Andrew Schultz’s Maali was commissioned by Geoff Stearn for the West Australian Symphony Orchestra (WASO). The World Premiere performances will soon be given by the West Australia Symphony Orchestra conducted by Simone Young with soloists Peter Facer (oboe), Allan Meyer (clarinet), Adam Mikulicz (bassoon), and David Evans (horn) at the Perth Concert Hall on 4 and 5 August 2017. The work was composed in Sydney in 2016.
Maali is a large-scale three movement work in the tradition of the sinfonia concertante – works for a small group of concerto soloists with orchestra. In this case the soloists are the wind quartet combination of oboe, clarinet, bassoon and horn. Each of the parts is quite challenging and virtuosic and there are also intense ensemble demands on the quartet as a group. The work is accompanied by a large orchestra including full brass and percussion sections – the orchestral scoring does omit oboe, clarinet, bassoon but includes three flutes (which have a prominent role in the work) and also includes cor anglais, bass clarinet and contrabassoon. The latter are the bass siblings of the solo woodwind parts and with the flutes complement the sonorities of the solo instruments.
The three movements are arranged fast-slow-fast with the second movement running without break into the final movement. The first movement is by turns rhythmically playful and expressively lyrical with the interchange of moods suggesting the natural world of great birds at play. The second movement is dream-like as one musical image floats into another, in each case expressively led by a soloist.
The final movement is an extremely buoyant and jubilant set of double variations. There are two themes heard (or one theme with two halves in you prefer) followed by a total of 10 variations (or 5 pairs of variations). The music of the double theme alternates a rhythmic melodic line (first heard in solo horn) with an answering chorale-like passage; this pattern continues through the movement. The great birds referred to in the title, Maali, also provide a clue to the source of the musical ideas in this movement.
Andrew Schultz – Maali, Opus 101 (2016)
Concerto for oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon with orchestra
Movement 1 – Lively, fast and playful
Movement 2 – Slow, dreamlike
Movement 3 – Variations: Fast, joyous
Duration: approximately 28 minutes
ABC Classic FM will broadcast the concert on Saturday 12 August at midday: http://www.abc.net.au/classic/content/2017/08/12/4715078.htm
For more information on the work and the composer: www.andrewschultz.net
Andrew Schultz music news 