He Tango mo Elena

Solo Violin, Kapahaka & Orchestra

Work Details

He Tango mo Elena
(2002)
WORK DURATION
6:00
LANGUAGE
Maori
WORK CODE
GF/TG
Instrumentation
solo vn + kapahaka + 2.2.2(bcl).1+cbn / 4.3.3.1 / timp.perc / str
COMMISSION DETAILS
Elena (with financial support from Te Mangai Paho)
Premiere
Elena (vn), Te Papa Kapa Haka, Wellington Sinfonia, Kenneth Young (cond), Wellington, NZ, 30 April 2003

Written for New Zealand violinist Elena, Gareth Farr's He Tango mo Elena is a dynamic cultural fusion in which classical violin and Māori song are set to a tango rhythm. The work bursts forth with all the passion and romance one would expect of such a combination of forces, as the solo violin's expressive lines interact with the bold solo and group kapa haka vocals above a lush orchestral foundation.