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With Barren Heart

Version 2 2024-04-16, 00:27
Version 1 2024-04-02, 03:04
composition
posted on 2024-04-16, 00:27 authored by Paul Dean, Daniel de BorahDaniel de Borah

Written for mezzo soprano, clarinet, and piano and composed to a poem of the same name by Trish Dean, With Barren Heart represents the sarcasm and slight loathing I hold towards my country. Trish's words dramatically cover all the distasteful elements of our heritage while also being a tongue-in-cheek homage to so many of the lovable larrikin aspects of our culture. The song was commissioned by Opera Queensland and written for mezzo soprano Lotte Betts-Dean and pianist Daniel de Borah. It was premiered at Queensland Music Festival's Opera at Jimbour on 5 May, 2023.

Image by Mitch Lowe.

Funding

Private Funding

History

ERA Category

  • Original Creative Work - Musical Composition

Funding type

  • Private funds

Eligible major research output?

  • Yes

Research Statement

Written for mezzo soprano, clarinet, and piano and composed to a poem of the same name by Trish Dean, With Barren Heart represents the sarcasm and slight loathing I hold towards my country. Trish's words dramatically cover all the distasteful elements of our heritage while also being a tongue-in-cheek homage to so many of the lovable larrikin aspects of our culture. As a performer, I have delved into many art songs for clarinet, voice, and piano, such as Franz Schubert’s Shepherd on the Rock (1828), Louis Spohr’s Six German Songs (1837), Conradin Kreutzer’s The Millwheel (1857), and Bernhard Crussel’s From Ganges Beauteous Strands (1824). This new composition, With Barren Heart, marks my first foray into this genre as a composer. It addresses a dearth of Australian repertoire for voice, piano, and obligato instrument, apart from the work of Margaret Sutherland, particularly The Orange Tree (1938), which was a model for this piece. The composition is based on a poem by Trish Dean that consists of familiar yet slightly unsingable Australian slang. The poem is at once quirky in its representation of Australian pastimes, such as watching the football at the pub, and scathing in its commentary on Australia’s ongoing colonial history. The piece itself is what could be called a person-specific performance, taking full advantage of the performers at hand. As such, it is both virtuosic, especially the piano part, and exploratory. The inclusion of a mezzo soprano voice rather than a soprano allowed for expanded timbral possibilities. As the clarinet is also a mezzo soprano instrument, it intertwines with the vocal part, acting as a colour device around the sarcastic nature of the poem. The piano is used for its percussive qualities, accentuating certain words. The song is important in extending the aforementioned work of Margaret Sutherland. With Barren Heart was commissioned by Opera Queensland and written for mezzo soprano Lotte Betts-Dean, pianist Daniel de Borah, and myself on clarinet. It was premiered at Queensland Music Festival's Opera at Jimbour on 5 May, 2023. This work will be published through the Australian Music Centre and available from mid-2024.

Copyright notes

© 2023 Paul Dean

Performance size

  • Group

Number of work performers

3

Authors of work performed

Paul Dean

Was the work disseminated?

  • Yes

Form of dissemination

  • Public performance

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