French Baroque With
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FRENCH BAROQUE WITH Sydney and Melbourne July/August 2015 Paul Dyer Artistic Director/Conductor Yaron Lifschitz Artistic Director, Circa Claire Lefilliâtre (France) soprano Performers of Circa Members of the Brandenburg Choir Mark Nowicki, Richard Sanchez, Philip Murray Australian Brandenburg Orchestra PROGRAM Rameau Ouverture to Naïs Le Camus Laissez durer la nuit Rameau Suite from Les Indes Galantes Interval A pasticcio created by Paul Dyer and Yaron Lifschitz featuring Marais, Lully, Tessier, Boesset and more Sydney City Recital Hall Angel Place Wednesday 22 July, Friday 24 July, Wednesday 29 July, Friday 31 July, Saturday 1 August all at 7pm, Matinee Saturday 1 August at 2pm Melbourne Melbourne Recital Centre Saturday 25 July at 7pm, Sunday 26 July at 5pm Chairman's 11 Proudly supporting our guest artists The duration of this concert is approximately 2 hours including interval. We kindly request that you turn off all electronic devices during the performance. SERIES PARTNER PRINCIPAL PARTNER CIRCA Program_#6.indd 1 13/07/2015 10:52 am SHARED VISIONS Macquarie is proud to be the principal partner of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra for the 2015 concert season. In French Baroque with Circa, the Brandenburg marries old and new, beautiful French baroque music with contemporary Australian circus. The result is an innovative collaboration between two organisations employing some of the most pre-eminent performers in their fields. Presenting both classics of the baroque repertoire as well as unfamiliar compositions enables the depth of the baroque period to be shared with modern listeners. It is this ability of the ensemble to perform baroque pieces in as fresh and exciting a way as when they were first performed that is one of the most enticing aspects of a Brandenburg concert. It is a privilege to continue our support for the Brandenburg and congratulations once again to Artistic Director Paul Dyer for creating a wonderful year of concerts. Our partnership with the Orchestra in bringing these works to life means the immense talents of its musicians and visiting artists can be widely enjoyed and appreciated. We commend this year’s program to you. Shemara Wikramanayake 2 Chair, Macquarie Group Foundation CIRCA Program_#6.indd 2 13/07/2015 10:52 am ARTISTIC DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE I walked into the huge towered the small fragments that I’ve found. rehearsal room and looked up. Feeling Each piece reflects various moods of nervous and excited at the same time, the night through the eyes of our the various props littered the room: heroine, soprano Claire Lefilliâtre. soft cushioning, ropes, long silks cascading from the ceiling, rigging, One of my great joys has been mats and various singlets, arm bands working with the Artistic Director of and other items of clothing associated CIRCA, Yaron Lifschitz. It’s been a with an Acrobatic circus. I had entered perfect combination of artistic minds the world of CIRCA. exploring the mediums of ballet, theatre, traditional languages of circus This creative space had an air of and music. Yaron writes: danger, a space of physical exertion, sweat and energy … Paul’s vision for the pasticcio brilliantly mixes the longing of night with the Our worlds are different. playful side of the French Baroque. I have responded by creating a river Walking into our creative Brandenburg of moonlight that divides the stage, space, organised chairs, music reflecting singer and acrobat, musician stands, instrument cases: our world is and vocalist. In the interplay between sound and tonight these two worlds delight and desire, between pleasure will collide beautifully to bring and abandonment we see a world something new. created where bodies seamlessly meld into song, where lives and loves A ravishing soprano from Paris, a intermingle and where the simple contemporary Australian circus and an magic of singing speaks clearly to the Australian period instrument orchestra heart. Centred around our heroine’s fuse together to explore the beauty of dreams, the circus extends from the French Baroque. Exquisite music, metaphor to alternate reality to breathtakingly beautiful artists – all obstacle to finally a force of love and transforming our stage with elegance transcendence. Sinuous lines, and joy. marching beats, intricate arias, intimate songs and soaring rhapsodic I have gathered the music from many textures create an eccentric, eclectic different sources around the world and ravishing surface through which designing twelve small pieces of music we have weaved our acrobatics and into my Pasticcio. Many of the pieces physical languages. We aim to expand are rare and a few had to be arranged. and enhance the wonderful flavours of Some are only fragments of music and the French Baroque – adding a little my brilliant musicians work with me to drama, some mystery, a touch of Paul Dyer AO improvise ‘in the French style’ around sensuality and a few thrills. Artistic Director and Conductor 3 CIRCA Program_#6.indd 3 13/07/2015 10:52 am OUR SHARED DIGITAL JOURNEY I am delighted that Accenture is the Digital Partner of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra. Our goal is to ensure that the ABO is as far reaching as possible and to help create the best experience for the ABO’s audiences. By enhancing the ABO’s digital footprint we will give people of all ages and interests the opportunity to experience the creativity and inspired leadership that Artistic Director Paul Dyer continues to bring to Baroque. The ABO and Accenture will work in partnership over the next three years to build the ABO’s digital presence. We will use our digital technology capabilities to ensure fans can enjoy the Brandenburg Orchestra’s music through multiple channels, as well as in person. As a music enthusiast, I have enormous respect for the level of commitment and preparation of every musician performing today and I wish them every success for the concert series. Jack Percy, Chairman and Managing Director, 4 Accenture Australia and New Zealand SERIES PARTNER CIRCA Program_#6.indd 4 13/07/2015 10:52 am AUSTRALIAN BRANDENBURG ORCHESTRA WITH Paul Dyer Artistic Director/Conductor Yaron Lifschitz Artistic Director, Circa Claire Lefilliâtre (France) soprano Performers of Circa Members of the Brandenburg Choir Mark Nowicki, Richard Sanchez, Philip Murray Australian Brandenburg Orchestra Costume designs for the pasticcio by Libby McDonnell, Circa Creative Associate The musicians on period instruments Baroque Violin 1 Baroque Double Bass Theorbo/Baroque Guitar/ Shaun Lee-Chen, Perth Andrew Sinclair, Perth+3 Classical Guitar (Guest Concertmaster)1 Libby Browning, Perth Tommie Andersson, Sydney+* Matt Bruce, Sydney (Resident Concertmaster)* Baroque Flute/Piccolo/ Harpsichord Catherine Shugg, Melbourne Recorder Paul Dyer, Sydney+* Skye McIntosh, Sydney Melissa Farrow, Sydney+* Matt Greco, Sydney Mikaela Oberg, Sydney Vocalists Rafael Font, The Hague Mark Nowicki, Sydney Baroque Oboe Richard Sanchez, Sydney Baroque Violin 2 Kirsten Barry, Melbourne+* Philip Murray, Sydney Ben Dollman, Adelaide+* Owen Watkins, Bega Simone Slattery, Adelaide Circa Stephanie Eldridge, Bendigo Baroque Bassoon Robbie Curtis, Brisbane Shane Lestideau, Melbourne Peter Moore, Perth+* Jarred Dewey, Brisbane Natalia Harvey, Melbourne Ben Hoadley, Auckland Freyja Edney, Brisbane Alex Mizzen, Brisbane Baroque Viola Baroque Trumpet Paul O'Keeffe, Brisbane Monique O'Dea, Sydney+2 Leanne Sullivan, Sydney+ Katheryn O'Keeffe, Brisbane Marianne Yeomans, Sydney Matt Manchester, Sydney Billie Wilson-Coffey, Brisbane Shelley Sörensen, Sydney Christian Read, Melbourne Baroque Timpani/Percussion + * Denotes Brandenburg Core Musician Brian Nixon, Sydney + Section Leader 1 Shaun Lee-Chen appears courtesy of Baroque Cello West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Perth 2 + Monique O’Dea appears courtesy of Jamie Hey, Melbourne * Accordion Presbyterian Ladies’ College, Sydney (staff) 3 Andrew Sinclair appears courtesy of Anthea Cottee, Sydney Emily-Rose Sarkova, Sydney West Australian Symphony Orchestra 5 Harpsichord preparation by Geoffrey Pollard in Sydney Rosemary Quinn, Sydney and Alistair McAllister in Melbourne CIRCA Program_#6.indd 5 13/07/2015 10:52 am PAUL DYER In January 2013 Paul Dyer AO was awarded the Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for his ‘distinguished service to the performing arts, particularly orchestral music as a director, conductor and musician, through the promotion of educational programs and support for emerging artists’ in recognition of his achievements as Co-founder and Artistic Director of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra and Brandenburg Choir. Paul Dyer is one of Australia’s leading specialists in period performance styles. He founded the ABO in 1990 and has been the orchestra’s Artistic Director since that time. Paul has devoted his performing life to the harpsichord, fortepiano and chamber organ as well as conducting the Brandenburg Orchestra and Choir. Paul completed postgraduate studies in solo performance with Bob van Asperen at the Royal Conservatorium in The Hague, performed with many major European orchestras and undertook ensemble direction and orchestral studies with Sigiswald Kuijken and Frans Brüggen. Paul appears as a soloist, continuo player and conductor August 2001 Paul toured the orchestra to Europe with with many major ensembles including the Sydney guest soloist Andreas Scholl. As a recitalist, he has Symphony Orchestra, West Australian Symphony toured Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Orchestra, Queensland Orchestra, Australia Ensemble, the United