Daredevil (2023)
for Clarinet, string quartet, and piano
Duration: 20’
Commissioned by and first performed by Omega Ensemble
About Daredevil
Daredevil is a celebration of the courage and boldness of adventure sports. The work explores the sheer joy and exhilaration of risk-taking, as well as the fear and danger that coexists alongside. At the same time, Daredevil embraces the absurdity of adrenaline junkies and the never-ending lengths of chasing the next rush: further, higher, faster. Written for Omega Ensemble, the piece appears in eight short movements, with land, sea and sky sports all represented: Halfpipe, Monster Truck Slo-Mo, Pegasus, Deep Sea Scuba, Reverse Bungee, Punk Pogo, Parachute, and Victory Lap.
Adventure sports may seem like an odd source of inspiration for someone who flat out refuses to board a rollercoaster, but I can’t help but notice the commonalities between extremes sports and elite music performance: technical prowess, precision, fiery determination, mental coolness, stamina, and courage. A millimetre could be disastrous for either field! Here, Daredevil paints the athlete and musician as one.
Ah, extreme sports and classical music, together at last.
Treading the tightrope of joy and fear, stylistic juxtapositions are at the heart of the piece: Daredevil twitches and swerves between sections, bounces and leaps, races and flies. Yet, it is also graceful, with more than a good dose of humour. The work places the clarinet at the centre of the action with plenty of time spent in the stratosphere, showcasing the agility and chameleon-like nature of the instrument. Even so, the tender side is never too far away.
As a child, one of my favourite video games was Tony Hawk Pro Skater, where I took enormous pleasure in skateboarding through abandoned schools and nailing tricks with names like ‘Kickflip Superman’ and ‘Fandangle’. What a fantasy! I had no intention of ever recreating these moves in real life (much to my parents’ relief), though the game serves as the launchpad for the opening movement, ‘Halfpipe’, where syncopated jazz-fused grooves are inspired by skating motions and airborne manoeuvres.
‘Monster Truck Slo-Mo’ slams on the brakes and could not be more different. Stunt trucks with massive wheels and extra grunt take to the arena to leap across piles of crushed cars in slow-motion. More theatre than sport, monster trucks are utterly absurd by design, always bouncing on extreme suspension. The ensemble revs and sputters, with the viola rightfully stealing the spotlight.
The equestrian-themed movement ‘Pegasus’ celebrates the extraordinary courage and magic of horses. ‘Pegasus’ imagines a cross-country event, with horse and rider galloping across rough terrain, before taking flight. By contrast, ‘Deep Sea Scuba’ plunges into the ocean with the danger ever-increasing on descent. Movements ‘Reverse Bungee’, ‘Punk Pogo’, and ‘Parachute’, conjure up themes of terminal velocity, leaping and falling, each exploring the effects of gravity on the body.
And finally, ‘Victory Lap’ sees us firmly back on land, having secured a motorsport win. Formula 1, MotoGP, or V8 Supercars: pick your poison. I see this movement as a type of physical and musical relief, a celebration of ultimate safety perhaps, mostly free from danger. As a result, the mood is overwhelmingly optimistic, or is it?
A huge thank you to the Omega Ensemble and the Darin Cooper Foundation for commissioning my work and supporting the creation of new music.
Performances
24 May 2024, Omega Ensemble, Queensland Symphony Orchestra Studio, QLD, 7:30pm
21 May 2024, Omega Ensemble, The Joan Sutherland Centre, Penrith, NSW, 11am
9 December 2024, Omega Ensemble, Utzon Room, Sydney Opera House, NSW, 2pm and 7 pm
7 December 2024, Omega Ensemble, Melbourne Recital Centre, VIC, 2pm and 7pm
2 December 2024, Omega Ensemble, Newcastle City Hall, NSW, 7pm - Cancelled
30 November 2023, Omega Ensemble, The Neilson, Pier 2/3, Sydney, NSW – World Premiere