That Crazed Smile

piano trio
2014

Duration 5’
Instrumentation violin, cello, piano
First Performance 20 October 2015, Landshut, Rathausprunksaal, Germany; The Oberon Trio: Henja Semmler (violin), Antoaneta Emanuilova (cello), and Jonathan Aner  (piano)
Commissioned by the Oberon Piano Trio
Recording Oberon Trio – Oberon Celebrates Shakespeare
Charlotte has a worldwide, exclusive publishing agreement with Birdsong
Purchase Materials
Further Performances
11.11.15  Raanana, Israel, The Oberon Piano Trio
12.11.15  YMCA Jerusalem, Israel, The Oberon Piano Trio
26.11.15 Piano Salon Christophori, Berlin, Germany The Oberon Piano Trio
27.11.15  The University of Manchester, UK; Vaganza Ensemble *UK Premiere*
14.08.16 BBC Proms Extra, Royal College of Art, London; The Albany Piano Trio
11.03.16  Bamberg, Konzert- und Kongresshalle – Joseph-Keilberth-Saal, Germany; The Oberon Piano Trio
21.09.16 Philharmonie Kiew, Ukraine; The Oberon Piano Trio
23.09.16 Opernhaus Charkiw, Ukraine; The Oberon Piano Trio
25.09.16 Philharmonie Sapo, Ukraine; The Oberon Piano Trio
27.09.16 Philharmonie Dnipro, Ukraine; The Oberon Piano Trio
13.10.16 Gießen, Konzertsaal im Rathaus, Germany; The Oberon Piano Trio
21.10.16 Stratford Upon Avon Music Festival; The Contemporary Consort
17.11.16 Borstel, Herrenhaus Borstel, Germany; The Oberon Piano Trio
4.12.16 Aberystwyth, UK; The Del Mar Piano Trio
19.05.17 St Barnabas Church, Ealing UK; Del Mar Piano Trio
20.06.17 Aldeburgh Festival, Snape Malting, UK; Trio Frühstück
24.08.17 Southwell Music Festival: The Archbishop’s Palace, Southwell Minster UK; Sara Wolstenholme violin, Nathaniel Boyd cello, Libby Burgess piano
26.10.17 Resonanzraum St. Pauli, Hamburg; Boulanger Trio
29.10.17 Radialsystem V, Berlin; Boulanger Trio
21.01.22 Ultraschall: Heimathafen Neukölln, Berlin; Boulanger Trio
02.02.22 Boulezsaal, Berlin; Trio Gaspard
04.03.22 Belfast Music Society, Ireland; Trio Gaspard
03.04.22 Kulturverein Zorneding, Germany; Trio Gaspard
19.05.22 West Wicklow Festival, Ireland; Trio Gaspard
03.09.22 Traunsteiner Sommerkonzerte, Germany; Trio Gaspard
16.04.23 Burg, Neuer Burgsaal, Perchtoldsdorf, Austria; Trio Frühstück
26.06.23 aDevantgarde Festival, Bayerische Akademie der Schönen Künste, München; Phönix-3

Commissioned by the Oberon Piano Trio, That Crazed Smile is inspired by Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It is a fantasy piece set within a dream-like world.

Set at night under the light of the moon, the piece moves through a dreamy section before reaching a gripping spellbound part, as if the fairies are deviously casting spells onto the lovers in their dreams. Tightly controlled, the music continuously varies small motifs and melodies, spinning around on itself. The foolishness and self-delusion of the lovers can be felt.

This work may be performed alongside Those Secret Eyes, which is loosely inspired by Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The two plays are linked by themes of dream versus reality, and night versus day: problems arise in the day, and are relieved at night through dreaming.