Full Description
Premiered by Oliver Knussen and the BBC Symphony Orchestra in 1992, Broken Symmetry is a 20-minute outburst of energy and momentum. Vivid, violent, occasionally threatening, its character is continuous with Matthews' Suns Dance, Hidden Variables, and Toccata Meccanica. The orchestral forces showcase a large complement of woodwind and brass (including a rare, dark-hued bass clarinet) with its musical material in a constant state of transformation. The percussion section - extensive and colourful - plays an especially important role in generating and sustaining the work's animating forces; Broken Symmetry is dedicated to the memory of David Johnson, the BBC SO percussionist who passed away unexpectedly in 1990.
