# Trying to Identify Contemporary Australian Violin Concerto



## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Maybe Sid James can help me with this one? Two weeks ago I heard a modern violin concerto on the radio by an Australian composer. The first two movements were very interesting with very colorful orchestration and dynamic interplay among the orchestra and soloist. The last movement took me by surprise because it features a very commercial sounding riff like you would hear in a pop/rock tune. 

I had no luck locating the piece on the radio station's website, and I received no reply to my email. I don't even know if the piece is recorded because it was a live broadcast.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

I did a google search & THIS came up. It's from a broadcast this year, a violin concerto first performed recently. I don't have access to sound now, but it looks like it might be it?...


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Beautiful piece, but that's not it. Thanks for trying!


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

Ok, I'll keep looking & asking others around, maybe they'd know, but I didn't hear that broadcast of the violin concerto you're talking about, I rarely listen to classical radio now. I'll get back when/if I have something from my sources...


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I think I just figured it out! Matthew Hindson-Violin Concerto No. 1 (Australian Postcards)
http://www.hindson.com.au/wordpress/portfolio-item/violin-concerto-no-1-australian-postcards-2000/


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

I had a gut feeling it would be Hindson. I recently heard a chamber work of his live, it was based on a riff from a James Brown song. You might like it if you can get a chance to do that, it was called _Comin' right 'Atcha_. It even had a bit of improvisation, taking in the traditions of the classical solo cadenza, free jazz & John Cage all in one! A very bouncy concert opener it was, and it was my favourite & most memorable work in that concert of contemporary music for chamber orchestra...


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I probably would enjoy that! I've spent quite a bit of time listening to jazz and R&B music. Orchestral/chamber music is the endless frontier from my point of view. So much ambitious music I'll never get a handle on. Thanks to this forum, and one other I frequent, I'm discovering a lot of great music. I just learned about Finnish composer Magnus Lindberg. I can't wait to listen to some of his music. 

I appreciate your open mindedness and interest in modern music. Some folks here are truly stuck in the 18th century.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

^^ Well I'm PM you soon about other items I heard at that concert which incl. the Hindson piece. I think he's a pretty good & interesting composer, I've come across a number of his chamber works live, they have all been quite different from eachother. In other words, he's not simply doing rehash or regurgitation, which is sometimes the case when a composer becomes a bit successful & gets regular commissions.



starthrower said:


> ...I appreciate your open mindedness and interest in modern music...


Well thanks for that. I actually like many types of music, all eras, genres, etc. except most of opera. Chamber & modern/contemporary is my usual "orbit" that I revolve around, but I listen to a lot else besides. I'm not a specialist, more of a generalist.



> ...Some folks here are truly stuck in the 18th century...


I don't mind if people have their specific "niches" or areas of interest, that is fine & I can & sometimes do learn quite a lot from these more specialised or skilled people. But what I don't like is if people bash or diss music that they don't like, can't understand, whatever. I don't like negativity, but the members of this forum are very good compared to some other places online...


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Yeah, I don't care if someone wants to listen to Handel for the rest of their life. But some folks get all worked up over the avant garde. I was reading your exchanges with Harpsichord Concerto in the Cage thread. I say live and let live!


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

starthrower said:


> ...I say live and let live!


Yes, that is a good motto, it's my aspiration now in a way as well...


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## mmsbls (Mar 6, 2011)

Carl Vine is a contemporary Australian composer who just premiered a violin concerto on July 20-21 at the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House. The violinist was Dene Olding alongside the Australian Youth Orchestra with conductor Thomas Dausgaard. I've enjoyed Vine's symphonies and piano concerto, and I'm looking forward to hearing the violin concerto. 

I'm so used to checking Naxos Music Library or youtube for almost all music, but when it's so new, it's frustrating to not be able to hear a work.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

^^ I was thinking of going to that concert, but decided not to as the AYO raised their prices dramatically compared to last year. They do a concert every year, which incl. a new work, last year's concert featured Brett Dean. I remember it was a flat rate, no matter what seat you were in, you paid the same rate, depending only on whether you were an Adult, Concession, Student, etc. For this year's concert, their prices blew out astronomically above my budget, so I couldn't go (maybe they had a major sponsor pull out or something, I don't know?) Anyway, that concerto by Carl Vine should prove to be good, & Mr Olding is one of our finest violinists in both concerto and chamber settings (he is the lead violinist of arguably our finest SQ, the Goldner SQ, a favourite group of mine to hear live). This group has recorded Vine's string quartets as well as those of others, incl. most notably Peter Sculthorpe (he's composed 18 to date, the same amount as Beethoven, I think?)...


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