Stefans Grové: winds of change

Abstract

In 1981 the South African composer Stefans Grové was commissioned to compose 13 pieces for specifically selected wind instruments for inclusion in Unisa's Music Examinations syllabi. This article investigates these works and determines both their compositional characteristics – especially his use of semitones in both the construction and the embellishment of motifs – and the extent to which Grové remained inventively creative despite the constraints imposed by the nature of the commission. From 1984 the inclusion of African elements became increasingly evident in Grové's compositions and these elements can already be discerned in these wind examination pieces.