(2018)
Written for solo alto flute, Pleistocene Landscapes is a reflection on deep time and the metamorphosing of landscapes through history. The work unfolds sonically and atmospherically, evoking the erosion and the geomorphology of Lake Mungo in Australia, an active and vibrant site during the Pleistocene Era. As the piece develops, layers of musical narrative rise to the surface, only to be subsequently submersed by sounds evoking wind and erosion. Pleistocene Landscapes is an homage to an extraordinary ancient historic site and its culture.
Pleistocene Landscapes was written with the generous support of the Australian National University (ANU) to be premiered at the Symposium Understanding the Deep Past Across Language and Culture to take place at ANU, Canberra, on 27-28 September 2018 – ARC Laureate Program for the Deep Human Past and the Indigenous Linguistics Alliance.
The work is dedicated in friendship and with admiration to Prof. Ann McGrath