Davidson, Robert

Topology

University of Queensland eSpace

Topology – Big Decisions – CD Poster
DECISIONS
BIG
TOPOLOGY
For full program details & transcriptions visit www.topologymusic.com
This project has been assisted by the Federal Government through 
the Australia Council, its arts funding & advisory body.
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C R E D I T S
Topology – Big Decisions – CD Poster
DECISIONS
BIG
TOPOLOGY
BIG DECISIONS: THE WHITLAM DISMISSAL
Robert Davidson, 2000
DRAMATIS PERSONÆ:
Gough Whitlam
Member for Werriwa,
former Prime Minister of Australia
Sir John Kerr
Governor General
Malcolm Fraser
Prime Minister
Bob Hawke
President of the Australian Council of 
Trade Unions, future Prime Minister
Paul Keating
former Minister for Northern Australia, 
future Prime Minister
Joh Bjelke-Petersen
Premiere of Queensland
Sir Charles Court
Premiere of Western Australia
Tony Eggleton
Federal Director of the Liberal Party 
Secretariat
David Smith
Private Secretary to the Governor 
General
Peter Young
ABC Radio 2 newsreader
Two unidentifi ed women interviewed 
on the street
Unidentifi ed farmer
THE DISMISSAL
KERR’S CUR
W E L L  M A Y  W E  S A Y
G O D  S AV E  T H E  Q U E E N
BECAUSE NOTHING WILL SAVE
THE GOVERNER – GENERAL
THIS ELECTION HAS BEEN CAUSED
BY A PRIME MINISTER WHO … TOOK
AUSTRALIA THE FIRST SIGNIFICANT
STEP ON THE ROAD TO DICTATORSHIP     
WHITLAM HAD NO COMPUNCTION IN LOPPING
C R E D I T S
Topology – Big Decisions – CD Poster
DECISIONS
BIG
TOPOLOGY
KERR S CURSTEP ON THE ROAD TO DICTATORSHIP     
LOPPING HEADS
MEN THAT WE 
CAN TRUST
WHITLAM HAD NO COMPUNCTION IN LOPPING
HEADS LIKE CREAN, CONNOR, CAMERON, CASS,
COPE, CAIRNS, AND HE WAS ABOUT THE LAST
ONE LEFT STANDING AND AH, THAT WAS BY THE 
VERY CONSTITUTION HE WAS TRYING TO DESTROY.
WE WANT AN HONEST
O P E N  G O V E R N M E N T :
MEN THAT WE CAN TRUST.
REMEMBRANCE
DAY
FAIR PLAY
I THINK THERE’S A VERY REAL POSSIBILITY
TO SNOWBALL INTO VIOLENCE, AH, TO TRY 
UTE THE PROCESSES OF DEBATE,
T PEACEABLE ELECTIONEERING
C R E D I T S
Topology – Big Decisions – CD Poster
Stephen Montague, 
1981.  Arranged by 
Robert Davidson, 2000
Paramell VI is a 
chamber version of 
the two piano work, 
Paramell V written at 
the MacDowell Colony 
for Artists, Peterbor-
ough, New Hampshire 
in April, 1981.  In this 
version the solo piano 
is accompanied by 
instruments whose 
function is to only ‘col-
our’ the piano’s sound 
rather than interact in 
the traditional way.
Stylistically the 
work stems from the 
American ‘minimal-
ist’ tradition of Riley, 
Reich, and Glass, but 
goes its separate way.  
The extensive use of 
repetitive phrases 
and patterns exhibits 
a clear overall shpae 
of growth, climax and 
denouement which 
has something of a 
19th Century quality 
about it.
“Paramell” is an 
invented word used 
for a series of instru-
mental works begun 
in 1976. Paramell VI
was commissioned 
by Option Band 
(Oxford, England) 
with funds provided 
by the Arts Council 
of Great Britain, but 
fi rst performed by the 
Philadelphia based 
ensemble, Relâche 
(directed by Joseph 
Franklin) at the ASUC 
Nineteenth Annual 
Festival Conference at 
Ohio State University, 
Columbus, Ohio, 5 
April, 1984.  The fi rst 
British performance 
was by Circle (director, 
Gregory Rose) at the 
EMAS Sound Spec-
tacular II during the 
American Festival, St 
Johns Smith Square, 
London, 26 May, 1985.
P A R A M E L L  V ICHOP CHOP
John Babbage, 2002
Chop
Slang for the popular local beer of Santiago, Chile.
Chop
A not-so-popular (with the Government) tobacco.
Chops
A common jazz term used to talk about technique and musicality.
Chop Chop?
Two beers? Usually said when you’re telling someone to hurry up.
Chop Chop,
hurry up or get left behind
– also applies to the fi ve musicians in playing the piece. 
Topology – Big Decisions – CD Poster
Kent Farbach, 2001
1. Sky Blue 
2. Twilight 
3. Schadenfreude
Schadenfreude has come to be one of the defi ning emotions for 
modern life. Its translation suggests a type of malicious glee or pleasure 
taken from the misfortune/s of others.
Schadenfreude has many forms ranging from a type of sinister/revenge-
ful glee to lighthearted laughter as experienced, for example, when one 
watches a ‘caught on tape’ television documentary.
My commissioned work for Topology aims at representing this range of 
emotions from dark and malicious to light hearted. The three move-
ments should  speak for themselves in this regard.
Experts say that a little schadenfreude on a daily basis 
can be helpful in relieving stress, so sit back and 
enjoy the music as it will actually be good 
for your health.
Paul Stanhope, 1997/98
Throbology is a short, 
exuberant work which 
features the baritone 
saxophone, double 
bass and low-register 
piano in an insistent 
pulsating groove. The 
piece opens like a 
machine snorting, 
grunting and eventu-
ally kicking in. After 
the machine-like low 
pulses and high uni-
son lines of the open-
ing, the piece settles 
in to exploring motivic 
material heard mainly 
in the violin and viola 
parts. Overall, the 
piece gradually rises 
in register, with the so-
prano saxophone sup-
planting the baritone, 
and the other instru-
ments exploring their 
more brilliant registers. 
At this point a new 
section begins, which 
sounds not dissimilar 
to a CD player with a 
skipping problem or a 
bass guitar riff gone 
mad. Here a fl am-
boyant Jimi Hendrix 
inspired viola solo 
takes over, adding 
new life to the motivic 
material heard earlier 
in the piece before the 
machine–like textures 
fi nally give way, and 
the music winds down 
to a quivering halt.
Throbology is based 
on an earlier piece 
Throb originally com-
missioned by Perihe-
lion.
T H R O B O L O G YSCHADENFREUDE
Topology – Big Decisions – CD Poster
V I O L A
Bernard
Hoey
V I O L I N
Christa
Powell
S A XO P H O N E
John
Babbage
B A S S
Robert
Davidson
P I A N O
Kylie 
Davidson
T O P O L O G YURINE MIGHT
S
Bernard Hoey 2000
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BIG DECISIONS 
TOPOLOGY
get original photo
1. CHOP CHOP
2 . P A R A M E L L  V I
3. BIG DECISIONS: THE WHITLAM DISMISSAL
4. SCHADENFREUDE 
5 . T H R O B O L O G Y
6. URINE MIGHT P E T R I F Y  U S
Topology – Big Decisions – Insert Tray (Outside)
get original photo
Topology – Big Decisions – Insert Tray (Under CD)
©
2008
Topology. Unauthorised public performance, broadcasti
ng &
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TOPOLOGY
BIG DECISIONS
1. CHOP CHOP (J. Babbage) 2.PARAMELL VI (S. Montague)
3. BIG DECISIONS: THE WHITLAM DISMISSAL
(R. Davidson) 4. SCHADENFREUDE (K. Farbach)
5.THROBOLOGY (P. Stanhope)
6. URINE MIGHT PETRIFY US
(B. Hoey)
Topology – Big Decisions – CD


Topology: Big decisions

http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:231011/HCA12UQ231011_cover.pdf

Topology: Big decisions

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