Australian Music Centre | Breaking sound barriers

Work Overview

Latitude 33º South is inspired by the solar latitude system. The first movement opens with a fast, loud, pulsating and rhythmic character. Rising and falling, virtuosic scalic, glissando bell-like motifs represent the position and emergence of sunspots and active latitudes that are associated with jet streams which vary throughout the solar cycle. A dream-like and atmospheric quality emerges with the clarinettist freely improvising with bird-like motifs alongside flourishes of rippling passages in the piano to depict the sun's flickering, shimmering light, and the intensity and brightness of the sun's rays.

The second movement is soft, serene and calm. The sun's warm afterglow and luminescent quality is portrayed by the clarinet's lyrical and soothing sound together with the dulcet tones of the piano.

Latitude 33º South showcases the clarinet's unique tonal colours through the use of contemporary playing techniques featuring quarter-tone trills and multiphonics in an atmospheric style.

No previous playing experience with contemporary playing techniques is required.

Work Details

Year: 2018

Instrumentation: Bb clarinet, piano.

Duration: 6 min.

Difficulty: Medium — Composed for Clarinet 7th grade AMEB Level and above

Contents note: Movt I (3:45 - 4 min) -- Movt II (1:45 - 2 min).

Commission note: Commissioned for Sydney’s Cranbrook School 2018 Centenary Commissioning Project

First performance: by Gregory Deng, Lin Xu-Zhang — 26 Mar 18. Cranbrook School, Sydney.

The composer notes the following styles, genres, influences, etc associated with this work:
Classical, Romantic and Impressionistic period. Technical virtuosic style and contemporary playing techniques in an atmospheric style. Australian nature sounds.

Movements I and II can be performed separately.

Analysis

Resonate article: Cranbrook Centenary Composition Project: the Sound of a School by Luke Gilmour

Kit: Latitude 33º South (2018), by Katia Beaugeais / education resource co-written by Phillip Beverley and Katia Beaugeais.