Australian Music Centre | Breaking sound barriers

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The Australian Music Centre's catalogue does not include any recordings or sheet music of this work. This entry is for information purposes only.

It is listed in our catalogue because an event featuring a performance of this work was included in our calendar of Australian music. Details of this performance are listed below.

Work Overview

Forces of Nature evokes two polar opposites: the summer melt of ice sheets, and an erupting volcano. The ethereal opening solo violin lines offers suggestions of shimmering light refracting off ice and near freezing water. As the piano enters, the water's depth and slow undulation is introduced, transitioning to harsher ice caps, cracking, and a sharp cold. Light persists until falling deep beneath the waves. The second section starts with a slow agitation, a bubbling of air escaping beneath the sea bed. The lines quickly increase into a wild intensity, with jagged leaps heralding the start of the volcanic eruption, bursting into a fiery dance for the piano. Both violin and piano move from fast intensity to gentler gestures then back again, using the extremes of both instruments' ranges and dynamics.

As the volcano continues to erupt the hot lava, while sometimes cooling over briefly,
always breaks again to show its searing glow.
While divided into two movements, there is no pause in this work other than for musical affect.

Work Details

Year: 2023

Instrumentation: Violin, piano.

Duration: 12 min.

Difficulty: Advanced — Rhythmically complex, extended violin techniques, quarter tones

Commission note: Commissioned for Musica Viva Australia.. Commissioned by Christine Bollen, Peter Cumines, Elizabeth Dooley, Annabel Wheeler and Elizabeth and Rod King. In memory of Ian Bollen and in memory of Iris Mara.

First performance: 13 Nov 23. Perth Concert Hall, Perth WA