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Christopher Blake  

Clairmont Triptych

Duration: 15' 00" Year: 1988
for wind quintet and piano

• Instrumentation
  flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon and piano
• Programme Note

  Clairmont Triptych was written in fulfilment of a commission by Chamber Music New Zealand for the Auckland Wind Quintet with pianist David Guerin to perform on a New Zealand tour in 1988.

  The music derives its inspiration and impetus from the work of the New Zealand painter Phillip Clairmont (1949 – 1984). He was something of an enfant terrible of the New Zealand art world, living his life and his painting with a reckless passion and energy. His work is vibrant and strong, conveying an intense and energetic power. Aspects of these elements are captured in the music, although it is not programmatic, but connects with paintings through analogy and allusion. Amongst the profusion of themes and ideas there are two prominent recurrent subjects in Clairmont’s work – the domestic interior and the self portrait. These form the thematic base of the first two of the three inter-linked movements of the work. The first movement, Interiors, mirrors the fractured vibrancy of the Clairmont interiors by use of a very fast toccata-like movement in sequences of fluctuating tempo. This creates a continuously “flexing” aural effect which reflects the unsettling quality of the images. The second movement, Self Portraits, uses a recurring three note motif C-B-Bb. These are the composer’s initials (C-H-B in German), thus the self portrait becomes ambiguous. The music seeks to realise to an extent the technique and viewpoint of the self portraits. The third movement, Jimi Rocks, refers to the influence of rock music on Clairmont’s painting, particularly during his studies and the early part of his career in Christchurch. The three movement formal structure is a musical equivalent of the triptych format Clairmont often used in his painting.

• Availability

  • Blake: Clairmont Triptych; computer set  Year: 1995 

    Full score | Hardcopy - computer set
    
    $20.50
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  • Waiteata Collection of New Zealand Music Vol. 2 - Chamber Music  Year: 1997 

    CD
    
    $15.00
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David Hamilton  

Philagree

Duration: 18' 00" Year: 1981
for oboe, 2 violins, viola, cello and double bass

John Elmsly  

Ritual Auras

Duration: 15' 00" Year: 1982
for flute, horn, percussion, piano, violin and cello

• Programme Note

  Ritual Auras was created using repeated blocks of rugged instrumental colour. These suggested the title but also shape the piece: the music combines ritornello and variation forms to produce sound halos whose nexus is a solo flute passage heard part way through. Although the score is fully notated there are many places where players have freedom to interact and respond to each other. It should be listened to as a series of sculptural explorations of implicit radiance, or a succession of views of personality.

  Notes taken from Ritual Auras, Atoll CD (ACD 842)

• Availability

  • John Elmsly: Ritual Auras; audio 

    Media on Demand | Embedded
    

  • Ritual Auras - Karlheinz Company  Year: 2011 

    CD
    
    $30.00
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