Australian Music Centre | Breaking sound barriers

Work Overview

Although the title of this work reflects on possible sound worlds inspired by TS. Eliot, it can also draw upon imagery from Francis Ford Coppola's wartime masterpiece, Apocalypse Now. The title belongs to the deluded rantings of Dennis Hopper, the parts or mini movements of the work are named after key snippets of dialogue. The names of these parts are not literal but my own imaginary interpretation of the words.

Part 1: A snail on a straight razor.
A nightmarish interpretation of the strange words spoken by Kurtz on a shortwave radio recording. The slow, agonising dissection is implied by the almost static but gradually moving strings.

Part 2: Searching for Mangoes.
"Never ever get off the boat!" There's a tiger waiting in the undergrowth...

Part 3: Gardenias in bloom.
Possibly an allusion to Bartok's nightmarish garden from Bluebeard's Castle, this phrase from Kurtz describes a garden of lunacy and pain.

Work Details

Year: 2013

Instrumentation: Piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboe, cor anglais, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, clarinet in Eb, 3 clarinets in Bb, bass clarinet in Bb, soprano saxophone in Bb, alto saxophone in Eb, tenor saxophone in Bb, baritone saxophone in Eb, 4 horns in F, 3 trumpets in C, 2 tenor trombones, bass trombone, euphonium, tuba, timpani, percussion (6 players), piano.

Duration: 22 min.

Difficulty: Advanced

Contents note: Part 1: A snail on a straight razor -- Part 2: Searching for Mangoes -- Part 3: Gardenias in bloom.

First performance: by Hobart Wind Symphony, Simon Reade, Michael Kieran Harvey — 8 Dec 18. St David’s Cathedral, Hobart TAS