Duo
Metamorphosis
violin, piano.
(2024: 6 mins. 30 secs. approx.)
Frost
= Two roads… + …in a yellow wood…
2 guitars.
(2024: 10 mins. 45 secs. approx.)
Two roads…
2 guitars.
[1st movement of Frost or standalone work]
(2024: 5 mins. approx.)
Tentative Calm
2 percussion [assorted instruments]
(2014 rev. 2024: 4 mins. 30 secs. approx.)
Melt
guitar, vibes.
(2022: 4 mins. 15 secs. approx.)
“What is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun?” Kahlil Gibran
Ambivalence
oboe, piano.
(2022: 6 mins. 45 secs. approx.)
…the principle of looking…
Bb bass clarinet, 5 octave marimba.
(2008 rev. 2021: 9 mins. 15 secs.)
“…all these constructions and the laws connecting them can be arrived at by the principle of looking for the mathematically simplest concepts and the link between them.”
Albert Einstein.
InDecision
xylophone, piano.
[2nd movement of Extrication or standalone work]
2021: 2 mins. 15 secs. approx.
Resurgence
guitar, piano.
2020: 7 mins. approx.
…of two minds…
glockenspiel, guitar.
2008 rev. 2019 : 5 mins. 30 secs. approx.
*Premiere (orig. version): 23/3/2009 : – Carla Rees, David Black – London.
aura
celesta, guitar.
[5th movement of see(m)ing or standalone work]
2018: 3 mins.
Turn
vibraphone, viola.
[5th movement of Tortus or standalone work]
2018: 5 mins. approx.
Twist
guitar, viola.
[2nd movement of Tortus or standalone work]
2017: 2 mins. 15 secs. approx.
Sinuosity
glockenspiel, piano.
[1st movement of Extrication or standalone work]
2017: 5 mins. approx.
“The sinuosity of my thought depends on the exterior conditions in which I find myself, on perceptible experiences which modify me, and finally on the law of association of ideas which does not force me to fix my thought, nor to cause it to turn in a circle, nor to make it follow a straight line…”
from The Metamorphoses of the Circle by Georges Poulet. (translation: Carley Dawson & Elliot Coleman in collaboration with the author)
Sinuosity was completed in 2017 and has a duration of approximately 5¼ minutes. It can be performed either as a standalone work or as the first movement of Extrication (2014-2021: for piano, glock/xyl, vibes = Sinuosity + InDecision + Alter(n)ations + …this certainty…).
…on the edges of a plan…
flute, piano.
2014: 6 mins. approx.
“Pinned my hopes on vanishing lands
Thought I could be caught like
Smoke with two hands, alive
I’m a Wanderer on the edges of a plan…”
from The Wanderer, by A Lonely Crowd (Luke Ancell, Scott Ancell, Xen Havales)
…on the edges of a plan… was completed in March 2014, and is approx. 6 mins. long.
Alter(n)ations
vibraphone, piano.
[3rd movement of Extrication or standalone work]
2006 rev. 2014: 7 mins. 15 secs. approx.
*Premiere : 11/02/2023 : – Michael Kieran Harvey, Peter Neville – Melbourne.
Alter(n)ations started out in 2006 as a trio for vibraphone, piano and harpsichord that was programmed for the debut concert of the Montreal-based ensemble ‘Contemporary Keyboard Society’. The concert duly went ahead, but the premiere of Alter(n)ations was deferred on ‘workload grounds’ and later, on the departure of the percussionist from the group, suspended indefinitely.
I thought the material deserved better and some years later opted to recast it for piano and vibraphone. Finally (re)completed in October 2014, Alter(n)ations has a duration of approximately 7½ minutes, and can be performed either as a standalone work or as the third movement of Extrication (2014-2021: for piano, glock/xyl, vibes = Sinuosity + InDecision + Alter(n)ations + …this certainty…)
Espiral
oboe, vibes.
[4th movement of Tortus or standalone work]
2012: 7 mins. 45 secs. approx.
Espiral can be performed either as a standalone work, or as the fourth of six in Tortus.
“The spiral is a spiritualized circle.
In the spiral form, the circle, uncoiled, unwound, has ceased to be vicious;
it has been set free…”
from Speak, Memory, by Vladimir Nabokov.
Espiral was completed in April 2012, and is approx. 7 3/4 mins. long.
…in a yellow wood…
2 guitars.
[2nd movement of Frost or standalone work]
2011 rev, 2924: 5 mins. 45 secs. approx.
“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could…”
from The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost.
…in Coils…
oboe, viola.
[1st movement of Tortus or standalone work]
2011: 4 mins. 30 secs. approx.
…in Coils can be performed either as a standalone work, or as the first of six in Tortus.
“…the Drawling-master…taught us Drawling, Stretching, and Fainting in Coils.”
from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.“…Cogs and disks, inane mechanic whims,
And idle coils of jargon yet unspoken…”
from Sonnet : To Eva by Sylvia Plath.
…in Coils was completed in January 2011 and is approx. 4 1/2 mins. long.
…tempus fugit…
glockenspiel, xylophone.
[4th movement of The Eternal Surge or standalone work]
2010: 3 mins. approx.
…tempus fugit…can be performed either as a standalone work, or as the fourth of seven in the cycle The Eternal Surge.
“Sed fugit interea fugit irreparabile tempus, singula dum capti circumvectamur amore.”
(But meanwhile it flees: time flees irretrievably, while we wander around, prisoners of our love of detail).
from Georgics, by Virgil.
…tempus fugit… is dedicated to Pedro Carneiro & Mario Teixeira.
Puck
flute, vibraphone.
2007: 3 mins. 10 secs.
Clash
2 percussionists (xylophone, vibraphone).
[6th movement of The Eternal Surge or standalone work]
2006: 3 mins. approx.
*Premiere: 18/9/2010 – SPEAK Percussion – Melbourne.
Clash can be performed either as a standalone work, or as the sixth of seven in the cycle The Eternal Surge.
“Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.”
from Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night, by Dylan Thomas.
Clash is dedicated to Eugene Ughetti & Matthias Schack-Arnott.
It was premiered by SPEAK Percussion on 18-9-2010 at the Melbourne Recital Centre.
PNEUma
2 percussionists (vibraphone, marimba).
[2nd movement of The Eternal Surge or standalone work]
2004: 5 mins.
*Premiere: 24/11/2007 – SPEAK Percussion – Melbourne.
PNEUma can be performed either as a standalone work, or as the second of seven in the cycle The Eternal Surge.
pneuma: n. The soul or vital spirit, psyche, ego, mind, self.
PNEUma was written for SPEAK Percussion, and is dedicated to Peter Neville and Eugene Ughetti.
It was premiered by SPEAK Percussion at the Incinerator Arts Complex as part of the Big West Festival in Melbourne on 24/11/2007, with its first European performance by Pedro Carneiro and Mario Teixeira in Tomar (Portugal) in June 2009.
…a sneaking suspicion…
piano – 4 hands.
2002: 6 mins.
…a sneaking suspicion… calls for flair, precision, and a subtle sense of humour.
Slap
Bb bass clarinet, percussion.
1998 rev. 2000: 6 mins.
*Premiere: 9/5/2000 – Duo Contemporain – Perth.
Slap is a short work of about 6 ½ minutes duration that rather obviously takes its title from the opening slap tongue of the bass clarinet, but also observes that slap is one of those words that turns up in many other combinations e.g. slap-bang, slap-stick, slap-up, slap in the face, and slap and tickle to name a few. The sense of some of these other terms has doubtless found its way into this piece, (hopefully not slap-dash).
Slap was written for Duo Contemporain, and is dedicated to Henri Bok and Miquel Bernat.
It was premiered by Duo Contemporain at the Totally Huge New Music Festival in Perth on 9/5/2000, and underwent minor revision thereafter.
Split
Bb clarinet, piano.
1998: 5 mins.
*Premiere: 17/10/2002 – Paul Todd, Robert Chamberlain – Melbourne.
split: v.t. to cut lengthwise; to cleave; to tear apart; to separate; to divide; – v.i. to break asunder; to dash to pieces; to betray a secret.
“Split is a high-energy work with great rhythmic intricacy. Flutter tongued notes, trills and strong chords, which are split into jagged and angular flourishes for both instruments, plunge us into a short but intense and dramatic sound world.”
Robert Chamberlain [used by permission]
“Split can be described as an abstract but highly-charged modernist chamber work…derives much of its energy and continuity from short note values combined in irregular but active rhythms and gestures…one always senses a clear and consistent pitch structure…”
Thomas Reiner [used by permission]
Split was premiered by [pianist] Robert Chamberlain and [re-sound clarinettist] Paul Todd in Melbourne on October 17th, 2002.