CONCERT PROGRAMME MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE SUNDAY 02 16 MAY A DOUBLE SHOT OF BEETHOVEN!!

Maestro Michael Dahlenburg CHEETHAM returns to the podium to continue Long Time Living Here Corpus Medicorum’s Beethoven Acknowledgement of Country Cycle. Our second 2021 concert SARAH CURRO NARRATION of “Symphonic Vaccines” is indeed a double shot of the BEETHOVEN birthday boy himself! Triple Concerto in C major Op.56 We welcome as soloists Soloists Corpus’s dear friends MONICA CURRO VIOLIN Monica Curro, Michelle Wood MICHELLE WOOD CELLO and Stefan Cassomenos to STEFAN CASSOMENOS PIANO perform Beethoven’s Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello and BEETHOVEN Piano. Following this we play Symphony no.8 in F major Op.93 Michael’s favourite Beethoven Conducted by Symphony - the incredible no.8. MICHAEL DAHLENBURG A concert with Melbourne’s musical royalty! “Lung cancer remains the leading Presented by Corpus Medicorum cause of cancer death in Australia. Although not the commonest – Fine Music by Professionals cancer, we continue to be challenged by this deadly disease. We are seeing an increase in Lung Cancer despite a declining smoking rate.” All profits from the Corpus Medicorum’s concerts are donated to Lung Cancer Services Mr Phillip Antippa MBBS FRACS and research in lung cancer at Director, Corpus Medicorum The Royal Melbourne Hospital. Director, Lung Cancer Services Over the past 15 years, Corpus The Royal Melbourne Hospital Medicorum has raised over $750,000 to The Royal Melbourne Hospital Lung Cancer Services. LONG TIME LIVING HERE

Boonwurrung language thanks to Arweet Carolyn Briggs AM Jarra Steel Aunty Fay Muir

Magali ngalimbe yadabilang ba tilbruk Context Be here with love and respect In all the world only Australia can lay Yaraga-warr ngalimbe gadhaba Yalukit claim to the longest continuing cultures Weelam biik-ut and we celebrate this more today than in You have come together on the land of any other time since our shared history the Yalukit Weelam began. We live each day drawing energy from a land which has been nurtured Bundjil Birrarung-ga Boon Wurrung by the traditional owners for more than Bundjil’s River country of the Boon 2000 generations. When we acknowledge Wurrung country we pay respect to the land and to the people in equal measure. Widara ngalimbe nganjin yalingbu? Why have you come here today? As a composer I have specialised in coupling the beauty and diversity of Ngarn (ba), tilbruk Birrarung-ga Understand and respect the river country our Indigenous languages with the power and intensity of classical music. Nhaling-gu Tilbruk wooroongi biik In order to compose the music for this Come here and respect the strong Acknowledgement to Country project country I have the great privilege of working with no fewer than eleven ancient languages from the state of Victoria, including the language of my late Grandmother, Yorta Yorta woman Frances McGee. I pay my deepest respects to the elders and ancestors who are represented in these songs of acknowledgement and to the language custodians who have shared their knowledge and experitise in providing each text. I am so proud of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for initiating this is a landmark project and grateful that they afforded me the opportunity to make this contribution to the ongoing quest of understanding our belonging in this land Deborah Cheetham AO Ms Cheetham’s Eumeralla, a war requiem for peace, premiered to sold out audiences on-country at the Port Fairy Spring Festival in October 2018 and at Hamer Hall in Melbourne with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra on June 15, 2019. Deborah Cheetham’s list of commissions for major Australian ensembles continues to grow including works for the Victorian Opera, Sydney Philharmonia Choir, Orchestra Victoria, Melbourne ensemble, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Australia String Quartet, West Australian Symphony Orchestra String Quartet, PROF. DEBORAH Rubiks Collective, Plexus Ensemble, the CHEETHAM AO Goldner Quartet and Flinders Quartet. DUniv, BMus Ed, AmusA In 2019 Deborah Cheetham established the One Day in January project designed Deborah Cheetham, Yorta Yorta woman, to develop and nurture Indigenous soprano, composer and educator orchestral musicians. In this same year has been a leader and pioneer in the she received the Sir Bernard Heinze Australian arts landscape for more than Memorial Award for service to music 25 years. In the 2014 Queen’s Birthday in Australia, the Merlyn Myer Prize for Honours List, Cheethamwas appointed Composition, was inducted onto the as an Officer of the Order of Australia Victorian Aboriginal Honour Roll and (AO), for “distinguished service to the received Life Time Membership at the performing artsas an opera singer, Melbourne Recital Centre. composer and artistic director, to the Deborah was the 2019 winner of the development of Indigenous artists, and prestigious Melbourne Prize for Music to innovation in performance”. and was named Limelight Magazine’s In 2009, Deborah Cheetham established Critics Choice Artist of the Year. Short Black Opera as a national not-for- In 2020 Deborah Cheetham was the profit opera company devoted to the 2020 Composer-in-residence for the development of Indigenous singers. The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and following year she produced the premiere commenced her appointment at the Sir of her first opera Pecan Summer. This Zelman Cowen School of Music, Monash landmark work was Australia’s first University as Professor of Music practice. Indigenous opera and has been a vehicle for the development of a new generation In 2021 Deborah Cheetham began a five of Indigenous opera singers. year appointed as First Nations Chair of Melbourne Symphony orchestra. In March 2015 she was inducted onto the Honour Roll of Women in Victoria Deborah Cheetham was the 2020 and in April 2018 received an Honorary recipient of the JC Williamson Life Time Doctorate from the University of South Achievement Award which recognises an Australia for her pioneering work and individual who has made an outstanding achievements in the music. contribution to the Australian live entertainment and performing arts industry, and helped to shape the future of our industry for the better. LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Concerto (‘Triple Concerto’) in C Major, op.56 for piano, violin, cello

I. Allegro Manager a coronary in terms of staging - but a format that Beethoven knew all II. Largo too well, piano, violin and cello; he had III. Rondo alla polacca already written four Piano Trios before the Triple Concerto, and went on to write three more.

I could give you the usual rah-rah So there are three problems for boosterish talk about triple the value from Beethoven to solve: balancing the a triple concerto, but, no, this one’s too trio with the orchestra; balancing the good for corny jokes. I don’t mean the individual soloists with the orchestra, work is gloomily serious, although serious and balancing the soloists with each it is; I mean that this work transcends other. And Tovey comes up with an mere newspaper persiflage and deserves interesting quote on how this balancing thorough consideration. act is accomplished: ‘It is doubtful whether a large architectural design What to expect from a triple concerto? can be combined with a severe study in Are there problems unique to a triple pure colour, if the themes are such as to concerto that would not be found in a attract attention to themselves’. He goes concerto for one? Is there a standard on to diss the musical themes as purely instrumentation? The answers are a) formulaic, but not accusatorially; he diversity of tone colour forged into a is pointing out that the balancing act seamless blend, b) yes, c) no. itself is the focus, not the tunes. Much as watching a nimble plate spinner at Dealing with the instrumentation, there the circus: it’s the clever spinning of the are countless combinations possible; plates on the poles that is interesting, violin, cello, piano (Beethoven), two not whether the plates are Royal Doulton violins and cello (Vivaldi), violin and two or Meakin. recorders (Bach), flute,violin and cello (Telemann). You may think it odd that Written in 1803 and premiered in 1808, Beethoven settled on such a line-up, but there are three movements, although when you consider the instrumentation the second runs straight into the third, in terms of function, it becomes clearer. without so much as a break, barely a Piano - chordal; violin - melody line; cello chance to draw breath. - bass line. Of course the piano and cello can be melodic, of course the violin can Oh, and if you’d like to see the actual define the harmony, but in essence those Erard piano that Beethoven acquired three functions are clearly assigned. And just before writing this, and at which this that reveals that what we really have wonderful piece was composed, head to here is a Piano Trio with orchestra! Not the Schlossmuseum, Linz, Austria. three pianos - that would give our Stage

© 2021. Susan Bradley LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770-1827) Symphony no. 8 in F major, op.93

I. Allegro vivace e con brio that seems to be what is considered II. Allegretto scherzando Beethovenian. III. Tempo di menuetto Why not? Not all Beethoven is Beethovenian! Put aside preconceptions IV. Allegro vivace of Beethoven as a grumpy old man; a) they’re wrong, and b) they’re generally based on his later life portraits in which he frowns, apparently scowling. He isn’t With Beethoven symphonies it’s all about scowling, he’s trying to hear what’s the numbers. Beethoven 5? Everyone going on around him! He doesn’t have knows that one, or the opening at least. modern hearing aids, and his hearing Beethoven 6, the Pastoral, used in every has vanished. Just imagine that: you’re single advert depicting countryside the world’s most famous composer and since television began, not to mention you can’t hear; it’s bound to have an Loony Tunes. Beethoven 9: the first tune effect on your mood and your features. everyone learns to play on the piano, Beethoven was like any of us, grumpy at or even the tuba. Beethoven 3 had times, joyous at others, and in his Eighth something to do with Napoleon, non? Symphony he chooses to express that (Actually, non; Beethoven changed his joy in a lighter form. As Tovey says, ‘To mind and cancelled the dedication, but the indignation of the critics and the close enough.) Beethoven 1 and 2? Well, public the Eighth Symphony turned out who knows any composer’s early stuff, too small’. There’s another one of those really! Even Beethoven 7 bears all the slender Greek maidens again, surrounded hallmarks of beefiness, moodiness and by the giants 7 and 9. Tovey doesn’t think extremes of emotion that make it readily it too small; he mentions ‘the unique identifiable as Beethoven when you turn sense of power which fires a man when the radio on in the car and play ‘Name he finds himself fit for a delicate task just That Tune’. Poor old 4 suffers from being after he has triumphed in a colossal one’. sandwiched between the monsters 3 and 5; Robert Schumann aptly described it The symphony was premiered in 1814, as a slender Greek maiden between two a year that Stanley Sadie refers to in Norse giants. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians as ‘the highwater mark in But 8? What witticisms have been made? Beethoven’s life’. There was money, there What nicknames? Does it even sound like was fame; but his deafness was becoming Beethoven? Who knows! Well, you will, increasingly severe and he gave his last very shortly. And yes, it does sound like piano recital. When the Eighth Symphony Beethoven. Just not the raving, storming, received a less-than-enthusiastic welcome thunderous Beethoven that we expect. from the audience and less-than-glowing This symphony has a refinement that reports in the papers, Beethoven simply could be cheerfully expected of Mozart, remarked that of course, it was because a bounciness that Haydn would have the Eighth was so much better than the been proud of. It doesn’t have the bells Seventh. and whistles, the gargantuan appetite © 2021. Susan Bradley MONICA CURRO Violin

Violinist Monica Curro has been Monica is currently joint Artistic Director Assistant Principal 2nd Violin of the the Port Fairy Spring Music Festival, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra since with pianist and composer Stefan 1998, and was previously a core member Cassomenos. Monica is also Artistic of the Australian Chamber Orchestra. Director of the annual Women in Music She has played with the Australian Festival, in Melbourne. Monica is sought World Orchestra, Sydney Symphony after as a public speaker, giving regular Orchestra, Queensland Symphony pre-concert talks and conversations Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony for major concert presenters, as well as Orchestra, and Guest Concertmaster of keynote addresses at universities and West Australian Symphony Orchestra educational organizations. and Auckland Chamber Orchestra. In Monica is a founding member of 2009, Monica was invited as the only acclaimed ensemble PLEXUS, Australian to play in the World Orchestra which since launching in 2014 has for Peace, and has since joined them commissioned and premiered more regularly for concerts around the world. than 110 new works. Monica has appeared as soloist with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and recently premiered Stefan Cassomenos’ Double Violin Concerto. Monica was a member of the Board of Directors of the Australian Youth Orchestra for 9 years. She has tutored regularly for AYO, and has taught at various tertiary institutions. In 2016, Monica was the Director of the AYO’s Smalley Chamber Orchestra. Also in that year, she directed MSO’s outreach program in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

photo credit: Belinda Strodder MICHELLE WOOD Cello

Cellist Michelle Wood has had a international friends and colleagues, remarkably varied career as one of coming together from all corners of the Australia’s finest chamber and orchestral world to give classical music lovers rare musicians. As a founding member of and free access to remarkable concerts. the Tinalley Quartet, she was a winner Michelle is a passionate teacher, and of the Banff International String Quartet is involved in mentoring and teaching Competition, leading to national & many young chamber musicians and international acclaim. She is a current cellists. She has worked with ensembles member of the Melbourne Symphony and students from the University of Orchestra cello section, and has also had Melbourne, Australian National Academy the honour to perform and tour as part of Music, Melbourne Youth Orchestra of the Australian World Orchestra under programs and at the Australian Youth the baton of Zubin Mehta and Riccardo Orchestra`s National Music Camp as Muti. well as Fellowship Programs with the Michelle has been broadcast widely Melbourne Symphony. on radio both in Australia and Europe, Michelle performs on a instrument made and has recorded to great acclaim with in 1849 by Charles Boullangier. both Tinalley Quartet (Ravel & Debussy Quartets for Decca, and Haydn Op.20) and violinist Kristian Winther (Tzigane). In 2018 Michelle became co-Artistic director of Concerts Sans Frontières (CSF) - an exciting new international concert series that had its inaugural year presented at the prestigious Australian Embassy in Paris. The series is a collective of internationally renowned Australian classical musicians and their STEFAN CASSOMENOS Piano

Melbourne pianist and composer Stefan Gewandhaus Leipzig, Beethoven Cassomenos is one of Australia’s most Festival Bonn, Shanghai Oriental vibrant and versatile musicians. He has Arts Centre, Bunkamura Orchard Hall been performing internationally since Tokyo, and Junge Stars der Klassik the age of 10, and is now established as Kirchheimbolanden. Cassomenos now one of Australia’s leading pianists. performs regularly in Australia, Germany and the UK. Cassomenos gave the world premiere of his own Piano Concerto No 1 with Cassomenos’ compositions are the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra at commissioned and performed in the age of 16. His concerto repertoire Australia and overseas. He is a founding now exceeds thirty works, and has led member of chamber ensemble PLEXUS, to engagements with the Beethoven which since launching in 2014 has Orchestra Bonn, Malta Philharmonic commissioned and premiered over 110 Orchestra, Queensland Symphony new works. Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Cassomenos is active as an artistic Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria, Opera director of various festivals, projects Australia Orchestra, and Melbourne and collaborations. He is currently joint Chamber Orchestra. In 2013, Artistic Director of Port Fairy Spring Cassomenos was a grand finalist and Music Festival, with violinist Monica recipient of both the Second Grand Curro. Prize and Chamber Music Prize at the International Telekom Beethoven Piano Cassomenos is generously supported by Competition Bonn. He has been a grand Kawai Australia. finalist and prize winner in various other competitions. Cassomenos has given solo recitals at many international venues and festivals, including Tonhalle Zurich,

photo credit: Belinda Strodder MICHAEL DAHLENBURG Conductor

Michael is an Australian cellist, Schulz, Paul Katz, András Kellar, Heime conductor, and educator. Müller, Barbara Westphal, Hatto Beyerle, William Hennessy, Artemis, Tokyo, He’s currently the cellist and co-artistic Jerusalem Quartets and many others. director of the Australian String Quartet. Michael studied conducting with John His prolific career as a cellist has seen Hopkins at the University of Melbourne, him play in a variety of different musical and later with Maestro Christopher settings. He was principal cellist of Seamen as a member of Symphony Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, and Services International. During this has been guest principal cellist with program, he had the opportunity to Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, work as conductor with the Tasmanian Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra (NZ), Symphony Orchestra and Auckland and Orchestra Victoria. Philharmonia. One of Michael’s first loves is chamber Michael has been a regular guest music, and he’s had the privilege of conductor of Melbourne Chamber working with organisations such as Orchestra since 2012. He has also Australian Chamber Orchestra, ACO2, conducted the Adelaide Symphony Flinders Quartet, and now with the Orchestra; and orchestras for arts Australian String Quartet. organisations such as Australian Michael was a founding member of National Academy of Music, Melbourne the acclaimed Hamer Quartet. Hamer Youth Orchestras, State Music Camp, Quartet won First Prize, Grand Prize, Youth Philharmonic Melbourne, Corpus and Audience Prize at the 2009 Asia- Medicorum, Stonnington Symphony, and Pacific Chamber Competition. As a Australian Medical Students Orchestra. soloist and chamber musician, Michael Michael plays a c.1743 Guadagnini has given performances at festivals and Violincello, Piacenza ‘Ngeringa’ concert halls around the world. He has studied chamber music with Gerhard

photo credit: Agatha Yim

THE ORCHESTRA

Violin 1 Viola Oboe Richard Keuneman* Phillip Antippa* Stephen Robinson* Jo Beaumont Sabrina Yeh Andrew Kawai Tahli Elsner Jean McMullin Bruce Campbell Kathryn Marshall Clarinet Jeffrey Rosenfeld* Xenia Zubenko William Chiang Linda Mileshkin Matthew Chan Rod Hunt Michaela Mee Kate Cherry Bassoon Sally Tsang Daniel Liu Matthew Maiden* Mary Muirhead Sarah Mcguinness David Brunner Bronwyn Francis Miklos Pohl Shu Su Horn Sarah Chang Cello Robyn Smiles* Tony Prochazka* Viviane Dubosq Julien Robinson Wendy Fang Nicholas Jensen Rachel Lind Trumpet Violin 2 Julie Lokan Catherine Brennan* Sonia Baldock* Rowan Barbara Manovel Grace Went Thomas David Ward Timea Jurth Sebastian King Percussion Erica Rasmussen Julie Panetta Charlotte O’Leary Hannah Kuek Anita Vinton Stage Manager Tim Kuek Carol Silberberg Will Evans Michael Hong Brendan Chong Double Bass Programme Notes Michael Fortescue* Vivian Yu Susan Bradley Douglas Rutherford Michelle Lin Chris Hughes Xavier Yu Treasurer Andrew Xu Trish Koomen Meredith Barrett Bridget Graham Flute Secretary Michelle Baek Irena Laska* Vicky Gouvousis Lisa Orme Librarian Chris Hughes

* Denotes Principal Player SAVE THE DATES

July 11 November 21 BRAHMS TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony no.2 in D major Op.73 Violin Concerto in D major Op.35 BRAHMS Soloist Piano Concerto no.2 in Bb major Op.83 Markiyan Melnychenko Soloist TCHAIKOVSKY Benjamin Martin (piano) Symphony no.4 in F minor Op.36

Conducted by Conducted by Keith Crellin OAM Keith Crellin OAM

All performances will be at 5pm at the Melbourne Recital Centre.

Tickets for auditorium seats available through MRC website and streaming tickets from TryBooking.com

Concerts will avoid an interval and will have reduced seating (both on stage and audience) for your safety. INFORMATION PATRONS corpusmedicorum.org.au Mrs Barbara Haynes OAM

RMH Foundation ORCHESTRAL SUPPORTERS Phone +61 3 9342 7111 Ms Jie Shen www.rmhfoundation.org.au Mrs Andrea Fox Mrs Allison Todd FRIENDS OF CORPUS MEDICORUM

McDermott Richards Lawyers Mrs Guiyun Chen

THE MILAN KANTOR DIRECTOR of ORCHESTRA

A/Prof Keith Crellin OAM

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