MCO’s Nightingale can be heard on Tuesday 18 November 6:00pm at Australian Nurses Memorial Centre; Wednesday 19 November 10:00am at Cardinia Cultural Centre; Thursday 20 November 7:30pm at Melbourne Recital Centre; Friday 21 November 7:30pm at McAuley Hall Sacred Heart College and Sunday 23 November 2:30pm at Melbourne Recital Centre.
Henry Purcell (1659–95)
Fantasia Upon One Note Z745
The English composer Henry Purcell composed The Fantazia for consort of viols around 1680. Harry Halbreich, writing for Alia Vox, considers the collection to be, “one of the glories of English music, and this unique repertoire, spreading over nearly two centuries, represents the loftiest and most perfect kind of instrumental chamber music written in Europe before the era of the classical string quartet.”
The Fantasia Upon One Note Z745 is one of Purcell’s most celebrated pieces. The short work is built around the tenor voice sustaining a single pitch throughout while the other instruments gently weave around and form a contrapuntal web.
Colin Brumby (1933–2018)
The Phoenix and the Turtle
Colin Brumby was an Australian composer and conductor. He composed across a wide range of genres including symphonies, concertos, operas, ballets, film scores, musicals, chamber music, songs and choral works. The Phoenix and the Turtle is a work written in response to a commission from Musica Viva for the 1974 tour of the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields under Neville Mariner. The work is scored for string orchestra and harpsichord.
The composer wrote: I decided that this commission provided me with an ideal opportunity to clarify my preferred, personal compositional style …. It was probably no accident, that in initiating a stylistic rebirth (as well as seeking an idea with which to flesh out the commission), I should have resorted to the image of the phoenix … the mythical bird which, having self-immolated, was reborn from its own ashes …. It must be made clear, however, that in deciding to use the same title for my work as the Shakespearean poem, there was never any intention of attempting a musical (programmatic) parallel between the music and the poem, even if such a thing were possible. I simply let the poem act as a catalyst on my musical thinking.
Johann Sebastian Bach (1658–1750)
Harpsichord Concerto No 1 in D minor BWV1052
I. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Allegro
Johann Sebastian Bach was a renowned keyboard virtuoso. He composed seven concertos for a single harpsichord (BWV1052–58), three for two harpsichords (BWV1060–62), two for three harpsichords (BWV1063 and 1064), and one for four harpsichords (BWV1065) — all of which were written in Leipzig in the late 1730s.
Most of the concertos are believed to be arrangements of earlier concertos for single-line instruments, possibly written during his time in Köthen. Interestingly, it is predominantly the keyboard versions of these concertos that have survived and are considered to be the earliest examples of this genre. The concertos are scored for harpsichord, strings, and basso continuo.
Concerto No 1 in D minor BWV1052 is in three movements. The opening Allegro commences with a single idea performed in unison. This then explodes into a display of exhilarating drive, ferocity, and fun. The Adagio is built on a single melodic line that displays a mysterious sense of melancholy. The final Allegro is marked by its contrapuntal displays that prompt exciting interplay between the soloist and orchestra.
Barbara Strozzi (1619–77)
L’Usignuolo
Barbara Strozzi was a Venetian composer and singer. In 1644, the first of her eight publications was released: a volume of madrigals for two to five voices on texts by her father, Giulio Strozzi, which she dedicated to Vittoria della Rovere, Grand Duchess of Tuscany.
L’Usignuolo (‘The Nightingale’) was published in the first set in 1644 as a vocal quartet originally written for soprano, alto, tenor, and bass, with basso continuo. The Listening Project states, “the expressive depth of L’usignuolo is further enhanced by Strozzi’s harmonic ingenuity and skillful manipulation of vocal timbres. Through this composition, Strozzi’s legacy endures as a trailblazer in the realm of Baroque vocal music, demonstrating her ability to infuse emotion and beauty into the rich tapestry of 17th-century musical expression.”
Henry Eccles (1670–1742)
Contrabass Sonata in G minor
I. Grave
II. Courante
III. Adagio
IV. Vivace
Henry Eccles was an English violinist and composer part of a family of composers, which included his father and brother.
The Sonata in G minor was published in Paris in 1720 in his Premier livre de sonates a violon seul et la basse and is number 11 of 12 works. The collection is dedicated to Monsieur le Chevalier Gage, gentilhomme anglois.
David Heyes in the introduction to his edition of the Sonata in G minor stated that, “were it not for his eponymous Sonata in G minor, the name of Henry Eccles would have long ago been consigned to the history books. It is amazing that one work can keep a composer’s name alive, several centuries after his death and how new generations of young bassists, cellists and violists are drawn to a work which was written by more than one composer.” The last part of this comment refers to how the four contrasting movements include material borrowed from Giuseppe Valentini (1681–1753) and Francesco Antonio Bonporti (1672–1749).
Melody Eötvös (b 1984)
The Apollo*
Melody Eötvös was born in the Southern Highlands, NSW, Australia. Her work draws on both multi-media and traditional instrumental contexts, as well substantial extra-musical references to a broad range of philosophical, biological, and ancient topics as well as a sustained interest in late 19th-century life and literature. She has studied with a variety of composers in Australia and abroad, with ensembles and orchestras at home and around the globe performing her work, and she’s participated in numerous international festivals and workshops. Eötvös holds a Doctor of Music from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music USA, and a Master of Music from the Royal Academy of Music, London. She is a Lecturer in Composition and Aural Studies at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music.
The Apollo is an MCO premiere commission, supported by the City of Melbourne Arts Grants.
The composer writes: Shakespeare’s works have long inspired artists across a multitude of disciplines, and Melbourne’s dedication to preserving and celebrating his legacy is evident in the research and documentation of University of Melbourne’s Associate Professor David McInnis’ work, and the 29 individual Shakespeariana he has identified across Melbourne.
After living and working in Melbourne for nearly seven years, I feel more connected to this city than any other I’ve lived in to date. Discovering these hidden Shakespearian jewels throughout this beautiful metropolis has been an illuminating and exciting experience, and translating these places, people, buildings, statues and notorious events, into a musical work was an endlessly inspiring pursuit. I truly believe that Melbourne’s Shakespeariana serves as a timeless cultural anchor, and in so many ways grounds this new work in a tradition of artistic exploration that I’m thrilled to be able to channel and communicate through the ever wonderful Melbourne Chamber Orchestra.
* MCO Premiere Commission, supported by the City of Melbourne Arts Grants
Arcangelo Corelli (1653–1753)
Concerto Grosso in D major Op 6 No 4
I. Adagio – Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Vivace
IV. (Giga) Allegro
Arcangelo Corelli was one of the most important composers of his day, and his influence remained long after his death. He has the distinction of being one of the first composers whose reputation was derived from instrumental compositions. Corelli influenced style and instrumental technique, often being credited as the founder of modern violin technique. His students include Francois Couperin, Handel, Muffat, and Geminiani.
Corelli spent a number of years working on the 12 Concerti Grossi Op 6 and they were published shortly after his death. With this collection we see the development from the concerti da chiesa (church concerti), with fast movements generally in fugal form, to the concerti da camera (chamber concerti) incorporating dance movements. The crafted short movements of the concerti demonstrate Corelli’s mastery of form and style. He encapsulates clarity of thought within these well-honed miniatures. The D major concerto is in four movements and is scored for an ensemble consisting of two concertino violins and cello, ripieno strings, and continuo.
Program Notes: David Forrest