Dysart’s Changelings
(2014)
for piano quartet
commissioned by the Australia Piano Quartet
premiered in part by the Australia Piano Quartet on 24 April 2014 in the Balcony Room, University of Sydney Technology, Ultimo, NSW, Australia
premiered in full by Callithumpian Consort on 15 June 2015 in Jordan Hall, New England Conservatory, Boston, MA, USA
featured in Colour Music
reviewed in Press
score available through The Australian Music Centre
duration: 13’
genre: Chamber - Small
category: Ambrosia, Esoterica
Dysart's Changelings is an exploration, both figuratively and literally, of tonight's venue. Designed by Michael Dysart and the Department of Public Works, the main tower building of the University of Technology, Sydney epitomises '60s brutalism in its uncompromising frame, unsentimental tones and stark interiors. The airy, light-filled Balcony Room, in contrast, is softer, more conciliatory, a happy byproduct of the reimagining a few years ago of the neighbouring Great Hall. Dysart's Changelings reflects the aesthetic sparring between monolithic parent and prodigal child, tempering hard, crude shape with bright colour, enlivened texture and engaging line. In addition, the work requires the players to move around the space on their own individual journeys. This choreography creates an awareness of both the acoustic and spatial attributes of the Balcony Room, as the former is celebrated in the stately mimicry between musical lines.
