet was the winning work from the inaugural Arcadia Winds Composition Prize in 2018. Praised by the judges for its strong sense of individuality and purpose, it depicts Holdsworth’s vision of a journey through the underworld.
Williams – Animalia
Natalie Williams' quirky, characterful musical portraits of pets and their owners
Nataile Williams’ Animalia was written to coincide with the National Portrait Gallery’s “Popular Pet Show” exhibition–each movement corresponds to a portrait of an artist’s pet. Movement’s 1 and 2 are based on sketches from Kristin Headlam’s A Dog’s Life; Movement 3 is based on Lucy Culliton’s paintings of her sheep; Movement 4 is based on […]