BY LUCY RASH
Once a ‘punk-rock-wannabe’ who punctured the ceiling of Melbourne’s Corner Hotel with a trumpet, Melbourne-based composer Warren Lenthall has since become a composer of music for a wide range of ensembles and soloists. We had a chat about the forthcoming premiere of his new work ‘LOVE (of Diamonds)’ with Ensemble Con Fuoco this weekend.
Tell us a little about your journey into composition.
Around the age of five, my Mum started giving me piano lessons, which I chose to quit a year later. My musical journey continued as I played recorder in primary school, and then around the age of eight I started learning cornet with the Hawthorn Brass Band, later progressing to the trumpet, which has been my main instrument since.
With a piano always in the house I continued to dabble and the purchase of an electric piano with exciting features like headphones, a whole range of midi sounds and an ability to record multiple tracks, resulted in many hours spent experimenting musically during my teens. Within a few years, I had a small catalogue of songs and other works that I’d bust out on the piano for friends, or anyone that would listen. I started learning a few other instruments and from late high school till my mid-20s I spent all my spare time song writing and playing in a variety of bands. By the end of high school, my interest in music as a performer had become secondary to my interest in composing. I always found the theory side of music easier than the performing, so I was quite happy to enrol in a course at Box Hill Institute majoring in Songwriting and Filmscoring and to only practise the trumpet because I wanted to, not because I had to.
A job with a record company that specialised in punk, metal, and dance music unexpectedly pushed me into a new found passion for classical music and I started spending my lunchtimes scribbling down my first orchestral work on manuscript in the tea room. After a few years and the first performance of one of my orchestral works I chose to return to study, this time completing a BMus in Composition at Monash University.
The last three to four years have been really exciting for me compositionally, as I’ve noticed dramatic improvement in my abilities and I’ve been really lucky to get to work with a range of musicians and ensembles from community groups (who are often some of the most enthusiastic performers you can find) to some of the best players in Australia.
What themes play out in your composition now? How about the work being performed on Sunday specifically?
The work being performed this Sunday, LOVE (of Diamonds), is probably my most thematic work to date. I chose to write this piece as a way of way creating something positive out of what had become a rather negative situation, and injecting some of my sense of humour into the situation. I had a very clear concept for the work, that it would be in three short movements, each of which would tell part of the story:
1. Boy meets girl
2. Boy and girl fall in love, whilst boy hides his murderous intent
3. Boy murders girl and her family then steals their diamonds
Of course, parts 2 and 3 are not based on any real life experiences!
In my initial sketches, I associated each of the instruments with different characters and themes that appear in the work, which gave me strong starting points for many of the decisions that get made along the compositional process. The first part of the work is almost completely composed for just cello and violin, with the clarinet joining in the dialogue briefly at the end to add some doubt to the romance, whilst the piano strikes one ominous low note to end the section.
I enjoy throwing in a cheeky quote here or there in my works when I can, and with Love of Diamonds I went a touch mainstream and utilised the well-known Dies Irae motif (Berlioz, Rachmaninoff, Liszt, etc…) to really draw attention to the impending deaths, initially disguising it as a romantic idea at the start of the second movement then gradually reaching a point where it appears quite prominently without disguise near the end of the dramatic finale.
I generally try and restrict myself from using too many different ideas within a piece, instead focussing on how I can maximise the creative possibilities of a small selection of musical themes.
I’ve always felt that composition is really autobiographical, and largely unconsciously so. Simply the mood you are in on a particular day can force a major decision along the process of creating a work, so even if the work isn’t intended to demonstrate a personal story, there will always be a little bit of you personally in them.
What is the terrain like today for young and emerging composers in Australia?
It can definitely be a long and often lonely road. Most will start by writing music that will never get performed, to then writing works that get performed once by amateur musicians, who whilst eager may not be able to realise the composers intention to the level the composer would have hoped. Even once you start getting musicians wanting to perform your music it is difficult to get a second performance of a work without the associated excitement of a premiere.
In Australia there does seem to be an ever-growing interest by performers in playing new works and I think it’s really important that composers network with performers to encourage such activities. If you aren’t networking with performers, then someone else will be.
There are some great opportunities for young and emerging composers in Australia, including Melbourne Symphony’s Cybec Composer Program, Tasmania Symphony’s Composer School and various other programs, competitions and awards. Whilst these are especially great for the composers who get selected to participate in workshops or win prizes, often having a reason to start or finish works can provide much needed motivation and personal development. The satisfaction of printing out the final copy of a score, even for a work that may never get performed, is still pretty good.
Of course, the best opportunities are the ones you make yourself!
I am wondering if you feel the distinction between “Australian” composition and “international” composition is relevant or even necessary? Where does it exist, and how does it play out?
Tough question, Lucy! Now that we live in such a global community there is definitely less distinction between the two, though I do feel it is important, as with all fields, that we champion the talent from home. As I commented early, I feel that all composition on some level is autobiographical, so therefore my geographic location definitely has some bearing on the works that I write, regardless of if I’m specifically embracing elements of the country in them, like Sculthorpe or Edwards have often done. That’s my short answer, I fear the long answer would result in a thesis…
The geographical importance of an artist is always an interesting topic, but I certainly don’t actively choose to listen to certain artists over others because of where they are located.
How do you think ensembles can be further encouraged to premiere the work of young and emerging composers?
This will probably always be a difficult area. The costs involved in putting on a performance can make it really difficult for a performer to live if they don’t present programs the public will readily support. It’s a two way street though, composers need to be working hard to make their works attractive prospects for ensembles. Composition can be a very lonely activity with sometimes hundreds of hours alone with a pencil, manuscript pad, piano and computer before a work is ready to give to a performer, which can make a non-performed work a very disheartening prospect. These days I try and concentrate on writing for specific musicians or ensembles with a clear performance goal in mind.
Writing shorter works and concentrating on making sure the parts are type set to the best possible standard will go a long way in encouraging an artist to consider adding your work to a program. Performers often have very little time to prepare, so it’s really important to prepare parts that will make their rehearsals easy with lots of markings. One of my favourite parts of the compositional process is score editing. I love sitting down at the computer for a few hours with a coffee and nerding out on the grammar of music notation.
Now… tell us about this concert on Sunday!
Sunday’s concert is put on by a group of students from the University of Melbourne who have formed the chamber group Ensemble Con Fuoco. They’ll be premiering three new works by Australian composers, alongside works by Vanhal and Stravinsky. It’s great that they are eager to perform contemporary works, and it’s reflective of the path that some of the prominent professional chamber groups in Melbourne have been taking.
The Ensemble Con Fuoco performance will take place at 2.30pm, St Leonards, 2 Wolseley Grove, Brighton. Tickets are available at the door, $15 Full or $10 Concession. More details can be found on Ensemble Con Fuoco’s website http://ensembleconfuoco.com/
To keep up to date with future performances and works of Warren Lenthall, check out www.warrenlenthall.com or follow him at facebook.com/warrenlenthall. A performance of his Brass Quintet can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0PxeKipRIs.
Image supplied.
