Hollywood Parsifals

first performance: Eugene Ughetti and John Simpson (soloists), Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (cond. Ben Northey); Melbourne AUS August 2026 — commissioned by Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra with additional support from ‘Creative Australia’ — instrumentation: concerto for orchestra and foley artists (3.3.3.3. – 4.3.3.1 – Timp. / 4 perc. / harp / keys – strings / sound reinforcement for soloists ) — Duration 34′ / 2026

Hollywood Parsifals makes sound effects associated with film apparent in a live orchestral concert setting. As a quasi-percussion concerto, two orchestral soloists generate sound effects using an array of everyday objects found in foley artist practice, mixed with percussion instruments. Critically, there is not any accompanying film image, the mechanical reproduction of sound effects on display.

Hollywood Parsifals is divided into two movements: a short ‘Corporate Ident.’, and a larger movement, ‘War Western Thriller Horror Romantic Comedy Crime Science Fiction’, the latter a series of genre vignettes. Although the onstage drama can intrude upon the imaginary one, listeners are invited to put together stories in each vignette, as each vignette spills into the next. At the time of composing and discussing sound events and choreographies with the foley artists, it emerged that there are ‘five deaths, a chase and an escape’, however, whether expressions of love, or committing a crime, lead to death or escape, remains unclear. (TM)

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