Hinterland

Three contemporary works for chamber ensemble are juxtaposed with traditional folksongs in Dark Inventions' Hinterland project.

The subtle changes of texture in Hinterland (1999) are at the forefront of its soundworld, creating an introspective quality that exists at the very edge of audibility; a violin crescendo or a pulsing bass clarinet become, in this context, major events. Timbres created by low piccolo or high string harmonics enhance the sense of fragility, adding to the impression that the music will fracture and decay.

A flock of white swans will look all the whiter when a single black swan flies amongst them. The idea of vivid clarity achieved by complete contrast inspired Black Swans (2013), a work in which motifs, gestures and sections are juxtaposed both for impact and to achieve a sense of clarity from one moment to the next.

Placing the warmth of resonance alongside the fragility of a lone melodic line, Of silence and harmony (2013) explores how a single instrument can gradually assert itself on an ensemble, emerging from the shadows to become the principal protagonist.