NOMINATION: Performance of the Year - Notated Composition
For the performance of a single Australian work, showcasing the performer(s)’ success in revealing the nature and intention of a composition with clear notated instructions for the performer. Works with significant improvisatory aspects should instead be submitted for Performance of the Year: Jazz / Improvised Music.
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 performance 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
Rubiks Collective
Nominee email
hello@rubikscollective.com
Title of the work
Rorqual
Composer(s) of the work
Wally Gunn
Librettist(s) or source author(s)
Text Sources Berta, Katie (b. 1986): [Valuing sincerity most of all] (originally published in The Yale Review, 2022) from collective (2023) [Like a tunnel] from collective (2023) [We will be as numerous as the stars in the heavens] from collective (2023) Carman, Bliss (1861 1929): XLVII from Sappho: One Hundred Lyrics (1907) Darwin, Charles (1809 1882): On The Origin of Species (1859) Dickinson, Emily (1830 1886):The Loneliness One dare not sound (1861) Eres, Dr Robert; Lim, Dr Michelle; Peck, Ms Claire: The Young Australian Loneliness Survey (2019) Long, Lily A. (1862 1927): The Singing Place (1922) Verne, Jules (1828 1905): Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas (1870)
Performance Date
6/12/2024
Venue
Temperance Hall
Nominator Statement
Rubiks Collective's performance of Wally Gunn's song cycle 'Rorqual' showcases the ensemble's performance skills in full flight. Drawing on both classical and indie rock genres, the work allows Rubiks and singer Gian Slater to show the full range of their musical abilities: from bombastic, highly rhythmic, virtuosic passages to delicate moments of tenderness and fragility.
The work is inspired by the true story of the '52-Hertz Whale', a creature named for its uniquely high-pitched song. First detected in the 1980s in the northeast Pacific and continuing to sing to this day, has never been sighted, nor been identified by species. Its migration patterns resemble those of the rorqual whale familyblue and fin whales specificallybut its voice is much higher. The recordings suggest the whale has never found a mate or a pod; whether this is because other whales cant hear it, or do not recognise it as one of their species, is not known. It has been called by some the worlds loneliest whale.
The story of this unique whale has inspired this intimate and affecting work that journeys through themes of withdrawal, solitude, resilience, and connection. The performance is heightened by Rubiks' commitment to extra-musical details, with electronic interludes from Tilman Robinson, lighting design by Bronwyn Pringle, projections by Chris Bennett, and staging/choreography created by Rubiks and Wally Gunn.
This performance highlights Rubiks' dedication to commissioning and presenting ambitious new Australian works, their willingness to explore exciting new creative territory, and their highly impressive ensemble skills in performance.
Nominee
Rubiks Collective
Nominee email
hello@rubikscollective.com
Title of the work
Rorqual
Composer(s) of the work
Wally Gunn
Librettist(s) or source author(s)
Text Sources Berta, Katie (b. 1986): [Valuing sincerity most of all] (originally published in The Yale Review, 2022) from collective (2023) [Like a tunnel] from collective (2023) [We will be as numerous as the stars in the heavens] from collective (2023) Carman, Bliss (1861 1929): XLVII from Sappho: One Hundred Lyrics (1907) Darwin, Charles (1809 1882): On The Origin of Species (1859) Dickinson, Emily (1830 1886):The Loneliness One dare not sound (1861) Eres, Dr Robert; Lim, Dr Michelle; Peck, Ms Claire: The Young Australian Loneliness Survey (2019) Long, Lily A. (1862 1927): The Singing Place (1922) Verne, Jules (1828 1905): Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas (1870)
Performance Date
6/12/2024
Venue
Temperance Hall
The work is inspired by the true story of the '52-Hertz Whale', a creature named for its uniquely high-pitched song. First detected in the 1980s in the northeast Pacific and continuing to sing to this day, has never been sighted, nor been identified by species. Its migration patterns resemble those of the rorqual whale familyblue and fin whales specificallybut its voice is much higher. The recordings suggest the whale has never found a mate or a pod; whether this is because other whales cant hear it, or do not recognise it as one of their species, is not known. It has been called by some the worlds loneliest whale.
The story of this unique whale has inspired this intimate and affecting work that journeys through themes of withdrawal, solitude, resilience, and connection. The performance is heightened by Rubiks' commitment to extra-musical details, with electronic interludes from Tilman Robinson, lighting design by Bronwyn Pringle, projections by Chris Bennett, and staging/choreography created by Rubiks and Wally Gunn.
This performance highlights Rubiks' dedication to commissioning and presenting ambitious new Australian works, their willingness to explore exciting new creative territory, and their highly impressive ensemble skills in performance.