Vine, Carl

Vine, Carl, Australian composer and pianist; b. Perth, Oct. 8, 1954. He was a student at the Univ. of Western Australia in Nedlands of Stephen Dornan (piano) and John Exton (composition). After serving as pianist of the West Australian Sym. Orch. in Perth (1973-75), he was a pianist with various organizations, including the Sydney Dance Co. (1975-78), where he was also resident composer (1978). In 1979 he was guest resident composer of the London Contemporary Dance Theatre. From 1979 to 1989 he was co-director, pianist, and conductor of the contemporary music ensemble Flederman. He lectured on electronic music at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music in Brisbane (1980-82), and then was resident composer of the New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music in Sydney (1985), the Australian Chamber Orch. (1987), and Western Australian Univ. (1989). From 1992 to 1995 he was deputy chairman of the Australia Council. In 1993 he was honored with the Australian Screen Composers Guild Award for his music to the film Bedevil. Vine has composed in various genres, ranging from dance, film, and theater scores to orch., chamber, and electronic pieces. He has demonstrated a deft handling of tonal writing, notable for its harmonic refinement and lyricism.

Works

dramatic: Theater: Music for: Shakespeare’s The Tempest (1975), Andrew Simon’s The Dreamers (1975), Judith Anderson’s New Sky (1981), Patrick White’s Singal Driver (1982), Shepherd on the Rocks (1987), and Ham Funeral (1989); Ibsen’s Master Builder (1991). D a n e e : 962 Ways to Nirvana (1977); Incident at Bull Creek (1977); Everymans Troth (1978); Poppy (1978); Knips Suite (1979); Kisses Remembered (1979); Scene Shift (1979); Return (1980); Missing Film (1980); Colonial Sketches (1981); Donna Maria Blues (1981); Hate (1982); Daisy Bates (1982); A Christmas Carol (1983); Porologue+Canzona (1986); Legend (1988); On the Edge (1988); Piano Sonata (1990); The Tempest (1991); Beauty and the Beast (1993). Film : You Can’t Push the River (1992); Bedevil (1993). ORCH.: Curios (Sydney, Feb. 5, 1980); Canzonafor Strings (1985); 6 syms.: No. 1, MicroSymphony (Sydney, Aug. 17, 1986), No. 2 (Melbourne, April 23,1987), No. 3 (Adelaide, March 5,1990), No. 4 (Sydney, May 23,1993), No. 5, Percussion Symphony (1994; Sydney, March 17, 1995), and No. 6, Choral Symphony (1995); Concerto for Percussion and Orch. or Tape (1987); Legend Suite (Perth, July 8, 1988); Concerto grosso for Chamber Orch. (1989; Sydney, June 16, 1991); Celebrare Celeberrime (1993; Dayton, Ohio, Jan. 10, 1994); Gaijinfor Koto, Strings, and Tape (Adelaide, March 11, 1994). CHAMBER: Miniature Ifor Viola (1973), IIfor 2 Violas (1974), IIIfor Flute, Trombone or Cello, Piano, and Percussion (1983), and IVfor Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Viola, Cello, and Piano (1988); Tergiversative Bluesfor Lute (1977); Free Gamefor Trombone and Electronics (1979); Occasional Poetryfor Trombone and Piano (1979); Imagesfor Flute, Trombone, Cello, Piano, Harpsichord, and Percussion (1981); Sinfonia for Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Cello, Piano, and Percussion (1982); 3 string quartets, including No. 2 (1984) and No. 3 (1994); Cafe Concertinofor Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Viola, Cello, and Piano (1984); Elegyfor Flute, Cello, Trombone, Piano 4-Hands, and Percussion (1985); Love Songfor Trombone and Tape (1986); Defying Gravityfor Percussion Quartet (1987); Flute Sonata (1992); Harmony in Concordfor Trombone, Marimba or Vibraphone, Percussion, and Tape (1992); Inner Worldfor Cello and Tape (1994). VOCAL: Ariafor Soprano, Flute, Cello, Piano, Celesta, and Percussion (1984); After Campionfor Chorus and 2 Pianos (1989). OTHER: Tape Piano Piecefor Tape (1976); Heavy Metalfor Tape and Improvisation (1980); Kondallila Mixfor Tape and Improvisation (1980); Intimations of Mortalityfor Computer Tape (1985).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire