Cloud Nine (for soprano sax, piano & ebow)

Description

SCORE DETAILS

Composer: Matthew Orlovich | Date of Composition: 2021; rev. 2022 | Instrumentation: B-flat soprano saxophone + piano + electronic bow | Duration: c. 19 minutes | Commissioned by: HD Duo (Michael Duke, sax; David Howie, piano) | Publisher: Waratah Music | Formats: Printed Edition Score & Parts (WM 021 : ISMN 979-0-7202-1540-2) / PDF Digital Download Score & Parts (WM 021e : ISMN 979-0-7202-1541-9) | Edition: 1 January 2024

COMPOSER’S NOTE

Cloud Nine (for B-flat soprano saxophone, piano and electronic bow) was commissioned in 2021 by HD Duo (Michael Duke, saxophone; David Howie, piano) with the financial support of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney.

Befitting the title of the work, the first movement (Joyful, dotted crotchet = c. 80) is euphoric in mood, commencing with a buoyant theme that recurs between moments of exuberant bebop-esque music, gleeful chordal displays, scalar runs and passages comprising piquant effects and ornamentations.

In a nod to The International Cloud Atlas (1896), the second movement (Dark and stormy, quaver = c. 60) meditates on the awe-inspiring grandeur of a cumulonimbus cloud. Book-ended by hushed, thunder-like piano clusters, this moment of repose in the work sees a sinuous saxophone melody mingling with the subtle (yet ever-present) hum of an electromagnetically excited B-flat piano string.

The third and final movement (Playful, crotchet = c. 120) begins with cheeky, high-spirited interplay between saxophone and piano. There ensues a succinct recapitulation of music from the first movement, followed by a resolute coda.

I thank HD Duo for commissioning Cloud Nine and gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney. – MO.

AUDIO

Cloud Nine (for soprano sax, piano & electronic bow) appears on the recently released CD “Bird Spirit Dreaming” (Da Vinci Classics C00813).
Performers: HD Duo (Michael Duke, saxophone; David Howie, piano).
Details: This CD features compositions for soprano sax and piano by Australian composers Sculthorpe, Edwards, Broadstock, Chan, Hindson and Orlovich.

REVIEWS

“… The album [Bird Spirit Dreaming] ends with a flourish. Matthew Orlovich’s Cloud Nine in three movements, titled Joyful, Dark and Stormy and Playful, leaves me upbeat with its sunny rhythms reminiscent of a jazzy, jaunty cakewalk.”– Reviewed by Shamistha de Soysa for SoundsLikeSydney.

“… Mathew Orlovich’s Cloud Nine opens with a movement entitled ‘Joyous’ – and with its invigorating energy reminiscent of some of Michale Torke’s livelier works, it is just that. ‘Dark and Stormy’ is more dark than stormy and the clarinet’s klezmer- incected scales create a turbulent landscape. There is some very clever use of the piano’s resonance in sustaining a background that is only just audible. The work ends with ‘Playful’, another high-energy movement which in its short duration manages to recap and play with material form the opening movement. The whole work, with its rapidly changing rhythms and registers, sounds fiendishly difficult to play but of course the seasoned HD Duo bring it off to perfection.” – Reviewed by Paul RW Jackson for MusicWeb International. (May 23, 2024).

PERFORMANCES / BROADCASTS

Friday 23 February 2024: “Fine Music Breakfast” with Stephen Gard @ 2MBS-FM Fine Music. Featuring music from the CD of the Week “Bird Spirit Dreaming” (HD Duo – Michael Duke, soprano saxophone; David Howie, piano) released on the Da Vinci Classics label.

Wednesday 7 September 2022: Gems Old and New – Music for saxophone and piano – Performed by HD Duo (Michael Duke, soprano saxophone; David Howie, piano) @ Recital Hall East, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Macquarie Street, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Concert Tour – September 2022: Performed by HD Duo (Michael Duke, soprano saxophone; David Howie, piano) @ South Coast Tour, NSW, Australia.