Ensemble Liaison LOCAL MAHLER’S 4TH, ANAM &...

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LOCAL HEROES Ensemble Liaison David Griffiths clarinet Svetlana Bogosavljevic cello Timothy Young piano with special guest artists Greta Bradman soprano Adam Chalabi violin MAHLER’S 4TH, ANAM & ENSEMBLE LIAISON Friday 21 August 7pm, Elisabeth Murdoch Hall PROGRAM Aaron Copland (1900–1990) Appalachian Spring I Very Slowly II Allegro III Moderato (The Bride and her Intended) IV Fast (The Revivalist and his Flock) V Subito Allegro (Solo Dance of the Bride) VI As at first (Slowly) VII Doppio movimento (Variations on a Shaker Hymn: Simple Gifts) VIII Moderato-Coda Mark Viggiani (1968–) Cleopatra* (world premiere performance) Gustav Mahler (1860–1911) Symphony No.4 (arr. Klaus Simon 2007 for soprano and chamber ensemble) I Bedächtig. Nicht eilen (Deliberately. Not rushed) II In gemächlicher Bewegung. Ohne Hast (Leisurely moving. Without haste) III Ruhevoll (Calmly) IV Sehr behaglich (Very comfortably) ABOUT THE MUSIC Appalachian Spring was composed in 1943-44 as a ballet for Miss Martha Graham on a commission from the Elisabeth Sprague Coolidge Foundation. The version you hear tonight is the original – scored for a chamber ensemble of thirteen instruments. The scenario unfolds during the early nineteenth century, on the site of a Pennsylvania farmhouse which has just been built as a pre-wedding gift for a young couple. Here is Copland’s own synopsis: “The bride-to-be and the young farmer-husband enact the emotions, joyful and apprehensive, which their new domestic partnership invites. An old neighbour suggests, now and then, the rocky confidence of experience. A revivalist and his followers remind the new householders of the strange and terrible aspects of human fate. At the end the couple are left quiet and strong in their new house.” The music climaxes in a set of variations on Simple Gifts, a hymn tune associated with the Shakers, a New England religious sect. The world premiere of Mark Viggiani’s Cleopatra is a dramatic study of the character as portrayed by William Shakespeare in the play Antony and Cleopatra. The text has been selected and edited from various places within the play to highlight different aspects of the Chris Bainbridge double bass Jonathan Bekes cello Patrick Brearley viola Alden Cai French horn Emmanuel Cassimatis oboe Tiffany Cheng violin Jonathon Coco double bass Kim Falconer flute Karla Hanna violin Chris Haycroft bassoon Musicians from the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) Ensemble Liaison ARTISTS Hilary Hayes violin Chris Martin bassoon Laurence Matheson chamber organ Kyla Matsuura-Miller violin Beatrix Pickett viola Jennifer Timmins flute James Townsend percussion Hamish Upton percussion

Transcript of Ensemble Liaison LOCAL MAHLER’S 4TH, ANAM &...

L O C A L H E R O E S

Ensemble Liaison

David Griffiths clarinet Svetlana Bogosavljevic celloTimothy Young piano

with special guest artistsGreta Bradman sopranoAdam Chalabi violin

MAHLER’S 4TH, ANAM & ENSEMBLE LIAISONFriday 21 August 7pm, Elisabeth Murdoch Hall

PROGRAMAaron Copland (1900–1990)Appalachian Spring I Very Slowly II Allegro III Moderato (The Bride and her Intended) IV Fast (The Revivalist and his Flock) V Subito Allegro (Solo Dance of the Bride) VI As at first (Slowly) VII Doppio movimento (Variations on a Shaker Hymn: Simple Gifts) VIII Moderato-Coda

Mark Viggiani (1968–)Cleopatra* (world premiere performance)

Gustav Mahler (1860–1911)Symphony No.4 (arr. Klaus Simon 2007 for soprano and chamber ensemble) I Bedächtig. Nicht eilen (Deliberately. Not rushed) II In gemächlicher Bewegung. Ohne Hast (Leisurely moving. Without haste) III Ruhevoll (Calmly) IV Sehr behaglich (Very comfortably)

ABOUT THE MUSICAppalachian Spring was composed in 1943-44 as a ballet for Miss Martha Graham on a commission from the Elisabeth Sprague Coolidge Foundation. The version you hear tonight is the original – scored for a chamber ensemble of thirteen instruments. The scenario unfolds during the early nineteenth century, on the site of a Pennsylvania farmhouse which has just been built as a pre-wedding gift for a young couple. Here is Copland’s own synopsis: “The bride-to-be and the young farmer-husband enact the emotions, joyful and apprehensive, which their new domestic partnership invites. An old neighbour suggests, now and then, the rocky confidence of experience. A revivalist and his followers remind the new householders of the strange and terrible aspects of human fate. At the end the couple are left quiet and strong in their new house.” The music climaxes in a set of variations on Simple Gifts, a hymn tune associated with the Shakers, a New England religious sect.

The world premiere of Mark Viggiani’s Cleopatra is a dramatic study of the character as portrayed by William Shakespeare in the play Antony and Cleopatra. The text has been selected and edited from various places within the play to highlight different aspects of the

Chris Bainbridge double bassJonathan Bekes celloPatrick Brearley violaAlden Cai French hornEmmanuel Cassimatis oboeTiffany Cheng violinJonathon Coco double bassKim Falconer fluteKarla Hanna violinChris Haycroft bassoon

Musicians from the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) Ensemble LiaisonARTISTS

Hilary Hayes violinChris Martin bassoon Laurence Matheson chamber organKyla Matsuura-Miller violinBeatrix Pickett violaJennifer Timmins fluteJames Townsend percussionHamish Upton percussion

ABOUT LOCAL HEROES 2015This year the series shares the stories of our World War I heroes, commemorating the ANZAC Centenary with the personal histories of over 80 Victorians involved in the Great War.

This concert pays tribute to Captain Aubrey Liddelow whose story is available at melbournerecital.com.au/mahlers4th Printed copies will be available post concert (please ask our front of house staff for assistance).*

*Please note, for greener performances, stories are printed to share one between two people. We encourage you to visit melbournerecital.com.au/stories to download our publication, view images and read through the stories at your own leisure.

NEXT CONCERTIl Bel Canto, Emma Matthews and Ensemble LiaisonThursday 29 October 7pm, Elisabeth Murdoch HallFor more info and tickets visit melbournerecital.com.au/ilbelcanto

PRINCIPAL GOVERNMENT PARTNER

Egyptian queen’s character. Specifically, the work focuses on and explores Cleopatra’s love and worship of the Roman general Marc Antony, her dread of her pending humiliation at Caesar’s triumph, her jealousy of Antony’s Roman wife and her decision to end her own life. Whilst the work does not attempt to follow the dramatic narrative of Shakespeare’s play, the events portrayed do follow the play’s inner logic.

Gustav Mahler’s Fourth Symphony is the shortest of all his symphonies and the most modestly scored. Originally written for 25 wind and percussion instruments, strings, harp and voice, Klaus Simon’s arrangement reduces the forces to just 15 (seven winds and percussion, strings, piano, harmonium, and voice). Mahler found the materials and inspiration for many of his songs, and the texts for three of his symphonies (including Symphony No.4) from Des Knaben Wunderhorn (The Youth’s Magic Horn), the 19th century anthology of German folk poetry. In 1892 Mahler began work on a song, Das Himmlische Leber (The Heavenly Life), which would eventually become the last movement of his Fourth Symphony. Mahler then worked backwards, ensuring that this song would appear as the logical destination of the three preceding movements. Mahler believed that through the transparent style of this symphony, he had captured the simple faith and joy of children: “only a child can understand and explain it, and a child does explain it in the end”.

© David Griffiths, 2015

Lady Marigold Southey AC The Klein Foundation Brian & Esther BenjaminWarwick & Paulette BisleyAndrew & Theresa Dyer

Jean Hadges Dr Garry Joslin & Prof Dimity Reed AMCraig ReevesSkipp Williamson & Carol HaynesMajlis Pty Ltd

LOCAL HEROES LEADERSHP CIRCLE:

ABOUT THE ARTISTSDescribed by Limelight Magazine as a ‘national treasure’, Ensemble Liaison is renowned for its imaginative and innovative programming and setting the trend for brilliant collaborations with leading artists. The Ensemble has performed across Australia and New Zealand and in 2012 gave a series of festival performances in Central Europe. They have regularly recorded for broadcast on the ABC Classic FM and 3MBS and have released recordings on both the Melba Recordings and Tall Poppies labels.

Greta Bradman is a young Australian coloratura soprano, known for her interpretations of new works and increasingly recognised for her treatment of bel canto and verismo opera roles. Greta is the 2013-14 recipient of the Australian International Opera Award and Tait Memorial Trust Award. Recent performances include Rodelinda with Maestro Richard Bonynge, Australian premiere of James Whitbourn’s Annelies, and a national tour with the Australian String Quartet. Greta has recently released her debut album with Decca Classics.

Adam Chalabi held the position of Concertmaster of Orchestra Victoria between 2009-2012 before moving into the role of Artistic Director until 2014. He is also first violinist of the Tinalley String Quartet which has performed to critical acclaim all over the world. In 2012, Adam was appointed to the full-time faculty of the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) where he held the position of Head of Strings before taking up a Professorship at the University of Queensland, a position he currently holds.

The Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) is the only professional-training focused institute in Australia, and one of only a few in the world. Renowned for its innovation, energy and courageous programming, ANAM is consistently committed to pushing the boundaries of how classical music is presented and performed.

For more information, please visit anam.com.au