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John Psathas  

Helix

Duration: 20' 00" Year: 2006
for piano trio

Gillian Whitehead  

Hineteiwaiwa

Duration: 20' 00" Year: 2006
for taonga puoro and chamber ensemble

  • Instrumentation
    taonga puoro, piccolo/alto flute, flute, bassoon, marimba/percussion, harp, 2 violins, viola, cello
  • Programme Note

    Hineteiwaiwa is a wahine atua – a Maori goddess – the exemplary wife and mother who provided the pattern that all women follow. She assists at the entrances into and the exits from the world, with rituals concerned with tattooing of the lips prior to marriage, with the raising of tapu, and she is credited by some iwi with the introduction of weaving into the culture. Generally, she supports the role of women in traditional society. Hineteiwaiwa was written at the time that Tungia Baker, herself an exemplary wahine toa, or woman of strength, was dying, and is dedicated to her memory. In the improvisatory sections, which are guided and shaped by the taonga puoro player, there are few indications in the score. Generally, the improvisations involve the percussionist. Maori texts, devised and sung by the Kaikaranga, may be integrated into these sections. Also embedded in the improvisatory sections of the piece is a separate vocal composition by Aroha Yates-Smith, woven around the attributes and quality of Hineteiwaiwa.

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Hugh Dixon  

The Fire Raga

Duration: 20' 00" Year: 2006
for flute, violin, horn and cello

  • Programme Note

    Though notated as Western music, ‘The Fire Raga’ is written in the style of Indian classical music. It abounds in figurations common to that style. In Indian classical music the musicians improvise on the scale notes of a chosen ‘raga’ (a mode in Western music), and, therefore, the music is not notated. When there are two instrumentalists, say sitar and shahnai (a one-reed wind instrument) they mainly ‘dialogue’ with each other, imitating a phrase introduced by one player and repeated from memory by the other, joining together in the occasional unison. In ‘The Fire Raga’ the imitation often involves three, or, at times, all four players, and unison passages are often harmonized, but, at all times only the scale notes of the ‘raga’ are sounded. Glissandi, grace notes and trills decorate the notes. The tuning of the scale notes in Indian classical music, which is subtly different to that of traditional Western music, achieves the mood and atmosphere which is the intention of the ‘raga’. The time of day when a particular ‘raga’ is played is important too. For instance, ‘The Fire Raga’ is meant to be played at ‘sunset when the lamps are lighted at the end of twilight.’ This ‘raga’ of Northern Indian music called ‘The Fire Raga’ belongs to a group of evening ragas known as Dipaka (after sunset). It is hexatonic but different in ascent and descent consisting of C, E, F sharp, G, A flat, B (ascending) and C, A flat, G, F sharp, E, D flat (descending). Notice there is no D flat in the ascending scale and no B in the descending. The notes of the raga are introduced in the slow beginning section establishing their relationship with the ‘tonic�(consonant) C and the ’dominant’ (sonant) G. When the tabla enters in the longer fast section of the music the player uses a rhythmic pattern called a tala. Certain standard variations fill out the pattern as well as some cross-rhythms. The player diverts from the basic pattern to add interest and a sense of ‘play’ with the other musicians. In the first performance of this piece a tabla player was unavailable so the improvised drum part was played on a ‘djembe’ – a single-headed drum from West Africa – successfully enhancing the music.

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