before/now/after
前・今・後
before/now/after, presented by one of Australia’s most exciting alternative classical ensembles, invites listeners on a musical narrative of culture and environment across Australia and Japan.
before/now/after features custom visual design by Danish artist, Monica Vejgaard
Traversing the two artists' experiences living in Japan, the program empowers the voices of emerging and established Australian female composers alongside expressions of Japanese folk song and original work.
Inspired by ideas of change present across culture and environment, the program is designed in a three-part cyclical structure to reflect involvement in the Osaka World Expo, Australian Pavilion, and the theme, “Chasing the Sun.” Exploring traditional models of musical expression, Before, is set in a sunrise across the vast lands of Australia. Now, holds the voices of Duo Aki and their pursuits in personal expression. Finally, After poses questions of the future and shines light on the potential negative repercussions of decisions made now.
We share our program with you below.
before:
Imagine the land beneath us before concrete was there; this is the energy we capture in Hayley Wolters' piece Grounded, which was originally conceived in collaboration with Lola Schuele and Marcus Wraight. Wind, city and the busyness of modern Melbourne life intersect between the violin and saxophone.
Sri-Lankan Australian composer Imogen Ferdinando’s Where land meets sky reflects a journey throughout outback Winton, Queensland, complete with birds, insects and the sound of the wind, expressed by Eden on the violin and looper pedal.
Kyourei is a traditional Japanese shakuhachi piece used to enter traditional Zen practices like meditation. In this new version, hear the violin and shakuhachi collide, close your eyes and go within.
Nick Russoniello’s Dawn Searching for solo saxophone invites us to embrace the morning sun of Australia as the kookaburras begin to sing.
We travel from land to the beaches of Australia’s South Coast in Werri Dance 2, also by Nick Russoniello. You can hear long sweeps of waves break on beaches untouched and dive beneath the waters of Werri Beach.
Summer, an original work by Duo Aki, evokes the sounds of an Australian seascape through the soft hum of the wind and waves, the crying curlew, the scuttling of crabs and the shimmer of sun-kissed sand.
now:
In a beautiful ‘Ode’ to Japan, this piece by Perth-based composer Lachlan Skipworth allows you to travel across city and country with accompanying videography by Michael Maclean. Arranged for piano, violin and saxophone with thanks to Lachlan.
The vast mountains of Yamanashi, Japan, echo in Yamabiko, a work originally composed for violin and looper by Eden. The yearning melodies reflect the cold and desire for autumn sun.
Malinconia, a movement by Eugène Ysäye is a melancholy lament for solo violin. Listen out for the violin’s rich chords and lonely melodies as we reflect on the feelings of displacement that can come from living in a different culture.
Moving away from the zen shakuhachi, Suzuka tells the story of a Japanese farmer and his horse travelling across the Japanese countryside. This folk song has been reimagined with the violin, singing the rhythm of the horse and its bell.
Sweep beneath the cherry blossoms of Japan’s springtime in this arrangement of the traditional folk song, Sakura, by Duo Aki. Feel the blooms bud and fall as the music shifts between violin, saxophone and looper pedal.
after:
Relinquish, a song by Hayley Wolters, explores the state of a neurodiverse creative. Through shifting tempos of fast and slow, we invite you to consider the moments of conformity and freedom experienced by those with Disabilities.
We are always experiencing the effect of changes in the environment, influencing our ability to live in the society that we have created. Keyna Wilkins’s Scorched Earth tells the story of the Australian bushfires in 2019-2020 and the toil it took on many regions across Australia.
In this double Keyna Wilkins banger, the acclaimed Australia-British contemporary composer encourages us to grapple with the uncertainty of the future. Inspired by Japanese-Australian artist Reiko Azuma, Keyna asks us to trust ourselves again, but in a new way.
The loss of leaves is a commonality across Japan and Australia but for vastly different reasons. Akibare, an original work by violinist Eden Annesley, recreates the atmospheric effect of autumn leaves in Japan and their significance across Japanese culture. You will hear moments of harsh, whistling wind, alongside a call to embrace the beauty and expanse of nature.
Adapted for violin, saxophone and pre-recorded piano, this aria Where, originally from Kate Miller Heidke’s ‘The Rabbits’ opera, tells the story of the results of an invasive species on the environment, with parallels to the events of Australian colonisation. Both instruments take the melody, uplifting the loss and creating hope for the future. Follow the lyrics of the original opera on the screen.