Andrew Chubb - Another Modern Love Waltz

Biogaphy

Andrew Chubb

Andrew Chubb, born in 1975, is an Australian pianist, composer, conductor and teacher currently living and working in the coastal city of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. For the past decade as a pianist, his concert programs have consisted of a diverse range of repertoire ranging from the works of Mozart and Beethoven through to compositions of today. Andrew’s recital programs often deliberately include works of modern composers – some which are relatively unknown to most audiences. He has been passionate to promote such music – bringing new life to compositions that are for whatever reason, neglected in the main concert repertoire. 

As strange as it may seem, the now hugely popular piano music of Philip Glass was scarcely performed in Australia over a decade ago with the exception of when performed by Glass himself during his occasional tours to Australia. In 2003, Andrew commenced a series of all-Glass piano recital concerts in Australia. These performances were well received by Australian audiences and by 2007; he was the first and only Australian pianist to have performed the main cycle of Glass piano works current to that time. During this period he made a noted Australian premiere performing on the Australian built Stuart & Sons piano; ‘The Book of Sounds’, a mammoth 80-minute work by the German composer Hans Otte. Other premieres include works Heinz Chur’s ‘Sonata No.7’ and ‘Mint Green’ by the American composer Andrew Shapiro during Andrew’s most recent tour of Canada in early 2013.

Andrew’s composition writing has steadily increased over the past 15 years with his first published work (Publications by Wirripang), ‘Motion One’, for solo piano (1998), marking an important step into his minimalist based style.  This piano work has since been adapted for solo marimba and then choreographed by Sergei Vanaev for the ballet, ‘Motion One’, performed in 2009 by the Bremerhaven Ballet with Tomoyo Ueda, marimba.

The influence of Steve Reich, Arvo Pärt, Hans Otte is quite evident in a number of Andrew’s concert works. ‘Meditation at Bar Beach’ for piano solo (2007), was written, in part, as a collaboration with Australian photographer, Allan Chawner, in their work, ‘Bar Beach (Beyond the Sea)’. This work displays many distinctive elements of Pärt’s idiom and has been successfully exhibited and performed both in Australia and Canada.  More recent works from 2011 onwards, such as ‘Chaconne’ for piano trio and ‘Glass’s Hour’ for solo piano, openly use some of the characteristic techniques of Philip Glass.  The latter piano work was written in celebration of Glass in his 75th birthday year. A number of new works are planned for 2014 including commissions for the Sydney ensemble, Strelitzia, the Manning Winter Festival and the recently completed ‘Another Modern Love Waltz’, for French pianist, Nicolas Horvath.

Another Modern Love Waltz

(by the composer himself)

In the late 70’s, Philip Glass wrote a work for Constance DeJong's performance of her novel ‘Modern Love’.  ‘Modern Love Waltz’ is one of Glass’s earliest piano works that still remains in the Glass performance repertoire of today.  I’ve performed this rather quirky and sarcastic piano piece many times which is crafted on a simple yet distinctive two-chord progression.  The work I’ve written for Nicolas Horvath and this concert has a strong connection with Glass’s Waltz – noticeably, the similar harmonic pattern.  ‘Another Modern Love Waltz’ is however a more nostalgic natured work than Glass’s original.

Another Modern Love Waltz