ABOUT THE MUSIC
Grand Duo Concertant, Op. 48 (1815-16) - Carl Maria von Weber
1) Allegro con fuoco
2) Andante con moto
3) Rondo. Allegro
Dario Scalabrini / Clarinet
Alex Raineri / Piano
Distinctively operatic and with a vivid pechant for dramatic flair, Weber's Grand Duo Concertant began life as a Sonata for clarinet and piano but, as the writing process took shape, the composer opted for a more suitable title. This is reflective of the fact that both clarinet and piano parts are highly virtuosic, Weber wanted to assign a title that best represented the grand scale of the work.
The work is in three movements. The first is the most extended. It features turbo-charged scalic passages alternating with playful lyrical lines. The second movement paints a picture that is unmistakably operatic. After a brief, sombre four-bar introduction, the clarinet (diva) takes to a soaring hearfelt minor melody, with the piano throbbing with quaver support in the background. The instruments, adhering to the work being a 'duo' in the true sense of the word, share the spotlight, oscillating back and forth with material that despite its slow tempo, changes with extreme rapidity. The finale is a playful rondo. What starts off innocently takes a turn for the melodramatic in the middle section of the work. The final section of the movement sees the music catapault back to a space of extreme virtuosity. It is as if the players are racing each other to the finish line!
-----
Sonata pour Bassoon et piano, Op. 71 (1919) - Charles Koechlin
1) Allegro moderato - Allegretto scherzando
2) Nocturne. Presque adagio
3) Final. Allegro, vigourersement et rudement rythmé
Andre Oberleuter / Bassoon
Francis Atkins / Piano
Charles Koechlin was an extremely influential French composer (interestingly, he was Poulenc's composition teacher) though his works are not frequently performed. Koechlin himself studied with Faure, the influence of which can perhaps be noted in the rippling arpeggios of the piano and a harmonic journey that travels through unexpected but charming territory.
The first movement alternates lyrical and playful scherzando sections. The middle movement is a gorgeous Nocturne, the bassoon melody soaring over a gently undulating piano ostinato. Crashing to a close, the finale is a highly energised and bouncy romp. The music becomes self-reflective, but only briefly before accelerating to a triumphant conclusion.
-----
Chant de Linos (1944) - André Jolivet
Jemima Drews / Flute
Alex Raineri / Piano
A friend and colleague of Messiaen's, André Jolivet (1905-74) composed music with a preoccupation with combining both ancient and modern influences. Transcendentally virtuosic for both performers, Chant de Linos is a wonderful example of Jolivet's musical meeting-place of the old world and the new. It was commissioned as a competition piece by Conservatoire de Paris.
Linos, son of Apollo, is a character from Greek mythology. Linos was teacher to Orpheus and Hercules but as mythology goes, was killed by his father for surpassing his own musical skills. The music is thus a series of lamentations and rituatlistic dances that sing, swirl, and tumultuously cyclone to the finish line. This is music that tells a vivid story while making performative demands on its players that push technical boundaries, as well as requiring an extremely complicated synchronicity between the players.
-----
INTERVAL
-----
Der Hirt auf dem Felsen (The Shepherd on the Rock,) D 965 (1828) - Franz Schubert
Jenna Robertson / Soprano
Dario Scalabrini / Clarinet
Alex Raineri / Piano
Schubert's Der Hirt auf dem Felsen (The Shepherd on the Rock,) D 965 is a Lied for soprano, clarinet, and piano. Composed in the final months of the composers life, the work is a showpiece that sets in equal parts enormous challenges for the voice and clarinet as duo partners, with the piano playing an accompanimental role.
The song is in three parts. The first part speaks of a Shepherd singing to the valley below, hearing the echoes rise back up. The second section is darker. It explores grief, sorrow and loneliness. The final section speaks of rebirth and the exuberant energy of Springtime.
The song sets poetry by Wilhelm Müller (translated into Enligsh as below by Richard Stokes).
When I stand on the highest rock,Look down into the deep valleyAnd sing,
From far away in the deep dark valleyThe echo from the ravinesRises up.
The further my voice carries,The clearer it echoes back to meFrom below.
My sweetheart lives so far from me,Therefore I long so to be with herOver there.
Deep grief consumes me,My joy has fled,All earthly hope has vanished,I am so lonely here.
The song rang out so longingly through the wood,Rang out so longingly through the night,That is draws hearts to heavenWith wondrous power.
Spring is coming,Spring, my joy,I shall now make ready to journey.
-----
Coomera (1995) - Dulcie Holland
Andre Oberleuter / Bassoon
Alex Raineri / Piano
Dulcie Holland (1913-2000) was one of the most prominent Australian composers of her generation. Alongside artistic voices such as Miriam Hyde, Peggy Glanville-Hicks and Margaret Sutherland, Holland paved the way in the early/mid twentieth century for a distinctively 'Australian' music that spoke to sounding the natural environment of the vast and wondrous beauty that is our country. Holland's work Coomera for bassoon and piano is a lyrical portrayal of Coomera, a town in the City of Gold Coast. It is a lyrical work, that explores the balance between gently rocking musical motives and periods of relative stasis, weaving a narrative that vividly paints a picture of both time and place.
Program Notes © Alex Raineri
-----
Rhapsody for Flute and Piano (World Premiere) (2018) - Alexander Voltz
Jemima Drews / Flute
Francis Atkins / Piano
Rhapsody was a formal exercise - in hindsight, I should probably have given the piece a less ironic title. I wrote it back in 2018 and tidied it up at the beginning of this year. There isn't much else to say. There is no programme, no extra-musical themes, and it's been so long now that I've no memory of how I felt during the compositional process. Maybe, after listening, you can tell me! Most of the people I've been closest to over the years have happened to play the flute, so this is for them.
Program Note © Alexander Voltz
-----
Concertino da Camera (1946) - Peggy Glanville-Hicks
1) Allegretto
2) Adagio
3) Finale, Allegro
Jemima Drews / Flute
Dario Scalabrini / Clarinet
Andre Oberleuter / Bassoon
Alex Raineri / Piano
Australian composer Peggy Glanville-Hicks (1912-1990) played a hugely influential role in both establishing a benchmark for Australian artistic excellence abroad, and developing a growing musical scene here in her home country. In her youth, she studied composition with Ralph Vaughan-Williams, Nadia Boulanger and Arthur Benjamin. She held prestigeous positions at the 'New York Herald' and 'Museum of Modern Art' in New York before returning to Australia later in her life.
Scored for flute, clarinet, bassoon and piano, the Concertino da Camera is a strange work. Its style is akin to the neo-classical works of Stravinsky both in sentiment and harmonic ambiguity. Listeners might draw parallels to the music of Poulenc in its infrequent but gorgeous outpouring of melodies, coloured with frequent skittsh and quirky motives. It is a showpiece for all four instruments equally, the quartet being an instrumental combination with vast sonic potential and colouristic flexibility.
Program Note © Alex Raineri
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Jemima Drews is a Brisbane based flautist with a love for storytelling through engaging performance. A recent graduate of the University of Queensland, Jemima was the 2019 and 2020 recipient of the James Carson Memorial Prize, the 2020 winner of the O’Brien Family Prize, and a nominee for the 2020 Freedman Fellowship. Jemima performed in the 2020 Brisbane Music Festival as a Young Artist, and has been a Next Gen Artist with the Southern Cross Soloists since 2019. She has performed at the Bangalow Music Festival and was featured in the 2020 University of Queensland Concert Series. In 2019, she performed as a concerto soloist with the Brisbane Symphony Orchestra. Jemima joined the Australian Youth Orchestra in 2021, and in 2020 held the position of Principal Flute for the Queensland Youth Symphony. Jemima is very passionate about performing and premiering Australian music, and has a special interest in mixing the media of drama and flute playing.
Brisbane-born clarinettist Dario Scalabrini has quickly established himself as a passionate and energetic musician in recital, chamber and orchestral settings. 2021 will see him performing both interstate and in Brisbane as he moves to Sydney to complete further studies with Francesco Celata of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. As a regular performer in the Brisbane music scene Dario has performed with the Southern Cross Soloists, Queensland Pops Orchestra, Ensemble Q and enjoys taking part in local music festivals including the Brisbane Music Festival and Bleach Festival.
Dario graduated from the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University in 2019 where he was the recipient of the Brisbane Club Award’s Jim Massie Memorial Prize. He studied with the renowned soloist and former Queensland Symphony Orchestra principal clarinettist Paul Dean during this time. As an emerging artist, Dario has been invited to perform in masterclasses with esteemed international clarinettists such as Sabine Meyer, Andrew Marriner and Julian Bliss. 2020 saw Dario perform both online and in person, appearing on Melbourne Digital Concert Hall, Brisbane Music Festival Online and Southern Cross Soloists return to QPAC concert. Dario is excited to feature again as a young artist in the 2021 Brisbane Music Festival.
Andre Oberleuter is a 17 year old bassoonist under the direction of the Associate Principal Bassoon of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, David Mitchell. He has been principal Bassoon of the Queensland Youth Symphony for the past 3 years and has also toured North Queensland with QYO’s Chamber Orchestra in 2018 and again in 2019 appearing as soloist. Andre is the Bassoonist of the Queensland Conservatorium based Acetaria Wind Quintet and has had the pleasure of working with world-class ensembles like the LA Phil Wind Quintet. He has also been tutored by and participated in masterclasses with international bassoonists such as Simon van Holen (Principal Contrabassoon Royal Concertgebouw) and Whittney Crockett (Principal Bassoon Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra).
Andre has been awarded numerous prizes, including the under 17 National Prize in the 2020 World Music Competition, 1st Prize in the 2019 Australian Double Reed Society National Competition, 3rd Prize in the 2020 Queensland Symphony Orchestra’s Young Instrumentalist’s Prize as well as being a finalist in the 2020 Melbourne Recital Centres Online Bach Competition, and a semi-finalist alongside his peers in the Acetaria Wind Quintet in the 2019 Queensland International Chamber Music Competition.
Andre has had the opportunity to play with the Australian Honours Ensemble Wind Orchestra, Queensland Conservatorium Wind Orchestra, Brisbane Philharmonic Orchestra as well as the Queensland Conservatoriums Ensemble in Residence – Ensemble Q. In 2021, he looks forward to participating in the Australian Youth Orchestras Spring Camp, Winter and Summer Seasons, as well as appearing in the Brisbane Music Festival as a Young Artist.
Francis Atkins is a young aspiring Australian pianist. A fiery and passionate performer, Francis has performed in several music hotspots around Australia, including the Sydney Opera House, the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, and is a regular at the Bangalow Music Festival. Francis is currently a candidate for a Master of Music at Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University, and with his tutor – Natasha Vlassenko – he has grown his deep passion for performing.
Francis maintains a growing career as a pianist and enjoys performing alongside Australia’s premier musicians, as well as engagements with community choirs and chamber ensembles. In 2019, he gave his debut concerto performance as soloist with the Ipswich City Symphony. In 2020, Francis was selected as a Brisbane Music Festival young artist, and as a Next Generation Artist with the Southern Cross Soloists. In 2021, Francis prepares for his life–long–dream performance of Rachmaninoff’s monumental second piano concerto with the Sunshine Coast Symphony Orchestra and will also audition to compete in the Lev Vlassenko piano competition and festival; one of Australia’s most prestigious piano awards.
In his spare time, Francis enjoys watching nature documentaries and irreverent comedies, learning the music of Rachmaninoff and Debussy, cooking, and practising piano at midnight; much to the disdain of his neighbours and flatmate.
Described by Limelight Magazine as “a soloist of superb virtuosic skill and musicality”, Australian classical pianist Alex Raineri (b. 1993) is internationally active as recitalist, concerto soloist and chamber musician. International performances include tours throughout California, South-East Asia, United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, Germany and Austria. He is the Artistic Director of the annual Brisbane Music Festival and is a passionate exponent of contemporary music having given over 130 World Premieres to date.
Alex has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3, Radio NZ, California Capital Public Radio, ABC Classic FM and all of the Australian MBS Networks. As a concerto soloist he has featured with the Queensland, Tasmanian, Darwin and West Australian Symphony Orchestras, Southern Cross Soloists, Orchestra Victoria, Four Winds Festival Orchestra, Bangalow Festival Orchestra and the Queensland Pops Orchestra.
Alex has been the recipient of a number of major awards including the Kerikeri International Piano Competition and Australian National Piano Award. Alex is the pianist with the Southern Cross Soloists and other notable chamber partnerships include; Andreas Ottensamer, Twoset Violin, eighth blackbird, ELISION, Sara Macliver, Natalie Clein, Greta Bradman, Li Wei Qin, Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Jack Liebeck, Kathryn Stott, Slava Grigoryan, Brett Dean and many others.
Discography includes; Transfiguration (2019), Inventions (2019), I’ll Walk Beside You – Teddy Tahu Rhodes & Southern Cross Soloists (2018 – ABC Classics) and braneworlds – Kupka’s Piano (2017).
Jenna Robertson is a Scottish-Australian soprano based on Yugambeh country in the Gold Coast Hinterland. Robertson’s performed principal opera roles include title roles in La traviata (Opera New England NSW), Massenet’s Manon and Anna Bolena (OperaBox WA), Nedda Pagliacci (NIDA Festival of Emerging Artists, Sydney), Zerbinetta Ariadne auf Naxos, Gilda Rigoletto, Gretel Hänsel & Gretel (OperaBox WA), Laetitia The Old Maid and the Thief (Perth FRINGE WORLD Festival) and Lauretta Gianni Schicchi (Cuskelly College of Music, QLD). Jenna has appeared as soloist for the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra, Perth Symphony Orchestra, Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra (WA), South Side Symphony Orchestra, Albany Chamber Orchestra, Perth Pops Orchestra and the Albany Sinfonia.
In 2021, she returns to Violetta in La traviata for Opera Hunter, Newcastle, NSW, and for the Albany Entertainment Centre in Albany, WA. She appears as a soloist in the World Science Festival Brisbane, Brisbane Music Festival and more.
Robertson continues to build a portfolio of work as a contemporary performance maker working at the intersection of contemporary opera, community-engaged practice and interdisciplinary performance.
2021 projects include La traviata: a community-engaged opera project in Western Australia exploring end of life (creative producer and performer), Spirit Orphan: a ground-breaking chamber opera in development exploring identity as a migrant living on colonised land (creator, co-librettist and performer) and Return to Planet Earth: a new work for World Science Festival Brisbane exploring the relationship between our humanity, Earth and the universe (co-creator, writer and narrator). Robertson is a Doctor of Musical Arts candidate at Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University.
VENUE – ST. MARY'S CHURCH, KANGAROO POINT
The BMF Young Artist program is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.
Eternal thanks to Verchele Catering and Lynne + Graeme Cannell for genersouly providing the beverages and refreshments consumed at interval.
Thanks also to Phillip Gearing at St Mary's Anglican Church, Kangaroo Point for facilitating and providing the beautiful space in which our music resonates.
