Work Overview
For this unusual commission by Bruce and Jenny Lane for the
Australian Chamber Orchestra, I was asked to create specific
parts for the 4 soloists playing beautiful rare old instruments.
In wanting to honour these special 'soldiers' of music (Guarneri
Violin, Stradivarius Violin, Maggini Viola and da Salo Double
Bass), I thought about some of the different types of wood that
are used in instrument making and how they all have their own
particular advantages, originalities and strengths. The woods I
chose were maple, ebony, willow, spruce. No string instrument can
exist without using at least some of these materials.
A question I was asking myself was, would the wood retain some of
the spirit and memory of where it has been, what it has heard,
and what it has played in its life? The heart of that idea led me
to imagine an inner life and world for these magnificent
instruments and to offer my own musings on what some of those
memories might be if they did happen. The work is in four
movements and each is dedicated to one wood. The four instruments
(dedicatees) feature in each
movement.
Work Details
Year: 2016
Instrumentation: 2 solo violins, solo viola, solo double bass, violins, violas, celli.
Contents note: 1. Maple -- 2. Ebony -- 3. Willow -- 4. Spruce.
Commission note: Commissioned by Jenny Lane, Bruce Lane for performance by Australian Chamber Orchestra.
First performance: by Australian Chamber Orchestra at Gut Strings - Tognetti & ACO soloists: Kats-Chernin (Sydney Opera House, Concert Hall) on 16 Oct 2016
Performances of this work
16 Oct 2016: at Gut Strings - Tognetti & ACO soloists: Kats-Chernin (Sydney Opera House, Concert Hall). Featuring Australian Chamber Orchestra.
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