Martin Wesley-Smith
Encyclopedia
Martin Wesley-Smith is an Australian composer with an eclectic output ranging from children's songs to environmental events. He works in a range of musical styles, including choral music, operas, computer music, music theatre, chamber and orchestral music, and audiovisual pieces which bring words, music and images together. He often works with his librettist brother, Peter Wesley-Smith.
He is one of the pioneers of computer, or electronic, music.
Two main themes dominate Wesley-Smith’s music: the life, work and ideas of Lewis Carroll, and the plight of the people of East Timor.
. He has two other brothers. His parents were well established in the Adelaide
establishment. His father was Academic Registrar of Adelaide University, and his mother was a teacher and a presenter of the ABC
's radio program Kindergarten of the Air.
He studied composition at the University of Adelaide. From his student days, Wesley-Smith was a rebel, moonlighting on the banjo with a folkie band, The Wesley Three, when his teachers would have preferred he focus on his classical studies. His teachers included Peter Maxwell Davies
, Jindrich Feld
, Sandor Veress
and Richard Meale
.
Martin and his twin brother, Peter, were conscripted
to go to Vietnam, but avoided the military by undertaking studies until conscription ended.
He earned his D.Phil from the University of York
in England.
Wesley-Smith now lives in the Kangaroo Valley south of Sydney
, where he is a member of the Kangaroo Valley-Remexio Partnership which supports projects in East Timor
.
His work is now being jointly archived by the National Library of Australia
and the National Film and Sound Archive
.
. Here he founded and directed its Electronic Music Studio. He established the first computer music studio in China at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing in 1986, and he taught at the University of Hong Kong in 1994-5. He retired from the Conservatorium in 2000.
From the start Wesley-Smith has been eclectic in his composition. He created an early Moog #3
piece in 1970 called Vietnam Image. At the same time he composed songs for children's radio and television programs. He was able to "write, sing and record real tunes, as well as esoteric orchestral and chamber music". An interviewer in 2005 describes his eclecticism as follows: "there aren't many composers that I can think of anywhere in the world who have the breadth of activity that you have, writing songs for Playschool and writing pieces for the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, and writing music theatre pieces and writing straight out agit-prop".
Wesley-Smith often works with his wordsmith twin-brother, Peter ("Ira to his George").
He is particularly known for the political content of his work:
However, while much of his work is serious, often dealing with tragic issues and events, it also incorporates humour, usually in the form of satire and irony. He said in an interview in 2005:
In addition to his works on political issues, he has also composed a number of works inspired by the life and works of English writer, Lewis Carroll
.
. Its subject is a young East Timorese refugee, Francisco Baptista Pires ("Quito"), a sufferer of schizophrenia who was found hanged in a Darwin hospital. The radiophonic score uses a recording of Quito singing one of his own songs.
Other works about East Timor include:
East Timorese leader Jose Ramos-Horta describes Wesley-Smith's as a "model political artist": "He creates works of art which are political, and manages to make politics artistic. He is a true creator, activist and humanitarian. All at once. He and his brothers are treasures of our country."
The clarinettist, Ros Dunlop, commissioned Papua Merdeka, which Wesley-Smith describes as "a piece about the West Papuan people and their thirst for freedom".
in 1983.
The Song Company has performed his work in Amsterdam, den Bosch, Denmark, Gent, Groningen, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Portugal, as well as throughout Australia.
He is one of the pioneers of computer, or electronic, music.
Two main themes dominate Wesley-Smith’s music: the life, work and ideas of Lewis Carroll, and the plight of the people of East Timor.
Life
Wesley-Smith was born, one of twin boys, in AdelaideAdelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
. He has two other brothers. His parents were well established in the Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
establishment. His father was Academic Registrar of Adelaide University, and his mother was a teacher and a presenter of the ABC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
's radio program Kindergarten of the Air.
He studied composition at the University of Adelaide. From his student days, Wesley-Smith was a rebel, moonlighting on the banjo with a folkie band, The Wesley Three, when his teachers would have preferred he focus on his classical studies. His teachers included Peter Maxwell Davies
Peter Maxwell Davies
Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, CBE is an English composer and conductor and is currently Master of the Queen's Music.-Biography:...
, Jindrich Feld
Jindrich Feld
Jindřich Feld was a Czech composer of classical music.-Biography:Feld was born into a musical family, his father a well-known professor of violin at the Prague Conservatory which followed the tradition of Otakar Ševčík, the master of Jan Kubelík. His mother was a violinist...
, Sandor Veress
Sándor Veress
Sándor Veress was a Swiss composer of Hungarian origin. The first half of his life was spent in Hungary; the second, from 1949 until his death, in Switzerland, of which he became a citizen in the last months of his life.Veress taught at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest...
and Richard Meale
Richard Meale
Richard Graham Meale, AM, MBE was an Australian composer of instrumental works and operas.-Biography:Meale was born in Sydney and studied piano with Winifred Burston at the NSW State Conservatorium of Music, as well as clarinet, harp, music history and theory, before studying at the University of...
.
Martin and his twin brother, Peter, were conscripted
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
to go to Vietnam, but avoided the military by undertaking studies until conscription ended.
He earned his D.Phil from the University of York
University of York
The University of York , is an academic institution located in the city of York, England. Established in 1963, the campus university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, covering a wide range of subjects...
in England.
Wesley-Smith now lives in the Kangaroo Valley south of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, where he is a member of the Kangaroo Valley-Remexio Partnership which supports projects in East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
.
His work is now being jointly archived by the National Library of Australia
National Library of Australia
The National Library of Australia is the largest reference library of Australia, responsible under the terms of the National Library Act for "maintaining and developing a national collection of library material, including a comprehensive collection of library material relating to Australia and the...
and the National Film and Sound Archive
National Film and Sound Archive
The National Film and Sound Archive is Australia’s audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting and providing access to a national collection of audiovisual materials and related items...
.
Musical career
Wesley-Smith returned to Australia from England in 1974 to teach composition and electronic music at the Sydney Conservatorium of MusicSydney Conservatorium of Music
The Sydney Conservatorium of Music is one of the oldest and most prestigious music schools in Australia...
. Here he founded and directed its Electronic Music Studio. He established the first computer music studio in China at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing in 1986, and he taught at the University of Hong Kong in 1994-5. He retired from the Conservatorium in 2000.
From the start Wesley-Smith has been eclectic in his composition. He created an early Moog #3
Moog synthesizer
Moog synthesizer may refer to any number of analog synthesizers designed by Dr. Robert Moog or manufactured by Moog Music, and is commonly used as a generic term for older-generation analog music synthesizers. The Moog company pioneered the commercial manufacture of modular voltage-controlled...
piece in 1970 called Vietnam Image. At the same time he composed songs for children's radio and television programs. He was able to "write, sing and record real tunes, as well as esoteric orchestral and chamber music". An interviewer in 2005 describes his eclecticism as follows: "there aren't many composers that I can think of anywhere in the world who have the breadth of activity that you have, writing songs for Playschool and writing pieces for the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, and writing music theatre pieces and writing straight out agit-prop".
Wesley-Smith often works with his wordsmith twin-brother, Peter ("Ira to his George").
He is particularly known for the political content of his work:
"Moved by events in newspapers and news bulletins, he peopled and peppered his works with references to urgent international issues - Vietnam, Afghanistan, Timor and now West Papua - and with pointed, pithy commentaries on things like pesticides, media doublespeak, and global warming".
However, while much of his work is serious, often dealing with tragic issues and events, it also incorporates humour, usually in the form of satire and irony. He said in an interview in 2005:
...I think it's very effective if you can get people laughing and crying at the same time, or in some of the audio-visual things, there's something very beautiful and yet it's incredibly sad at the same time, they seems to be contradictory emotions but in fact one enhances the other, so I'm very conscious of that. If we can find these moments where you're laughing and suddenly think, 'Oh I shouldn't be laughing, this is serious', it can be a very powerful response in someone.
In addition to his works on political issues, he has also composed a number of works inspired by the life and works of English writer, Lewis Carroll
Lewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll , was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the...
.
Compositions
Quito, a "documentary music drama" with text by Peter Wesley-Smith, has been called his magnum opusMasterpiece
Masterpiece in modern usage refers to a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or to a work of outstanding creativity, skill or workmanship....
. Its subject is a young East Timorese refugee, Francisco Baptista Pires ("Quito"), a sufferer of schizophrenia who was found hanged in a Darwin hospital. The radiophonic score uses a recording of Quito singing one of his own songs.
Other works about East Timor include:
- Kdadalak (For the Children of Timor), his first audio-visual piece about East Timor, commissioned by The Seymour Group, a contemporary Music Ensemble founded by Vincent Plush
- The Struggle Continues, composed at the request of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra.
- Welcome to the Hotel Turismo, "inspired by an article about Jaoa Pereira, who had worked at the Dili hotel since Portuguese times. The piece is a journey through sound of the 24 years of Indonesian occupation. It begins with the sound of breaking glass, briefly becomes a cabaret song like something by Kurt WeillKurt WeillKurt Julian Weill was a German-Jewish composer, active from the 1920s, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for his fruitful collaborations with Bertolt Brecht...
, and transforms into a rhapsodic cello solo".
East Timorese leader Jose Ramos-Horta describes Wesley-Smith's as a "model political artist": "He creates works of art which are political, and manages to make politics artistic. He is a true creator, activist and humanitarian. All at once. He and his brothers are treasures of our country."
The clarinettist, Ros Dunlop, commissioned Papua Merdeka, which Wesley-Smith describes as "a piece about the West Papuan people and their thirst for freedom".
Performances
Wesley-Smith led an electronic music and audio-visual performing group, watt, from 1976 to 1998. The group performed internationally, as well as in a regular series of concerts in Sydney. He was also musical director of TREE, a group whose final environmental event was held at Wattamolla Beach in Sydney's Royal National ParkRoyal National Park
Royal National Park is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 29 km south of Sydney CBD.Founded by Sir John Robertson, Acting Premier of New South Wales, and formally proclaimed on 26 April 1879, it is the world's second oldest purposed national park, the first usage of the term...
in 1983.
The Song Company has performed his work in Amsterdam, den Bosch, Denmark, Gent, Groningen, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Portugal, as well as throughout Australia.
Awards
- 1987: Australia CouncilAustralia CouncilThe Australia Council, informally known as the Australia Council for the Arts, is the official arts council or arts funding body of the Government of Australia.-Function:...
's Don BanksDon BanksDonald Oscar Banks was an Australian composer of concert, jazz, and commercial music.He initially studied at the University of Melbourne, then moved to London where he studied with Mátyás Seiber...
Composer Fellowship - 1997: Paul Lowin Composition Award for the music drama Quito
- 1998: AMOrder of AustraliaThe Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
for services to "music, as a composer, scriptwriter, children's songwriter, lecturer, presenter of multi-media concerts and a member of various Australia Council boards and committees"
Selected works
- Alice in the Garden of Live Flowers (for seven harps) (2008)
- Pi in the Sky (1971 opera)
- The Wild West Show (1971)
- Machine (1972)
- Kdadalak (For the Children of Timor) (1977)
- Who Killed Cock Robin (1979, for chamber choir)
- For Marimba and Tape (1983)
- Snark-Hunting (1984, for flute, keyboards, percussion, 'cello & tape)
- Venceremos! (1984, for tape and transparencies)
- Boojum! in concert : nonsense, truth and Lewis Carroll (1986; with Peter Wesley-Smith)
- Quito (1994, documentary music drama; with Peter Wesley-Smith)
- X (1999, multimedia piece for clarinet and CD ROM)
- Welcome to the Hotel Turismo (2000, multimedia piece for cello, or bass clarinet, and CD ROM)
- Weapons of Mass Distortion (2003, an audio-visual piece for clarinet in B flat & Macintosh computer)
- A Luta Continua (2005, oratorio for baritone, girls' choir and orchestra; with Peter Wesley-Smith)
- Papua Merdeka (2007 - audio-visual piece for bass clarinet and Macintosh computer)