Shadow of the Hawk is an exuberant work for cello and piano that takes influence from Balinese gamelan along with echoes of Prokofiev and Shostakovich. The music is pervaded by a continual sense of forward momentum and requires performers with considerable stamina, as both the cellist and pianist have to traverse many passages of tightly motoric unison playing. The action occasionally gives way to more expansive and lyrical sections, which brings out expressive qualities of the cello.
Gareth Farr is an indisputably colourful figure in New Zealand music. And whether scored for percussion duet or the resources of two large orchestras, Farr's music reflects his personality – bold, brash, or delicate and sensuous, but inevitably, immediately, engaging. Rhythmic elements of his compositions can be linked to the complex and exciting rhythms of Rarotongan log drum ensembles, Balinese gamelan and other percussion music of the Pacific Rim. In addition to his music for the concert chamber, Farr has written music for dance, theatre and television.
