Piano Trio: Two Australian Landscapes (2021)

Instrumentation: 

Flute, Clarinet in B Flat, Cello, Piano

Duration ca. 6' 00" 

2021 HSC Music Extension Composition - Pieces A and B 

This work was revised in 2022

This work was premiered at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music on the 25th of October 2022 by Alex Maltas (Flute), Mitchell Brown (Clarinet), Rena Tang (Cello), Adriel Sukumar (Piano).

I. Mount Anderson 

I spent some time during the summer at Kosciuszko National Park, hiking across various peaks on the Main Range and Geehi area. I was immediately struck by how colourful, unique, and exhilarating the entire region was. The alpine grass was like colourful patchwork quilt, displaying a myriad of greens, yellows, and purples. One of the most iconic views I experienced was of Mount Anderson in the pink – orange backdrop of the setting sun, reflecting its radiant orange light. Around it, the green alpine grass was sca1ered with rock formations of all shapes and sizes. The clouds above it, formed wide rings of pink and white, with the moon, floating as a small speckle of light above. This movement, ‘Mount Anderson’ aims to portray the sense of mystery and awe experienced with being at the top of Australia, full of various bursts of energy and joy. 

II. Lake Jindabyne

I was down at lake Jindabyne during the summer holidays around sunset. It was a warm afternoon, the sun could be seen behind me se1ing down upon the horizon, its layers of colour, echoed in the sky to my left. The water was calm and peaceful, except for small ripples disseminating towards the sandy beach. A light breeze could be felt. The soft silhouette of the Australian Alps could be seen in the background, gliding against the horizon. In all this peace and tranquillity however, a small island of tall dark trees really stood out to me. They gave off a sense of mystery and darkness, standing right in the middle of all the peacefulness. It was as I thought about this dark island, the darkness amongst peace, that I began to shape this piece of music. I could almost imagine how it would sound, a piece about peace, slowly making its way to the darkness of the island, interrupted by its mystery, but ultimately returning to the peacefulness of the surrounding, and thus, this piece ‘Lake Jindabyne’ was born.