Work
Pas de Deux Op.51a
for guitar duo
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About
This is a substantial work in five sections which explores the many different textures and colours available from the combination of two guitars. Pas de Deux is an essentially abstract work, but was conceived as a sequence of imaginary dances, involving two characters. The titles of the five sections give clues as to the mood of each dance, but beyond that the listener must rely on their own imagination and personal experiences to interpret the sounds.
There are elements of 'minimalist' influence in this work, with plenty of quite simple modal ideas being subtly varied in the course of repetitions. This is especially so in the second section, which develops an idea first presented in the choral work 'As Long as Time' (No.3: "I lie, I watch the ceiling"). The third section is more Bartokian in style, while the fourth builds up to a catharsis through repeated chord patterns. In the short 'Epilogue' ideas from the beginning recur, but are transformed into a more peaceful setting.
Commissioned note
Commissioned by and written for Tony Donaldson and Matthew Marshall (the NZ Guitar Duo) , with financial assistance from the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council and the New Zealand Composers' Foundation.
Contents note
1. Prelude
2. Au Revoir
3. Jeux
4. Waltz triste
5. Epilogue
Performance history
18 Mar 1993: Performed by Tony Donaldson and Matthew Marshall at the Adam Concert Room, Victoria University.
25 Mar 1993: Performed by Matthew Marshall and Tony Donaldson at Lincoln University, Christchurch, New Zealand
26 Mar 1993: Performed by Matthew Marshall and Tony Donaldson at University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
27 Mar 1993: Performed by Matthew Marshall and Tony Donaldson at Aigantighe Art Gallery, Timaru, New Zealand
31 Mar 1993: Performed by Matthew Marshall and Tony Donaldson at Marama Hall, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
23 Feb 1995: Performed by Matthew Marshall and Tony Donaldson at the New Zealand Embassy, Washington DC, USA
26 Feb 1995: Performed by Matthew Marshall and Tony Donaldson at Assembly Hall, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
08 Mar 1995: Performed by Matthew Marshall and Tony Donaldson at Conservatorio de las Rosas, Morelia, Mexico.
09 Mar 1995: Performed by Matthew Marshall and Tony Donaldson at Teatro Morelos, Maravatio, Mexico.
01 Sep 2016: Performed by Jane Curry and Marek Pasieczny at Lady Goodfellow Chapel, Hamilton, New Zealand
02 Sep 2016: Performed by Jane Curry and Marek Pasieczny at Warkworth Folk Club, Matakana, New Zealand
03 Sep 2016: Performed by Jane Curry and Marek Pasieczny at 1012 East Coast Road, Auckland, New Zealand
06 Sep 2016: Performed by Jane Curry and Marek Pasieczny at 4th Wall Theatre, New Plymouth, New Zealand
08 Sep 2016: Performed by Jane Curry and Marek Pasieczny at South Canterbury Community College, Timaru, New Zealand
10 Sep 2016: Performed by Jane Curry and Marek Pasieczny at Hohepa, Christchurch, New Zealand.
13 Sep 2016: Performed by Jane Curry and Marek Pasieczny at Adam Concert Room, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
16 Sep 2016: Performed by Jane Curry and Marek Pasieczny at Polish Consulate, Sydney, Australia
Recorded by Jane Curry and Owen Moriarty on the album Music from New Zealand for Two Guitars (2019)