Work

Programme Note

“The boundary between collection and fetishism is mediated by classification and display in tension with accumulation and secrecy.” Two musical strands run virtually throughout this short piece, sometimes clearly differentiated, at other times more obscure and confused, but always at some level presenting an opposition between an ‘organic’, accretional layer and an ‘inorganic’ abruptly changing one. This opposition can operate not only at surface level – as it does at the beginning, when two highly differentiated instrumental combinations are presented, each with their own characteristic modes of behaviour – but also at a subcutaneous level, when applied to various ways of generating or modifying the basic material. These concerns form only the technical armature and implementation of the piece, of course, and much of the original musical imagery was suggested by Borges’ short story The Circular Ruins.

While giving the obligatory (questionable?) disclaimer about the piece in no way being programmatic, much of the mood and atmosphere of the story was certainly in my mind during the initial sketching stages, and it seems to me that its central conceit – one human dreaming another into existence, by sheer will – is a marvellous metaphor for the act of composition.

Commissioned:

Commissioned by Stroma with funding from Creative New Zealand

• Stroma

Difficulty:

Advanced

Dedication:

to Phil, Hamish, Michael and the players of Stroma

• Stroma

Funders:

• Creative New Zealand

Performance History

	18 Aug 2000	Premiered by Stroma conducted by Hamish McKeich at the Ilott Concert Chamber, Wellington
		Stroma
	13 May 2001	Performed by Stroma with conductor Hamish McKeich at the Former National Museum Building in Wellington
		Hamish McKeich    Stroma
	30 Mar 2003	Performed by Stroma with conductor Hamish McKeich at Auckland School of Music, in Auckland
		Hamish McKeich    Stroma
	09 Oct 2008	Performed by Stroma – Bridget Douglas (flute), Robert Orr (oboe) Rixon Thomas (c.a), Patrick Barry and Gretchen La Roche (clarinet), Ed Allen (horn), Murray Hickman and Lenny Sakofsky (percussion), Xenia Pestov and Donald Nicolson (piano), Vesa-Matti Lappanen (violin), Johnny Chang and Katherine Rowe (viola), Robert Ibell (cello), Vicki Jones (double bass) and conducted by Hamish McKeich. Music set to dance by Timothy Gordon and danced by Juliet Fisher and Izumi Yoshizawa as part of the Tempo 2008 Dance Festival in Auckland.
		Hamish McKeich    Stroma
	10 Oct 2008	Performed by Stroma – Bridget Douglas (flute), Robert Orr (oboe) Rixon Thomas (c.a), Patrick Barry and Gretchen La Roche (clarinet), Ed Allen (horn), Murray Hickman and Lenny Sakofsky (percussion), Xenia Pestov and Donald Nicolson (piano), Vesa-Matti Lappanen (violin), Johnny Chang and Katherine Rowe (viola), Robert Ibell (cello), Vicki Jones (double bass) and conducted by Hamish McKeich. Music set to dance by Timothy Gordon and danced by Juliet Fisher and Izumi Yoshizawa as part of the Tempo 2008 Dance Festival in Auckland.
		Hamish McKeich    Stroma