I: Chiaroscuro Dance

II: Fainting Light

In composing this piece I continued to explore relationships between the visual arts and music. A particular interest is the potential to construct sonic analogues for painterly forms and techniques. Both movements exploit contrasts in dynamics, register, gesture and texture to create sensations of light and shade. Melodic lines trace imaginary objects to give an impression of their shape, volume and position within a three-dimensional space. I also sought to represent a variety of energetic states: Chiaroscuro Dance features passages of agitation, hesitation and flow arranged into a kaleidoscopic structure. In contrast, Fainting Light is reflective, spacious, and serene.

Premiered 11 August 2012 by Zubin Kanga at the Melbourne Recital Centre. Performed again on 16 August 2012 at Independent Theatre, North Sydney