MATILDA’S DREAM’s thematic material is derived from the traditional Australian folk song “Waltzing Matilda.” Fragments of the theme are sprinkled throughout the piece, though it is not until the end that the melody appears in its pure form. After a dark and dramatic opening, the cello presents a brooding soliloquy punctuated by plucked open strings in the left hand. This cadenza builds in intensity as it travels into the upper registers of the cello, propelled by urgent, accelerating rhythms. When the ensemble finally enters again, the melodic fragments rotate between the different instruments with vigorous rhythm. The cello takes on a more combative role, disrupting the flow of the ensemble with bursts of chromatics, glissando trills, ricochet strokes, and harmonics. Gradually, the ensemble begins to make sense of the various fragments, pushing the music towards a more coherent version of the theme. When the melody finally appears at the work’s conclusion, all conflict has dispersed, allowing the lone cello to present the theme with the utmost tenderness and vulnerability.