by Violet Dinescu as published in the IAWM Journal, Winter 1998, p. 31.
I recently became acquainted with some unpublished chamber music by two New Zealand composers-Helen Fisher (b. 1942) and Dorothea Franchi (b. 1920). Fisher, who is active in promoting the music of women composers, served as initiator and artistic coordinator of the first and second New Zealand Composing Women's Festivals in 1993 and 1995; her own compositions are frequently performed in New Zealand, Japan and elsewhere in Asia. Franchi, a harpist with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the Auckland Sinfonia and a teacher of music theory, became interested in composition later in her professional career.
The three compositions that I will briefly discuss are in the repertoire of the Trio Bilitis, a chamber ensemble of women performers based in Paris-Catherine Bowie, flute; Christine Bowie, viola; and Virginie Tarręte, harp. The well-known ensemble specializes in contemporary music and performs extensively throughout Europe and Asia. The group's problem is the lack of repertoire for their somewhat unusual but very natural sounding combination of instruments. Since the Bowie sisters were originally from New Zealand and had studied music theory with Franchi, they decided to include music by her and by Fisher during their tour of New Zealand in July 1997 as well as in many of their other concerts.
Franchi, in her Suite for flute, (originally for clarinet and arranged for flute for performance by the Trio), viola and harp (1947), demonstrates her knowledge of the technical capabilities of each of the instruments so successfully that the work, with its flexible conversations among the instruments and transparency of sound that is somewhat impressionistic in style, provides an exquisite musical experience for the listener. Fisher's Wings of the Wind (1997) for solo flute was commissioned by the Trio with financial support from the Arts Council of the New Zealand Composers Foundation. The work was influenced by the daily flight of starlings at dawn from their nesting place on a small island off the coast of Kapiti Island. The flute has a strong narrative character that enriches the visual perspective.
Matairangi2 (1997), for flute (C-flute, alto flute and piccolo), viola and harp, was commissioned by the Bowies with funding provided by Creative New Zealand Toi Aotearoa. The title combines two Maori words, "Matai" (sea) and "Rangi" (sky), and was inspired by two sources. First, by the Wellington (New Zealand) environment, particularly the song of the birds and the reflective and sparkling waters, and second, by some lines from T. S. Eliot's Four Quartets: "After the [tui's] wing/ Has answered light, and is silent, the light is still/ At the point of the turning world." The impressionistic style that permeates the work aptly depicts the natural setting.
It is interesting to compare the two composers. Although their musical styles are different, the composers are similar in that each has a strong sense of communication and a clear knowledge of the instruments and their potential. Also, both use modern compositional techniques as well as more traditional resources. Fisher and Franchi have had substantial musical careers in their native country, and their works are deserving of wider recognition.
Violeta Dinescu, born in Romania and a resident of Germany since 1982, is a professor of composition at the University of Oldenburg and a well-known composer whose mature works include four operas as well as numerous orchestral, chamber, vocal and choral works. Her compositions have garnered her more than 50 international awards.