|
Rush (1999) Guitar and String Quartet also for Oboe and String Quartet (2002) duration:
ca. 10 minutes
Programme
Notes Contemporary Australian composers have the opportunity
to learn from and be influenced by a wealth of musical styles that
have passed before them. Matthew Hindson's Rush, for guitar
and string quartet, is one such piece that, while containing a mixture
of these musical characteristics, in turn displays its own style
unique to the composer. Although it may not be apparent upon its first
hearing, Hindson has used as a starting point for Rush the music
of Felix Mendelssohn. The fast and technically challenging passages
found in the final movement of the Mendelssohn String Octet
influenced Hindson's decision to compose a work for the Goldner
String Quartet that is highly virtuosic in nature. The composer
remarks, "it is much more the spirit of Mendelssohn's string
writing that was influential, particularly the last movements of
his string quartets and the String Octet, rather than any sort of
harmony or melodic invention." In addition to the influence of Mendelssohn, Matthew
Hindson has also found inspiration in the popular music idiom. Popular
and, in particular, 'techno' music and culture have played a large
role in the development of Hindson's musical style (with his other
works displaying such titles as SPEED
and Homage to Metallica), and
Rush is no exception. The playful, up-beat and repetitive
rhythms found in popular music are a prominent feature of this work.
The fast and mostly accelerating tempo of Rush reinforces
both the title of the piece and the influence of 'techno' music.
Rush also features a series of catchy and vibrant melodies, making
the work accessible to a wide audience. The playful nature of the
music can also be considered as a reflection of the hedonistic nature
of modern society, where a large emphasis is placed on the pursuit
of pleasure and enjoyment. Although Rush is scored for guitar and string
quartet, it is regarded by Hindson as a guitar quintet, where the
guitarist and the string quartet are treated not as soloists performing
with accompaniment, but as integral and equally important entities
in the work as a whole. The guitarist and the instruments comprising
the quartet each have the opportunity to assume the playful motifs
and feature as virtuosic soloists. Matthew Hindson is one of a number of younger composers
who are attempting to establish and express their place within today's
world. Hindson's now distinctive style incorporates, and is heavily
based on, the music pervading contemporary popular culture. The
composer, however, is not unwilling to accept the influences of
more established art-music traditions, and adopts these where he
feels necessary. Combined, these influences provide the listener
with a fresh, accessible and culturally up-to-date musical experience.
notes
© by Michelle Kennedy.
|
|||||||||||||