Work Hollow Kings
Composer James Ledger
Scored for Symphony orchestra
Commissioned by Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Premiere June 24, 2016
Performers Melbourne Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Andrew Davis

Written to mark the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death, Hollow Kings is a set of four pieces for orchestra commissioned by the Melbourne Symphony. Each movement is shaped around certain speeches from the plays that are either spoken by or about a king. I read and watched a lot of Shakespeare to choose the kings that would inspire the work, finally picking Macbeth, Henry VIII, Richard III and King Lear.

I originally chose a lot of text that got whittled down during the composition – it was a little bit like writing an opera without words. I have to say I was overwhelmed at Shakespeare’s remarkable ability to strip back the mask of royalty and reveal human frailty with such breathtaking language and metaphor. His skill in looking at these characters made them seem quite naked or transparent, but I thought the term ‘hollow’ seemed the best one to describe this.

The piece is divided into four movements, each dealing with one of the kings. The first, Macbeth, is influenced by the...