Work
Four Preludes
for clarinet, bassoon and piano
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About
Four Preludes were written in January 2016, during a period of rest and introspection after several years of frequent trans-Tasman travel. These short pieces spring equally from both Australia and New Zealand in their inspiration, and are a response to the feeling of living in two countries at the same time during these years.
The first movement introduces a theme in the piano part that is reminiscent of some of Douglas Lilburn’s writing for piano in his earlier pieces for piano. The bird calls heard in the first and fourth prelude are my transcriptions of two distinctive Grey Butcherbird calls that I heard repeatedly at Petrina Slaytor’s home on Sydney’s North Shore during stays there in 2014 and 2015. Given that the butcherbird has different songs at different times of year and in different places, we may never hear this exact call again.
Commissioned note
Commissioned by Petrina Slaytor
Dedication note
to Petrina Slaytor