Listen & tracks
4 of 10 tracks have a preview · 10 works · 36:42
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1 Invention Reinvention Sally Greenaway 3:03
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2 Telecommunications Sally Greenaway 2:29
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3 Aviation and the Space Frontier Sally Greenaway 3:36
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4 The Age of Convenience Sally Greenaway 3:14
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5 The Mechanical Brain Sally Greenaway 3:22
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6 And So Begins Massed World Warfare Sally Greenaway 6:07
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7 Postlude: Hymn to Freedom Sally Greenaway 2:46
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8 Miracles of Modern Medicine Sally Greenaway 4:00
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9 The Advent of Cinema Sally Greenaway 5:35
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10 Finale: 7 Great Inventions! Sally Greenaway 2:30
The work explores seven categories of inventions from the twentieth century and how they have changed humanity and our world.
It documents a range of inventions and key historic moments that altered the course of human life forever.
The recording presents the principal musical movements from Greenaway’s hour-long dramatic score, The Seven Great Inventions of the Modern Industrial Age. The full production is an immersive, interactive story for six musicians with an actress or actor, archival audio, sound effects, lighting, and a set design featuring more than 100 artefacts from the twentieth century.
In composing the work, Greenaway emphasised atmosphere and narrative, drawing on the stories and experiences of people in their nineties and older. She also spoke with archivists and scientists to bring further authenticity to the score.
Reviews
7 Great Inventions of the Modern Industrial Age is a delightfully inventive collaboration between composer Sally Greenaway and Syzygy Ensemble. The result is a thought-provoking and entertaining musical and theatrical journey through the trailblazing century of humanity-changing invention. A highlight of this collaborative production is the superb musicianship of the Syzygy Ensemble, a contemporary music sextet on piano, violin, cello, clarinet, flute and percussion. Their musicianship is unparalleled. Greenaway’s suite of music notably constitutes an eclectic range of compositional genres.
Greenaway has been steadily building a reputation for the versatility of her compositions, embracing classical chamber works, choral, big band jazz, film and documentary soundtracks. Greenaway took advantage of the opportunity to experiment with different genres and styles. through telecommunications, aviation, space exploration, massed warfare, the artificial brain and computing and biomechanical and medical marvels.
Greenaway’s music was stylishly performed by the Melbourne based, Syzygy Ensemble, who played a variety of instruments. Greenaway’s music was eclectic and playful. A ragtime interpretation of Bach’s Two Part Invention to set the scene, evocations of a European carousel suggested the advent of film, and a haunting cello solo conjured up medical marvels.
Greenaway’s theatre piece 7 Great Inventions of the Modern Industrial Age finishes by musing on the next seven great inventions, which has me wondering how they chose this seven. The musical performances were both musically satisfying and very nicely performed. Syzygy comprised a sextet, piano, violin, cello, clarinet, flute, percussion.
Greenaway’s writing is inventive, versatile and can cover a range of styles and expression. She is fortunate to have a top group of players to play her music – Syzygy Ensemble with guest percussionist Dan Richardson. The opening track Invention Reinvention recalls ragtime in the first part of the twentieth century. This lively Joplinesque piano solo cleverly transforms Bach’s F major Two-part Invention. The Age of Convenience is a satirical exposition of the multiple advertisements that bombard us daily. The whole CD should be heard from start to finish, in one session. In this format, inclusion of audio extracts and sounds effects with composed music puts the work into the category of audio art and the archival material brings a special authenticity to the story being told. (Co-)producer/ engineer Martin Wright has delivered a first-rate product, one of many over a long career that has recently won Move Records an APRA AMCOS Art Music Award for 50 years of recording and release of new music. Bravo!
Artists
Sally Greenaway
composer
Award winning Canberra-based composer-pianist Sally Greenaway (b. 1984) works in a multiplicity of styles and genres, from orchestral film and concert works to jazz ensemble, big band, chamber and vocal music.
Syzygy Ensemble
ensemble
Syzygy Ensemble has gained a reputation as one of Australia’s finest new music ensembles, lauded for their virtuoso precision, innovative programming, and ability to connect viscerally with their audiences.
Dan Richardson
percussion
Digital booklet
Digital booklet Notes, texts and credits — read online or download the PDF Download the PDFPerformers
- Syzygy Ensemble · ensemble
- Dan Richardson · percussion
- Laila Engle · flute
- Jenny Khafagi · violin
- Leigh Harrold · piano
- Campbell Banks · cello
- Robin Henry · clarinet
Technical credits
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Producer
Sally Greenaway
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Recording Engineer
Martin Wright
Details
- List price
- $25.00 AUD
- Total playing time
- 36 minutes 42 seconds
- Release date
- Mar 2018
- Category
- Australian
- Musical work copyright
- © 2018 Sally Greenaway
- Sound recording copyright
- ℗ 2018 Move Records
- Catalogue
- MD 3427
- EAN
- 9314574342727
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