Commissioned by the James Wallace Charitable Trust for the Ogen Trio, Ahi is an early work by Gareth Farr that explores the softer side, contrasting the high energy percussive nature that is found in many of Farr's early works. The first movement Semplice ma espressivo starts in the style of a French lullaby, with a songlike melody and delicate musical details it conveys the warmth of a gentle flame, whilst later occasionally reminding the listener of fire's untamed nature.
The second movement Scherzo acts as a direct contrast to the first movement, with an intense and unrelenting air it describes the duality of fire; once a mellow heat, now a destructive force. Through aggressive pizzicatos, harsh glissandi, and weighty piano syncopation, this movement commands undertones of a never-ceasing industrial foundry.
Ahi's third movement then brings us back to equilibrium with a quiet interlude, returning with variations of the songlike melody of the first movement sitting above a harmonic bed produced by the piano. This peaceful state is quietly unsettled as the interlude ends with a questioning dissonance.
After this brief palette cleanser, we get hit with a triumphant conclusion to the work, the fourth movement Finale comes truly into the world of Farr, drawing on inspirations of Balinese pop and channelling gamelan-esque content across the trio. Its excitable nature comes with all the unpredictability and chutzpah of fire, flickering and soaring in the wind. Piano ostinatos provide consistently high energy, while the rest of the trio tangle their way in and out reforming the first movements melody in increasingly vibrant tones.
This work stands in extreme contrast to anything I have written before. I have experimented with stripping away the density of past compositions to let simplicity of line come through and speak for itself, to explore classical clarity in a work for piano trio. Ahi, the te reo Māori word for fire, was written for the Ogen Trio – ogen is the Bulgarian word for fire, and I wanted to link the piece to them by the inclusion of a reference to fire in the title.
