Kinds of Blue
Kinds of Blue is a seven-minute piece composed by Miriama Young, inspired by four blue-centric works by artist Mark Rothko, Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue and Sketches of Spain, and filmmaker Derek Jarman's book Chroma. The piece is dedicated to Young's mother, visual artist Priscilla Young, who helped her identify and name the colours that mark the four sections of the work. The piece is structurally based on the tension between the deep sea blue E major and light sky blue F# minor, exploring the duality of these two colours as expressed in the works of Rimsky-Korsakov and Scriabin.
What happens when two colours are placed next to each other, what happens in the space between? Young's use of suspended tones in the piece reflects her background in jazz and her fascination with the blues, which she describes as an expression of deep emotion. The harmon-muted trumpet in the piece pays homage to Miles Davis, while the title itself is a nod to his album Kind of Blue.
The piece premiered on April 23, 2023, at Llewellyn Hall, ANU School of Music, performed by the Canberra Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Chief Conductor and Artistic Director Jessica Cottis. Kinds of Blue explores the delicate and expressive potential of the orchestra.
Work Details
Year: 2023
Duration: 7 min.
Difficulty: Medium-Advanced.
Premiere: 26 April 2023, Canberra Symphony Orchestra. Llewellyn Hall, ANU School of Music, Canberra
$ 100.00 AUD
View Product for PurchaseLimelight - Rob Kennedy
'Kinds of Blue explored and reflected the colour blue as a sound medium. It opened with a restless swelling. The dramatic story it told suggested music from a 1940s film noir. Sounds overlapped sounds across the timbres of the orchestra.
It was many kinds of blue, in the sense of blue being melancholic and mysterious. It had something unique to say.'
Canberra City News - Graham McDonald
'There was little, if anything, to be critical about in the finely conceived and exquisitely played concert from the Canberra Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Jessica Cottis.
Two world premieres of new Australasian works were balanced against two late 19th century classics by Russian composers with the pairings working remarkably well. The two new works were modern and very listenable, without veering into atonality or anything too radical.
The concert had an underlying theme of “Blue”, which was used in various ways. The first work on the program, by NZ/Australian composer Miriama Young, entitled “Kinds of Blue”, was inspired by several paintings by American Mark Rothko and featured shimmering strings punctuated by dense chords from the winds and brass. A most attractive piece of music.'
