Roger Smalley - Transformation for piano with live electronics: Critical Edition by Christopher Tonkin and Adam Pinto

This critical edition is the first complete performance score of composer Roger Smalley’s Transformation for piano and live electronic modulation (1968–69, rev.1971). Transformation had been a central part of the repertoire of Smalley’s performance group Intermodulation and with the disbanding of the group in 1976 due to Smalley’s move to Perth, the work received no more performances. This removed the practical incentive Smalley required to complete proofs for publication with Faber. On 7 June 2016 in Studio Underground at the State Theatre Centre, Perth, Christopher Tonkin and Adam Pinto gave the Australian premiere, and the first performance of Transformation since the Smalley/Souster performances in 1971. Due to the concert deadline, this Australian premiere was prepared from a photocopy of a handwritten score and subsidiary material with a Faber cover page dated from 9 January 1970 to 10 February 1970 and a digitized, but at this point unspecified, recording of a Smalley/Souster performance of the work. Whilst these sources were satisfactory for an initial performance, several anomalies were discovered: Missing details governing the live electronics; Inadequate performance instructions governing the use of semi-improvised ‘subsidiary’ material; Uncertainties over appropriate clefs; unclear and missing notations, and unclear pedaling instructions. This critical edition was compiled from many sources, including Smalley’s original and incomplete Faber draft, Smalley’s and co-performer Tim Souster’s annotated photocopies of the Faber draft, sketches sourced from the National Library (Canberra), and BBC recordings from the British Library and National Library of Australia. This edition marks the final step in reviving Transformation, making possible its reintroduction to the performance repertoire.