NOMINATION: Work of the Year - Dramatic
Dramatic works are defined as music primarily intended for theatre and dance, such as opera, music theatre and ballet.
A work is defined as a single complete musical composition, or expression. This includes music with movements or sub-works (i.e. song cycles), installations, and real-time compositions (improvised music).
If you believe your work to be nominated in the wrong category or the details of your nomination to be incorrect, please contact the AMC via email at awards@australianmusiccentre.com.au before proceeding with the nomination.
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Nominee
Me-Lee Hay
Title of the work
Gold
Performer
Simonne Smiles production company
Performance Date
15/8/2024
Venue
Riverside Theatre
Nominator Statement
I attended a performance of Gold, a children's ballet, at Parramatta Riverside Theatres on August 17, 2024. This original production, set in the Australian bush during the historic gold rush, proved highly engaging despite its young target audience. The performance masterfully combined dance and music to explore Australia's early migrant history, bringing to life characters from both the human world and Australian flora and fauna.
The music proved essential to the storytelling of this narrative ballet, working in perfect harmony with the choreography to express the characters' emotions. The score captured every dramatic moment: the excitement of discovering gold and encountering native wildlife, the tenderness of falling in love, the playful mischief of the villainous thief and barmaid, and the poignant journey through conflict to reconciliation. Throughout its 45-minute duration, the ballet conveyed its story compellingly through both visual and musical elements.
The score demonstrated particular sensitivity in its portrayal of the Chinese immigrant character, incorporating the Gu Zheng in a way that honored traditional Chinese folk music while maintaining balance within the conventional ballet framework. This cultural fusion extended beautifully into the choreography as well.
The musical composition showcased impressive range and versatility, featuring majestic sweeping waltzes with full symphonic orchestration and memorable melodies, spirited segments supporting the male dancers' dynamic solos, and delicate adages for the lovers' pas de deux. A standout moment was the intimate wedding ceremony, where the timbral delicacy of the harp and flute transported us in a moment of beauty.
The score brilliantly characterized the Australian wildlife through distinct musical motifs. Each animal - the mischievous cockatoo, the nimble wren, the inquisitive magpie, and the powerful kangaroo - received instrumental and thematic treatments that perfectly matched their choreographed movements. Particularly charming was the combination of the harmonised recorder and flute, capturing the familiar warbling chorus of magpies in the Australian bush.
The post-performance Q&A session revealed the production's success in engaging its young audience. When asked how the story was told without words, children readily identified various elements: costumes, dancing, facial expressions, and notably, music. This response testified to the score's effectiveness in storytelling while pushing creative boundaries within the traditional ballet format.
Nominee
Me-Lee Hay
Title of the work
Gold
Performer
Simonne Smiles production company
Performance Date
15/8/2024
Venue
Riverside Theatre
The music proved essential to the storytelling of this narrative ballet, working in perfect harmony with the choreography to express the characters' emotions. The score captured every dramatic moment: the excitement of discovering gold and encountering native wildlife, the tenderness of falling in love, the playful mischief of the villainous thief and barmaid, and the poignant journey through conflict to reconciliation. Throughout its 45-minute duration, the ballet conveyed its story compellingly through both visual and musical elements.
The score demonstrated particular sensitivity in its portrayal of the Chinese immigrant character, incorporating the Gu Zheng in a way that honored traditional Chinese folk music while maintaining balance within the conventional ballet framework. This cultural fusion extended beautifully into the choreography as well.
The musical composition showcased impressive range and versatility, featuring majestic sweeping waltzes with full symphonic orchestration and memorable melodies, spirited segments supporting the male dancers' dynamic solos, and delicate adages for the lovers' pas de deux. A standout moment was the intimate wedding ceremony, where the timbral delicacy of the harp and flute transported us in a moment of beauty.
The score brilliantly characterized the Australian wildlife through distinct musical motifs. Each animal - the mischievous cockatoo, the nimble wren, the inquisitive magpie, and the powerful kangaroo - received instrumental and thematic treatments that perfectly matched their choreographed movements. Particularly charming was the combination of the harmonised recorder and flute, capturing the familiar warbling chorus of magpies in the Australian bush.
The post-performance Q&A session revealed the production's success in engaging its young audience. When asked how the story was told without words, children readily identified various elements: costumes, dancing, facial expressions, and notably, music. This response testified to the score's effectiveness in storytelling while pushing creative boundaries within the traditional ballet format.