Matthew Hindson travelled to the Edinburgh International Festival in September 2010, to attend the concert premiere of Energy, the first movement of his award-winning score to David Bintley’s commissioned ballet, E=mc². Vladimir Ashkenazy conducted the Sydney Symphony Orchestra on 2 September, whilst elsewhere in the festival, Hindson’s scintillating Little Chrissietina’s Magic Fantasy for violin and piano was given by Australian artists, Duo Sol:
“What a cracking, totally knockout show last night from the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Vladimir Ashkenazy. After the tributes and tributaries in their previous concert, we needed to hear a straight down the line, no-messing-about orchestral concert from this orchestra. And that, more or less, is precisely what we got…
After the break all hell broke loose in Matthew Hindson’s head-banging, foot-stomping little essay, Energy, which was a bit like The Rite of Spring crashing into Isobel Gowdie and The Miraculous Mandarin in the east end of Glasgow on a wild Saturday night; an electric and thrilling piece…
The entire concert was a completely exhilarating affair. Haste ye back, SSO.”
The Glasgow Herald, 3 September 2010
The Bintley/Hindson E=mc2 ballet secured the prestigious South Bank Show Award for Dance earlier this year and has been acclaimed by many as Bintley’s finest work. Hindson’s score was central to the wealth of plaudits that accompanied the choreographic triumph, following its premiere by Birmingham Royal Ballet in September 2009:
‘Bintley’s explosive talent is matched by composer Matthew Hindson’s writing one of the best pieces of new dance music this side of Stravinsky.’
Sunday Express (Jeffery Taylor), 27 September 2009
‘… a riveting orchestral score by the young Australian Matthew Hindson (of whom we shall surely hear more)…’
The Independent on Sunday (Jenny Gilbert), 15 November 2009
‘A fantastic, sweeping symphonic score by Matthew Hindson (the most meaningful commissioned music for ballet I’ve heard for years)…’
Londondance.com (Graham Watts), 11 November 2009