Work
Mata-au
for solo clarinet
Films, Audio & Samples
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About
Mata-au is the original name of the Clutha river, which I see from my window in the Henderson house, built by the Austrian architect Ernst Plischke where, courtesy of the Henderson Arts Trust, I was artist-in-residence. Mata-au refers to the river's characteristic whirlpools, caused by layered currents flowing at different speeds, which resemble the wake of a giant waka, and the piece has its origins in Māori chant.
Gillian Whitehead
Commissioned note
Commissioned by Robert Carew for clarinetist Anna McGregor
Dedication note
Dedicated to Scilla Askew in recognition of her work for New Zealand music
Contents note
Single movement
Performance history
16 Mar 2010: Performed by Anna McGregor
16 Mar 2010: New Zealand Music for Woodwinds
07 Apr 2010: NZ Music for Woodwinds: Auckland
05 May 2011: Performed by Anna McGregor at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm
06 Jul 2011: Performed by Debbie Rawson (clarinet) at the 2011 Australian Clarinet and Saxophone Festival
26 Jul 2014: Performed by Marcus Norman at the Cantiere Internazionale d'Arte di Montepulciano, in Italy.