‘Edwards’s distinctive sound-world fuses shapes and patterns from nature with a variety of musical resources which reflect and celebrate Australia’s cultural diversity.’ These words, taken from the Australian Music Centre website, sum up Ross Edwards’ main compositional influences. The violin concerto Maninyas was commissioned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and given its first performance by dedicatee Dene Olding and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 1988. The same forces will perform the work on 1st September, conducted by Ashkenazy. Maninyas is a revelatory work to which I was immediately drawn. The first movement Remote-Ecstatic-Remote conveys great beauty through a mixture of lush orchestration and constantly shifting rhythmic patterns shared by soloist and orchestra. The second is a contemplative Cadenza followed by a subdued Chorale in which the orchestra bears an uncanny resemblance to an organ. Ecstatic returns for the third and final movement, which sees the opening violin motif develop through percussive repetition that leads to a hefty climax. The symphony Da Pacem Domine has a distinctly darker edge to it. It is a monothematic, one-movement work of intense beauty that lasts almost 30 minutes. Expansive string music overlaid by woodwind interjections and brass riffs and underpinned by a continuous drone dominate the piece in a style that echoes Górecki and Tavener. Yarrageh - Nocturne for Solo Percussion and Orchestra is a more fragmented work, though described by Jonathan Mills (who wrote the programme note) as ‘…a series of continuous, interlinked, timbral episodes.’ After the symphony it perhaps sounds a little trite; however it does show another side to Edwards, who has created a unique but highly accessible sound world that is certainly worth exploring further.
Reviewed by Dawn Cooke