This solo piano work was commissioned by James Teh and premiered at the Charles Darwin University Theatre on October 22nd, 2016. It was part of a concert entitled Journeys and Memories.

The  sheet music is available through the Australian Music Centre at  http://www.australianmusiccentre.com.au/product/saudades.

The title of the work takes its name from a Portuguese word that has no real equivalent in English. Roughly translated, it refers to a deep, bittersweet emotion, a nostalgic longing for something unattainable. This may relate to the past or to the future, and the subject of the longing can be many different things, such as people, places or even a bygone era.
The Portuguese writer Manuel de Melo defined it as: “a pleasure you suffer, an ailment you enjoy.”
I explore different aspects of Saudade in each of the three movements of this work.

Movement 1: https://soundcloud.com/cathy-applegate/saudades-i

Movement 2: https://soundcloud.com/cathy-applegate/saudades-ii

Movement 3: https://soundcloud.com/cathy-applegate/saudades-iii

 
Photo credit: Eleanor Wilks