Shinglebend was composed for competitive entry for the 2007 Symphony Australia TSO Australian Composers’ School.
Like so often, Shinglebend was composed to a deadline – its 10-day compositional process is a personal record for an orchestral piece.
Scurrilous Words was composed for the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra for entry to the 2010 Australian Composers’ School. It has the form of a prelude and passacaglia, with a ‘scherzo’ as a developmental episode. The theme is dodecaphonic, consisting of two hexachords, which further form the harmonic base of the introduction and the scherzo.
The title was drawn from The Winter’s Tale Act IV, scene IV
Clown: Pr’ythee, bring him in; and let him approach singing.
Perdita: Forewarn him that he use no scurrilous words in ’s tunes.
The middle movement of the Second Piano Concerto was performed at the University of Western Australia by fellow-members of the UWA School of Music and of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, directed from the piano by the composer.
Daniel Masmanian 