Category Archives: String Works

Catalogue of Works, New Composition News, String Works

Song of Life (2007)

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for solo violin

duration: 4 minutes

Faber Music site publishing details

Audio:

Programme Notes

Fr. Arthur Bridge is the progenitor and driving force behind Ars Music Australis, an arts support body in Australia that has commissed over 150 new works by Australian and international composers. Without Fr. Arthur Bridge, the Australian contemporary art music scene would be in a very sorry state indeed. History will list him with such patrons of the arts as the Medici family in renaissance Venice: there has been no-one of his achievements in the history of the Australian arts.

In late 2006 Fr. Bridge was taken ill and rushed to intensive care in a hospital in Sydney. His situation was very much touch-and-go. However the thing about Fr. Bridge is that he is a fighter. If anyone could stare death in the face and refuse to succumb, it would be him. Consequently he recovered and at the time of writing, looks healthier than I’ve ever seen him, just 2 months after being basically dead.

Song of Lifeis a tribute to Fr. Bridge’s fighting spirit and triumph of adversity.

notes by Matthew Hindson.

CD Recording Available?

    Not at present.
Catalogue of Works, Chamber Works, New Composition News, String Works

Piano Trio (2007)

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for violin, cello and piano
duration: 16 minutes

Faber Music publishing details, including online score preview

Audio:

Live recording of the third movement at the Camden Haven Festival
Recording of the first movement, Piano Trio (NB is a little slow, but an impressive performance nonetheless)

Programme Notes

The structure of this Piano Trio follows that of many classical and romantic works for the same instrumentation: fast, slow, fast.

The work opens with a spirited, very fast movement that is scherzo-like in most of its character: light, airy and playfully rhythmic. It is written as a Moto Perpetuo, i.e. it doesn’t really stop from start to finish. It does slow down in places… but quickly speeds up again.

In contrast, the second movement, entitled “Repetitions”, is much more lyrical in content. This movement explores melodic ideas placed upon a repeated chord progression from start to finish. The chords themselves are reminiscent of those found in the trance music genre.

The final movement, “Epic Diva”, takes its title from the genre of singing commonly found in anthemic electronic-based dance music. Much of the musical content in this movement is similarly derived from contemporary dance music genres, especially repetitious chord progressions and the piano writing. It is very much an upbeat movement, full of energy and vitality.

 
This piece was funded with the assistance of the Australia Council, the Federal Government’s arts funding and advisory body.
notes by Matthew Hindson.

CD Recording Available?

This piece has been recorded by the Benaud Trio in 2012.  While the tempos are perhaps a bit on the careful side, it is a good recording!

Catalogue of Works, Chamber Works, String Works

Siegfried Interlude No. 4 (1998)

aka. Ride of the Viola Valkyries

for 8 violists

duration: 4 minutes

based upon The Ride of the Valkyries by Richard Wagner

Faber Music publishing details

Programme Notes

Siegfried Interlude No. 4 was commissioned by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra for first performance at the launch of their 1999 Season. At the time, the SSO viola section was made up exclusively by women, and since the SSO were going to perform Die Walküre the following year, it seemed fitting that an arrangement of one of the best known parts from that opera, “The Ride of the Valkyries”, was done for this section.

So whilst not technically part of Siegfried, it nevertheless forms part of the Siegfried Interlude series. The arrangement takes into account what sort of things the Valkyries might get up to (i.e. going clubbing) if they were living in the late 20th/early 21st century.

notes by Matthew Hindson.

CD Recording Available?

    Not as yet.

Ride of the Viola Valkyries

Other Information

This work has been performed as part of the Australian Viola Festival, curated and organized by Roger Benedict.

Performance from 2012, ViolaMania! Festival, Berkeley, California
Catalogue of Works, String Works

Gentle Giant (2003)

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for string quartet or string orchestra

duration: 2 1/2 minutes

Faber Music publishing details

Audio:

Programme Notes

Gentle Giant was written an a short miniature, originally for piano. It is based upon a slowly undulating melody surrounded by clear harmonies.

notes by Matthew Hindson.

CD Recording Available?

      This work is recorded on the disc

Matthew Hindson: String Music for Young Players

    . This disc is available free of charge by contacting the composer.

Other Information

This piece is quite easy for a high-school level or amateur string orchestra.

A version for solo piano of this work is available through Faber Music (UK).

A shorter version of this piece, Tiny Giant, is published by Faber Music as part of their Fingerprints series for young pianists.

Catalogue of Works, New Composition News, String Works

Song and Dance (2006)

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for string orchestra

duration: approximately 10 minutes

Faber Music publishing details

Programme Notes

i. Song

ii. Dance

The two movements in this piece – the first a ‘song’, and the second a ‘dance’ – explore the differences in life experience and lifestyle between young adults over a 90 year time span. The first movement refers to 1916, when young men were fighting and dying in European battle fields. Young women of the time were at home, married, possibly with children, with a proscribed role of a ‘housewife’. In contrast is the typical 18-25 year old in 2006 – single, juggling a frenetic career and social life, surrounded by information and technological advancements.

This work was commissioned by The Orchestras of Australia Network with the financial assistance of the Australia Council, the Federal Government’s arts funding and advisory body.

Programme note by Matthew Hindson, 2006

notes by Matthew Hindson.

CD Recording Available?

    Not as yet.

Other Information

This piece is performable by a good high school or youth orchestra.

SongDance