Work
Hammerheads
for two pianos - eight hands
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About
Hammerheads is a double piano duet. It was composed in 2008 for four talented young Nelsonian pianists, Emily Deans, Jennie Verstappen, Natasha Ironside and Holly Tippler who played the piece several times during the year. These pianists are students of acclaimed teacher Mary Ayre who commissioned Hammerheads with funding from Creative New Zealand.
The work is in 5 sections contrasting slow with fast music and draws some of its pitch material from one chord in Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring.
Hammerheads presents ensemble challenges for the performers with tricky rhythmic patterns in the fast sections. Its harmonic language is based primarily on a six-note descending scale heard in the opening bars.
Commissioned note
Commissioned by Mary Ayre with funding from Creative NZ
Performance history
17 Jun 2008: Performed by Emily Deans, Jennie Verstappen, Natasha Ironside and Holly Tippler at Nelson School of Music, Nelson
29 Jun 2008: Performed by Emily Deans, Jennie Verstappen, Natasha Ironside and Holly Tippler at the Nelson Young Composers Workshop, Nelson
03 Jul 2008: Performed by Emily Deans, Jennie Verstappen, Natasha Ironside and Holly Tippler at the Nelson Winter Festival.
26 Jan 2009: Piano Many Hands Spectacular