Australian Music Centre | Breaking sound barriers

Work Overview

'At his last words he suddenly arose from his seat, and incautiously waved his arm, somehow twitching his shoulder and… there was a general scream of horror. The vase tottered at first, as though hesitating whether to fall upon the head of some old gentleman, but suddenly inclining in the opposite direction, towards the German poet, who skipped aside in alarm, it crashed to the ground. A crash, a scream, and the priceless fragments were scattered about the carpet, dismay and astonishment - what was Myshkin's condition would be hard, and is perhaps unnecessary to describe. But we must not omit to mention one odd sensation, which struck him at that very minute, and stood out clearly above the mass of other confused and strange sensations. It was not the shame, not the scandal, not the fright, nor the suddenness of it that impressed him most, but his foreknowledge of it. He could not explain what was so arresting about that thought, he only felt that it had gripped him to the heart, and he stood still in a terror that was almost superstitious. Another instant and everything seemed opening out before him; instead of horror there was light, joy, and ecstasy…'

Dostoyevsky, The Idiot

Work Details

Year: 2018

Instrumentation: Violin, cello, piano.

Duration: 14 min.

Difficulty: Medium

Commission note: Commissioned by Benaud Trio with funds provided by Arts SA.

First performance: by Benaud Trio — 13 Aug 18. Elder Hall, Adelaide SA