Small Holes in the Silence
piano trio - 8'20"
Small Holes in the Silence - performed by the NZ Trio (Somi Kim - piano, Ashley Brown - cello, Amalia Hall- violin). Thanks to the University of Auckland for the recording.
Commissioned in 1979, Ralph Hotere’s three-panel artwork, Rain, is the product of his creative friendship with the acclaimed poet, Hone Tuwhare. Utilising Tuwhare’s poem of the same title, Hotere utilises both text and shape to express the intimate metaphors of the natural phenomenon. Small Holes in the Silence seeks to extend this cross-disciplinary relationship, drawing upon works by both Hotere and Tuwhare. The work is inspired by Hotere’s juxtaposition of straight, measured lines with organic drips of paint that follow the structure and emotion of the poetry. Similarly, Small Holes in the Silence is marked with persistent strokes, fluid lines, and Tuwhare’s dispersed text.
Small Holes in the Silence was a winning work of the NZTrio Composition Competition - Audiovisualise 2021, which asked composers to create a piece inspired by an artwork. It was also awarded the Douglas Lilburn Composition Competition Prize by the University of Auckland, 2021.
Rain by Ralph Hotere:
To enquire about this piece or to purchase the score, contact the composer here.