VIENNESE MASTERS — 2010 NATIONAL CONCERT SEASON

NATIONAL TOUR PARTNER NATIONAL TOUR PARTNER On behalf of BNP Paribas, I’m delighted to welcome you to the 2010 Viennese Masters Tour by Chamber Orchestra.

At BNP Paribas, we have a long tradition of supporting performing arts around the world and encouraging those, such as the ACO, who embody our core values of ambition, creativity and commitment.

As the ‘Bank for a Changing World’ BNP Paribas is constantly evolving, and this is something we have in common with the ACO. Each year that we continue to support the ACO, we are inspired by their individuality, unique artistic style and creative vision. For this reason we have been a proud National Tour Partner of the ACO since 2006 and this year, we are pleased to sponsor the Viennese Masters Tour.

BNP Paribas is a leader in global banking and fi nancial services and is recognised as one of the strongest banks in the world. We have been supporting Australian enterprise since 1881, as the fi rst major foreign bank in the country. Today, we provide leading Australian corporates, Financial Institutions and multinational companies with customised solutions in Corporate and Investment Banking, Asset Management and Securities Services.

We are delighted to bring you this ACO tour. With a repertoire including Schubert, Brahms and Beethoven, we trust that you will enjoy it immensely.

NATIONAL TOUR PARTNER

DIDIER MAHOUT CEO, BNP PARIBAS & NEW ZEALAND TOUR SIX VIENNESE MASTERS

SPEED READ SCHUBERT (arr. Ross)

The 19th century was a time of Rondo Brilliante in B minor, D895 unparalleled development in the technology of instrument BEETHOVEN making, and this program — from Beethoven at the beginning Septet in E fl at major, Op.20 of the century to Brahms at the Adagio – Allegro con brio end — gives us some insight into that evolution. Adagio cantabile Tempo di Menuetto Schubert’s Rondo Brilliante is hardly known today, although it Tema con variazione: Andante was one of only three of his Scherzo: Allegro molto e vivace chamber works that he saw in Andante con moto alla Marcia – Presto print. Paganini had introduced the notion of the travelling virtuoso and Slavík, for whom INTERVAL the Rondo was written, had been hailed “a second Paganini”. It’s probably the closest Schubert BRAHMS got to conceiving a Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op.115 concerto, and this for violin and instruments brings Allegro it one step closer. Adagio Beethoven complained that the Andantino – Presto non assai great popularity of the Septet Con moto overshadowed all his other works; ironically, the Septet is Approximate durations (minutes): now almost entirely eclipsed 15 • 40 • INTERVAL • 33 in fame by his orchestral compositions. It is a vastly Th e concert will last approximately two hours. different Beethoven from that of the 5th or 9th Symphonies, however. The Septet was one of the last works he wrote before Town Hall Town Hall Opera House his deafness began to take hold, Tue 28 Sep 8pm Sun 26 Sep 2.30pm Sun 10 Oct 2.30pm and it is airy, exuberant and Mon 27 Sep 8pm light-hearted. QPAC IPAC Brahms famously came out Mon 4 Oct 8pm Concert Hall Th u 7 Oct 7.30pm of retirement to compose Wed 29 Sep 8pm his Clarinet Quintet, a work consciously modelled on Llewellyn Hall SYDNEY Mozart’s similar work of just Sat 25 Sep 8pm Angel Place over a century earlier. His close Tue 5 Oct 8pm friend Clara Schumann hailed it Wed 6 Oct 7pm a work of genius: “It is a really Sat 9 Oct 8pm marvellous work, the wailing clarinet takes hold of one; it is most moving. And what interesting music, deep and full Th e Australian Chamber Orchestra reserves the right to alter scheduled of meaning!” programs or artists as necessary.

AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA 3 MESSAGE FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER

FREE PROGRAMS Th e ACO has just returned from our most ambitious To save trees and money, we international tour ever. Not only did this tour traverse two ask that you share one program continents with a Beethoven-sized orchestra of 40 musicians, between two people where possible. it also encompassed an extraordinary range of performance venues, from the Le Poisson Rouge nightclub in New York to the recently reconstructed baroque Frauenkirche in the heart PREPARE IN ADVANCE of Dresden; from the ancient fort overlooking the Croatian Read the program before the port city of Dubrovnik to the near perfect acoustics of a concert. A PDF version of the program will be available at converted malthouse near Aldeburgh; and from the gently aco.com.au and on the ACO undulating lawns of Tanglewood to the restrained Edwardian iPhone app one week before each elegance of ’s Cadogan Hall. While the architecture tour begins, together with music clips and podcasts. and acoustics of the spaces varied enormously, the reactions of the audiences were decidedly consistent – cheering, stomping, standing ovations at the conclusion of every ACO COMMUNITY concert. Become a Facebook fan or visit aco.com.au/blog to read ACO Th e reviews have been equally glowing; “Th e ACO is a crack news and chat to other fans, listen to music and see behind- ensemble” Th e Guardian, “Th e fi nest concert of the summer” the-scenes videos and photos. Th e Arts Desk, “Tognetti and his badass classical band don’t play New York nearly often enough” Time Out New York.

HAVE YOUR SAY Our National Touring Partner BNP Paribas has enabled us We invite your feedback to bring much great music to audiences across the whole about this concert at aco.com.au/yoursay or by country for many years and this month we proudly present email to [email protected]. a program of Viennese classics in which so many individual musicians of the ACO have the chance to shine. While FREE MONTHLY Assistant Leader Satu Vänskä is often seen “holding the fort” E-NEWSLETTER while Richard steps into the solo spotlight, in this concert the roles are reversed, Satu taking the limelight in Schubert’s For news, special offers and to be sent background information Rondo Brilliante with Richard in the supporting role. about the concerts, sign up for the ACO’s free monthly Response to the recently launched ACO 2011 National e-newsletter at aco.com.au. Concert Season has been wonderfully enthusiastic with thousands of subscribers rushing to secure their seats for ACO ON THE RADIO another year of great music. If you haven’t received a 2011 season brochure, you can request one online or download it 2MBS FM Wed 10 Nov, 12pm directly from aco.com.au. Interview with an artist from the Kreutzer vs. Kreutzer tour. TIMOTHY CALNIN NEXT TOUR GENERAL MANAGER, ACO KREUTZER VS. KREUTZER 11 — 24 Nov

AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA 5

It is a quirk of cultural history, perhaps, but for its own sake, or the inclusion of crude as empires go into decline the arts in their extra-musical themes. It instead strove to capitals seem to fl ourish. We might think of be elevated, refi ned, and sublime, conveying Venice in the late 16th century, Paris after its aesthetic values that an aristocratic class, in defeat by the Prussians in 1871, or London particular, would have seen as particularly in the 1960s. All were cities aware of their ‘aristocratic’. Indeed, a prominent serious declining political infl uence, but which musical culture in seems to have were also enjoying a remarkable outburst acted as a kind of cultural defensive position of creativity across all the arts. Above all, for an aristocracy which was, by the early however, we might think of Vienna, whose 19th century, under the very real threat own empire seemed to go gently into that of annihilation by the force of Napoleon’s good night throughout the long 19th century armies. (before coming to a catastrophic end at the Th e exemplary form of serious music of the conclusion of the First World War). During day was without doubt the genre we now this time, notwithstanding the fact that the know as ‘chamber music’. Th e term has its musical economies of Paris, London, and origins in descriptions of music written for New York were at least quantitatively more performance under domestic circumstances signifi cant, Viennese musical culture became or for performance in a drawing-room or essentially synonymous with Western ‘chamber’ before an audience of limited size, music itself. Th e ‘First Viennese School’ or indeed, without the need for listeners of Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven came at all. Today, however, chamber music is to defi ne how we expect classical music rarely heard (perhaps lamentably) in such should sound, and codifi ed the standard circumstances, and even in early 19th- genres – symphony, string quartet, piano century Vienna it was becoming increasingly trio, etc. – through which we should expect common to hear chamber works such as to hear it. To be sure, 19th-century Europe string quartets and piano trios as part of was also characterised by musical evolution, public subscription concerts. It is more experimentation, and occasional revolution, accurate, then, to defi ne chamber music as but such change occurred under a most fi rst and foremost a type of music that is extraordinary anxiety of infl uence whose composed using intimate musical resources wellspring was in Vienna. but with high aesthetic ambition. Above Why that should have been the case all, chamber music is music that uses the remains something of a puzzle for historians possibility of close dialogue between a small and musicologists alike, but one aspect number of solo instruments to foreground of Viennese musical culture that stands the importance of ‘pure’ musical argument. out is the cultivation, particularly by the aristocratic class, of an interest in what we PETER TREGEAR might call ‘musical seriousness’. By this we © ACO 2010 mean music that was valued above all for its perceived intrinsic, purely ‘musical’, qualities, such as an adherence to principles of motivic unity and internal structural coherence. Such music typically rejected virtuosic display

6 AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA ABOUT THE MUSIC

SCHUBERT (arr. ) Rondo Brilliante, D895 (Composed 1827; arranged for solo violin and septet 2010)

It was not just Napoleon’s armies that caused Vienna’s aristocratic patrons of the arts to adopt a defensive aesthetic position in the early 19th century. Another cause of concern for them was the rise of a mass musical culture. Second to the popularity of Italian opera, especially the works of Rossini, the most prominent sign of this was the emergence of the travelling virtuoso, a fi gure who would (b. Vienna, 1797 — d. Vienna, come to dominate public musical life in the 19th century 1828) in a manner not dissimilar to a rock star in the latter half of the 20th.

It was for such a virtuoso that Schubert’s Rondo Brilliante Schubert transformed our understanding of the art song, was composed, in this case the Czech violinist and child but in life he was considered prodigy Josef Slavík. He, and Schubert’s close friend, the largely a domestic ; pianist Karl Maria von Bocklet, gave the fi rst performance indeed, he was a master of of this work at the residence of the music publishers all forms of chamber music. Artaria & Co. in early 1827 and it was Artaria who gave it His fame increased after his premature death, however, the sobriquet “brilliant”. Brilliant, indeed, it is. Slavík was and he is now one of the most later described by Frédéric Chopin as “a great and inspired highly-regarded . violinist – a second Paganini”, and there is no doubt that Schubert composed this piece with the desire to exploit Slavík’s particular abilities in mind.

Th is Rondo therefore has something of the character of a piece of ‘public’, as opposed to ‘chamber’, music. Th e composer signals this to us from the very opening bars where the portentous double-dotted rhythm in the piano and the rising fl ourish in the violin suggest that we’re not so much in a drawing room as a theatre or symphonic hall. It is no surprise, then, that the piano accompaniment lends itself particularly well to the kind of arrangement prepared for today’s performance. We err, however, if we conclude that, because of this, the work itself must per se be of an inferior quality. Reviewing an early performance, the Wiener Zeitschrift für Kunst of 7 June 1829 declared: “Th ough brilliant on the whole, the work owes its existence not merely to those fi gures that leer at us from so many compositions in thousand-fold gyrations to tax the spirit. Here, the mind of the inventor has often spread

AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA 7 its wings with considerable force and carries us along with him.”

Th e reviewer was perceptive; the work encompasses a remarkable range of poetic moods, and is also formally quite unusual. Th e slow introduction is followed by an Allegro “fast and lively” or “fast Allegro which includes several passages that extend in a and bright”. manner reminiscent not so much of a rondo but a fantasy. rondo a form of composition Certainly, Slavík’s rendering of the work so impressed where a main theme or section Schubert that he was inspired to compose his Fantasie for is returned to throughout, in the Piano and Violin in C major, D934 the following year, and manner of a chorus or refrain. dedicate it to the violinist.

8 AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA BEETHOVEN Septet in E fl at major, Op.20 (Composed 1799) Adagio – Allegro con brio Adagio cantabile Tempo di Menuetto Tema con variazione: Andante Scherzo: Allegro molto e vivace Andante con moto alla marcia – Presto

Many of the works upon which Beethoven built his fame during his lifetime are today considered mere curio pieces, if not entirely forgotten; works like the oratorio Christ on the Mount of Olives, or the ‘battle’ symphony Wellington’s Victory, or his incidental music to Th e Ruins of Athens. Without an awareness of just how successful these works Ludwig van were, however, it is easy to develop quite erroneous Beethoven ideas about the early reception of Beethoven’s music. For (b. Bonn, 1770 — d. Vienna, instance, ask someone which of his nine symphonies they 1827) think was the most performed in the fi rst half of the 19th Beethoven is the archetypal century, the usual answer will be one of 3, 5, 7, or 9. It troubled genius, a composer was, however, his Symphony No.1, Op.21. As it happens whose nine symphonies remain this Symphony was premiered at the same concert, on at the pinnacle of what can be 20 December 1799, as Beethoven’s Septet. It too was to achieved in that form. In 1810 become one of Beethoven’s most successful and beloved the critic E.T.A. Hoffman named him as “one of the three great compositions, and it too seems to have lessened in Romantic composers”. Now, signifi cance today. most critics would hail him the greatest. In part, this is because the Septet also had origins away from the core of the chamber music tradition. Here it was the genre of music we have come to know, especially from works by Haydn and Mozart, as ‘divertimento’. A local resident recalled in a Viennese almanac of the day that it was common – especially in the Summer – for musicians to play divertimenti as a form of outdoor serenading (today we would probably call it busking!). “On fi ne summer nights you may come upon serenades in the streets at all hours. Th ey are not, as in Italy, a mere matter of a singer and a guitar. Here serenades are not meant for declarations of love, for which the Viennese have better opportunities. Such night music may be given by a trio or a quartet of wind instruments, and works of some extent may be played… and however late a serenade is given, all windows are soon fi lled and in a few minutes the musicians are surrounded by an applauding crowd.”

Wind instruments were particularly eff ective in an outdoor setting, and the Viennese especially enjoyed music

AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA 9 written, or arranged, for consorts of winds. Beethoven’s comparative indiff erence to the peculiar scoring of his Septet was apparent from the outset, however, when he suggested to the publisher Hofmeister that “the 3 wind instruments, namely bassoon, clarinet, and horn, might for common use be replaced by an additional violin, an additional viola and an additional cello”. Yet in the same letter he was also at pains to note that “I can write nothing obbligato literally “obligatory”, that is not obbligato for I came into the world with an used to denote a musical line obbligato accompaniment”. By this he meant that the that is not only indispensable but is also in some way special work also had pretensions to high musical value, that is, or unusual. pretensions to chamber music no less. Indeed, in 1803 Beethoven published an arrangement of the Septet for a more typical ‘chamber’ ensemble of piano, clarinet, and cello.

Certainly, Beethoven took some care to ensure the Septet had structural coherence. Both the fi rst and last movements have slow introductions, which, apart from ‘bookending’ the work, also means that it proceeds as a neat succession of eight slow and fast sections across six movements. Th e Minuet also borrows its main theme from Beethoven’s Piano Sonata in G major, Op.49/2 (an earlier work despite its higher opus number). But for all this care and attention, it nevertheless says much about the emerging musical culture of the day that the great success of this work actually became the cause of some embarrassment to him late in life. From our (hopefully more nuanced) perspective, we might not so much be troubled as rejoice in the fact that the commonplace and sublime might so easily co-habit as they do here.

ACO Performance History Beethoven’s Septet for strings and winds has been played previously in only one ACO national tour — 11 performances in 2002.

10 AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA BRAHMS Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op.115 (Composed 1891) Allegro Adagio Andantino – Presto non assai Con moto

We should not be surprised to learn that it was as a chamber music performer and composer that Brahms fi rst introduced himself to his Viennese audiences when he moved there from Germany in 1862. He did not, however, write chamber music specifi cally for the clarinet until late in life; indeed the circumstances by which he came to do so have become the stuff of musical legend.

Ostensibly retired from composing, in 1891 Brahms Johannes Brahms happened to be introduced to the playing of Richard (b. Hamburg, 1833 — d. Vienna, Mühlfeld, and was so greatly impressed that he determined 1897) to come out of retirement and compose a work worthy of what was obviously a remarkable talent. His model One of the great Romantics, was Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet K.581, itself composed for Brahms wrote masterpieces a particular clarinetist, Anton Stadler. In so consciously in every form of composition composing a work after such an example, Brahms except opera. He was a dedicated student of earlier produced what many critics believe to be his greatest piece music, but was a true innovator of chamber music. as well as a nostalgist, and he proved highly infl uential well No mere quartet-plus-clarinet, Brahms presents an into the 20th century. integrated musical texture throughout and the work is unifi ed musically through the recurrence across all movements of an interval of a falling third. As it falling third think of the happens, a scientifi c study published just this year has Beatles’ “Hey Jude”. demonstrated that we tend to use the interval of a minor third (whether we are musically trained or not), to express sadness, and there is no doubt this work conveys an overarching character of melancholy. In part this is a facet of the clarinet itself as an instrument that can sound both extremely quiet and plaintive, but it also refl ects the contemplative, retrospective character of the work as a whole. As noted by the reviewer of its London premiere in 1892, the key, B minor, “is hardly departed from during the whole work”.

Furthermore, the last movement is a theme and variations without the thematic transformation typical of the late 19th century. Instead, Brahms composes variations in the style we might more ordinarily associate with Mozart or Haydn, that is, simple decorations of a stable melody. We are given no musical expression of triumph over fate,

AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA 11 rather the work remains resolutely in B minor to the very end. Th is is, unquestionably, music of resignation.

Towards the end of the second movement adagio, however, there is a section, marked più lento (a little slower) in which Brahms breaks away from the strictly ‘chamber music’ character of the work. For a moment we are presented with a musical texture that sounds adagio literally “at ease” more like a work for solo clarinet and strings. It has been (Italian: “ad agio”) and usually suggested that this section is an allusion to Brahms’ fi rst- used to mean slowly hand experience of Hungarian gypsy bands, in which the clarinet would often feature prominently as a soloist. Th is it may well be, but it might also be an exploitation by Brahms of the peculiar poetic potential a slow movement has, as the elegiac ‘heart’ of a multi-movement work, to express something precisely from the heart, something very personal. Here, it is as if the clarinet has paused the musical journey and is trying, literally, to speak to us, but just cannot fi nd the words.

Th is, of course, is a particularly powerful expressive gesture made possible precisely because of the elevated character of chamber music, its concern with innate musical problems and solutions. As is true of the best Romantic music, it enables the composer to highlight his own subjectivity in bold relief.

PROGRAM NOTES BY PETER TREGEAR © ACO 2010

12 AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA ABOUT THE WIND INSTRUMENTS

In this program, the three guest artists are playing historic versions of the instruments with which the composers of the three pieces would have been familiar. Here each of them gives a brief explanation of what this entails.

Craig Hill writes: Th e clarinets used in this program represent three distinct phases in the development of the clarinet in the late 18th & 19th centuries, beginning with its simplest and perhaps purest form with just six keys (in the Beethoven), progressing to 12 keys which operate separately (Schubert), and fi nally to the elaborate system of integrated keys known as the Baermann – Ottensteiner system (Brahms). Georg Ottensteiner (1815- 1879) was perhaps the most advanced instrument builder of his era, while Carl Baermann (1810-1885), one of the greatest German clarinet teachers and virtuosi of the 19th century, was one of Ottensteiner’s earliest supporters. During the 19th century, it was Ottensteiner’s clarinets that were favoured by leading players in Germany. My clarinet is a copy of the Ottensteiner clarinet played by Brahms’ famous collaborator, Richard Mühlfeld, which is now preserved at the Meiningen Schloss Museum. Technically, the Ottensteiner clarinet is a study in balancing extreme parameters, existing on the very fringe of what is possible in clarinet design. At a time when other makers were experimenting with denser woods from Africa such as grenadilla (which, stained black, is still used for the best modern clarinets), Ottensteiner retained the traditional European boxwood, which is lighter and softer to turn on the lathe, and which produces a lighter sound with a more evenly distributed harmonic spectrum, but with less power than grenadilla. At 15mm, the diameter of the bore of Ottensteiner’s clarinet is almost as wide as acoustically possible, and helps produce the breadth and warmth of tone we might imagine is suitable for Brahms. Th e tone holes on the Ottensteiner clarinet are radically fl ared as they meet the inside bore (think cartoon nuclear- reactor shaped), smoothing the airfl ow as the tone hole meets the bore, and creating a melting legato which is unequalled by any modern designs. Th ese attributes, which in themselves might lead to an overly spread and unfocussed sound, are counterbalanced by a small, slender mouthpiece with a narrow opening, which requires great fi nesse in blowing. Th e keywork of the Ottensteiner clarinet is of greater complexity than found on most clarinets today, while still permitting the cross fi ngerings and subtle fi nger shadings used on the previous generation of clarinets. Th e exact adjustment of the keys is critical and has to be recreated by trial and error. I have been most fortunate to be able to work with Jason Xanthoudakis, a dedicated instrument technician in Melbourne who in addition hand crafted each leather pad in 19th-century style. Th is kind of engagement with the nuts and bolts aspect of playing the clarinet would have been very much the experience of 19th-century players; indeed the whole century is characterized by relentless experimentation and innovation. If at fi rst glance it seems like a lot of trouble to master so many diff erent instruments, reeds, mouthpieces and techniques, then I am encouraged and inspired by the words from Carl Baermann’s method which hang over the entrance to my study: Whoever would dedicate themself to playing the clarinet should carefully examine himself to see whether he possesses the mental fortitude and patience to learn this diffi cult instrument. Th e physical requirements are these: good health, a strong, solid chest and healthy strong teeth, at least the front teeth must be in perfect condition. Th e mental requirements are the same as those of every artist,

14 AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA namely, soulfulness, poetic imagination and a true deep sensitivity, enthusiasm for the beautiful in art, perceptiveness, a fi nely tuned ear, unbiased examination and understanding of one’s own abilities, acknowledgement and appropriate honour of the merits of other artists and the force of will for an endless striving and struggle towards perfection. Instruments: Beethoven: Clarinet in Bb by Joel Robinson after Heinrich Grenser, Dresden 1800 Boxwood with six brass keys. Schubert: 12 key Clarinet in A by J. Robinson after H. Grenser, Dresden 1810 Brahms: Clarinet in A by Schwenk & Seggelke after Georg Ottensteiner, Munich 1875. © CRAIG HILL 2010

Darryl Poulsen writes: Although the natural horn is generally thought of as being a simple horn without valves, it is important to note that there are two diff erent natural horns, the Baroque horn and the Classical hand-horn. Whilst both are simple, unsophisticated, coiled lengths of tubing, their sounds and playing techniques are nonetheless distinctly diff erent. Th e Baroque horn is played with the bell held high and without the hand being inserted into it. Th e resultant sound is bright and penetrating. Th e Classical horn, by contrast, has the right hand inserted into the bell, and hence its name, the hand-horn. Th is change in the manner of holding the instrument came about after the renowned Dresden horn player Anton Josef Hampl discovered, circa 1740, that by placing the hand in the bell he was able to change the pitch of the instrument. Importantly, this meant that he was able to produce non-harmonic notes thus completing the diatonic scale, something that was not possible on the earlier Baroque horn. One of the side eff ects of this new found chromaticism of the Classical horn was that the sound had now become darker, broader and more mellow– and therefore eminently suited to its new role of blending in the homophonic textures of the nascent Classical period. Th e instrument used in this program is a modern replica of a Bohemian Classical horn by J. A. Laussman of Graslitz (c.1790) made by Andreas Jungwirth in Plank am Kamp, Austria. © DARRYL POULSEN 2010

Jane Gower writes: Th e bassoon I am playing is a copy of one built in 1806 by the Alsatian instrument atelier Bühner & Keller. Th e six or seven keyed bassoons of the early 19th century possess completely diff erent sound qualities and technical considerations than the intricate machinery that is today’s Heckel system bassoon. Th e latter has been redesigned and fi nessed over the centuries for maximum technical facility as well as evenness and homogeneity of tone across its entire range. On the earlier bassoons, each chromatic note, for which there is a specifi c key on the modern bassoon, has to be fi ngered by means of complicated cross-fi ngering patterns, each having its own specifi c tone-colour and attack. Th e composers of the day were well aware of these characteristics and exploited them to full musical eff ect rather than attempting to cover them up as faults of the instrument. Playing a bassoon of the period may be more risky in a purely technical sense, but also reveals all the variations in colour, dynamic and articulation distinctive to the instrument; and thus to the music itself. © JANE GOWER 2010

AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA 15 AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA RICHARD TOGNETTI AO ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

‘You’d have to scour the Australia’s national orchestra is a product of its country’s universe hard to fi nd vibrant, adventurous and enquiring spirit. In performances another band like the ACO.’ around Australia, around the world and on many recordings, THE TIMES, UK the ACO moves hearts and stimulates minds with repertoire spanning six centuries and a vitality and energy unmatched ‘The energy and vibe by other ensembles. of a rock band with the Th e ACO was founded in 1975. Every year, this ensemble ability of a crack classical presents performances of the highest standard to audiences chamber group.’ around the world, including 10,000 subscribers across Australia. WASHINGTON POST Th e ACO’s unique artistic style encompasses not only the masterworks of the classical repertoire, but innovative cross- artform projects and a vigorous commissioning program. Under Richard Tognetti’s inspiring leadership, the ACO has performed as a fl exible and versatile ‘ensemble of soloists’, on modern and period instruments, as a small chamber group, a Select Discography small symphony orchestra, and as an electro-acoustic collective. In a nod to past traditions, only the cellists are seated – the Bach Violin Concertos ABC 476 5691 resulting sense of energy and individuality is one of the most Vivaldi Flute Concertos commented-upon elements of an ACO concert experience. with EMI 3 47212 2 Several of the ACO’s principal musicians perform with Bach Keyboard Concertos spectacularly fi ne instruments. Tognetti performs on a with priceless 1743 Guarneri del Gesù, on loan to him from an Hyperion SACDA 67307/08 anonymous Australian benefactor. Principal Cello Timo- Tango Jam Veikko Valve plays on a 1729 Giuseppe Guarneri fi lius with James Crabb Mulberry Hill MHR C001 Andreæ cello, also on loan from an anonymous benefactor, Song of the Angel and Assistant Leader Satu Vänskä plays a 1759 J.B. Guadagnini Music of Astor Piazzolla violin on loan from the Commonwealth Bank Group. with James Crabb Chandos CHAN 10163 Forty international tours have drawn outstanding reviews at Sculthorpe: works for string many of the world’s most prestigious concert halls, including orchestra including Irkanda I, Djilile ’s , London’s Wigmore Hall, New and Cello Dreaming Chandos CHAN 10063 York’s Carnegie Hall and Vienna’s Musikverein. Giuliani Guitar Concerto Th e ACO has made acclaimed recordings for labels including with John Williams ABC Classics, Sony, Channel Classics, Hyperion, EMI, Sony SK 63385 Chandos and Orfeo and currently has a recording contract These and more ACO recordings with BIS. A full list of available recordings can be found at are available from our online shop: aco.com.au/shop or by calling aco.com.au/shop. Highlights include the three-time ARIA 1800 444 444. Award-winning Bach recordings and Vivaldi Concertos with Emmanuel Pahud. Th e ACO appears in the television series Classical Destinations II and the award-winning fi lm Musica Surfi ca, both available on DVD and CD.

To be kept up to date with ACO In 2005, the ACO inaugurated an ambitious national education tours and recordings, register program, which includes outreach activities and mentoring for the free e-newsletter at of outstanding young musicians, including the formation of aco.com.au. ACO2, an elite training orchestra which tours regional centres.

AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA 17 RICHARD TOGNETTI AO ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AND LEADER AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

Australian violinist and conductor Richard Tognetti has established an international reputation for his compelling performances and artistic individualism. He studied at the Sydney Conservatorium with Alice Waten and in his home town of Wollongong with , and at the Bern Conservatory (Switzerland) with , where he was awarded the Tschumi Prize as the top graduate soloist in 1989. Later that year he led several performances of the ACO, and was appointed Leader. He was subsequently appointed Artistic Director of the Orchestra. Tognetti performs on period, modern and electric instruments. His numerous , compositions and transcriptions have expanded the chamber orchestra ‘Richard Tognetti is one repertoire and have been performed throughout the world. of the most characterful, Highlights of his career as director, soloist or chamber incisive and impassioned music partner include the Sydney Festival (as conductor of violinists to be heard today.’ Mozart’s Mitridate); and appearances with the Handel & (UK) Haydn Society (Boston), Philharmonic, Camerata 2006 Salzburg, Tapiola Sinfonietta, Irish Chamber Orchestra and the Nordic Chamber Orchestra. He is Artistic Director of the Maribor Festival in . As soloist Richard Tognetti has appeared with the ACO and the major Australian symphonies, including the Australian Select Discography premiere of Ligeti’s Violin Concerto with the Sydney Symphony. As soloist: He has collaborated with colleagues from various art forms, BACH Sonatas for Violin and including Joseph Tawadros, Dawn Upshaw, James Crabb, Keyboard Emmanuel Pahud, Neil Finn, Tim Freedman, Paul Capsis, Bill ABC Classics 476 5942 2008 ARIA Award Winner Henson and . In 2003, Richard was co-composer BACH Violin Concertos of the score for ’s Master and Commander: Th e Far ABC Classics 476 5691 Side of the World; violin tutor for its star, Russell Crowe; and 2007 ARIA Award Winner can be heard performing on the award-winning soundtrack. BACH Solo Violin Sonatas and In 2005, with Michael Yezerski, he co-composed the soundtrack Partitas to Tom Carroll’s surf fi lm Horrorscopes and, in 2008, created ABC Classics 476 8051 2006 ARIA Award Winner Th e Red Tree. (All three releases available as Richard Tognetti co-created and starred in the 2008 documentary a 5CD Box set: fi lm Musica Surfi ca, which has won best fi lm awards at surf ABC Classics 476 6168) fi lm festivals in the USA, Brazil, France and South Africa. Musica Surfi ca (DVD) Best Feature, New York Surf Film Alongside numerous recordings with the ACO, Richard Festival Tognetti has recorded Bach’s solo violin repertoire, winning As director: three consecutive ARIA Awards for Best Classical Album VIVALDI Flute Concertos, Op.10 (2006–8) and the Dvoˇrák Violin Concerto. Emmanuel Pahud, Flute EMI Classics 0946 3 47212 2 6 Richard Tognetti holds honorary doctorates from three Australian Grammy Nominee universities and, was made a National Living Treasure in 1999 PIAZZOLLA Song of the Angel and in 2010 was awarded an Order of Australia. He performs Chandos CHAN 10163 on a 1743 Guarneri del Gesù, made available exclusively to All available from aco.com.au/shop. him by an anonymous Australian private benefactor.

18 AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA BEHIND THE SCENES

BOARD Guido Belgiorno-Nettis AM (Chairman) Angus James (Deputy Chairman) Ken Allen AM Bill Best Glen Boreham Liz Cacciottolo Chris Froggatt Janet Holmes à Court AC Brendan Hopkins Tony Shepherd John Taberner Peter Yates

MANAGEMENT

EXECUTIVE OFFICE DEVELOPMENT Vicki Stanley INFORMATION SYSTEMS Timothy Calnin Kate Bilson Education and Emerging Martin Keen General Manager Events Manager Artists Manager Systems and Technology Jessica Block Tom Carrig Sarah Conolan Manager Deputy General Manager Senior Development Education and Emmanuel Espinas and Development Manager Executive Operations Assistant Network Infrastructure Michelle Kerr Vanessa Jenkins Jennifer Collins Engineer Executive Assistant to Senior Development Librarian Mr Calnin and Executive ARCHIVES Mr Tognetti AO Lillian Armitage MARKETING John Harper Patrons Manager Georgia Rivers Archivist ARTISTIC Helen Margolis Marketing Manager Grants Program Manager Richard Tognetti AO Rosie Rothery Artistic Director Liz D’Olier Marketing Executive Development Coordinator Michael Stevens Chris Griffi th Artistic Administrator Box Offi ce Manager OPERATIONS Mary Stielow FINANCE Damien Low National Publicist Steve Davidson Artistic Operations Manager Dean Watson Chief Financial Offi cer Gabriel van Aalst Customer Relations Manager Shyleja Paul Orchestra Manager Assistant Accountant Erin McNamara Deputy Orchestra Manager

AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA ABN 45 001 335 182 Australian Chamber Orchestra Pty Ltd is a not for profi t company registered in NSW.

In Person: Opera Quays, 2 East Circular Quay, Sydney NSW 2000 By Mail: PO Box R21, Royal Exchange NSW 1225 Telephone: (02) 8274 3800 Facsimile: (02) 8274 3801 Box Offi ce: 1800 444 444 Email: [email protected] Website: aco.com.au

AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA 19 ABOUT THE ARTISTS

SATU VÄNSKÄ VIOLIN Satu Vänskä studied with Pertti Sutinen at the Lahti Conservatorium and the Sibelius Academy and was a pupil of Ana Chumachenco at the Hochschule für Musik in Munich. Satu studied at the Kuhmo Violin School in Finland attending masterclasses with Ilya Grubert, Zinaida Gilels and Pavel Vernikov and performing at the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival. In 1998 Sinfonia Lahti named her Young Soloist of the Year, in 2000 she was a prizewinner of the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben and, from 2001, she played under the auspices of the Live Music Now Foundation founded by Lord Yehudi Menuhin. Satu has played with the Munich Philharmonic and Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestras, was a tutor with the Young Bavarian Philharmonic and has performed as soloist in Finland, Germany, Spain and Canada and as a chamber musician in festivals in Australia, Slovenia, Finland and Germany. Satu performs on a 1759 J.B. Guadagnini violin, kindly made available to her by the Commonwealth Bank Group.

CHRISTOPHER MOORE VIOLA Christopher Moore originally studied the violin with Suzuki teachers, Marjorie Hystek and Harold Brissendon. He completed his Bachelor of Music in Newcastle with violinist and pedagogue Elizabeth Holowell. After working with the Adelaide and New Zealand Symphony Orchestras as a violinist, Chris decided to take up a less highly- strung string instrument and moved his musical focus and energy to the viola. He played as a rank and fi le violist with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for one and a half years before becoming Associate Principal Viola with the same orchestra. During his association with MSO, Chris performed regularly as a chamber musician. In 2006 Chris appeared as Guest Principal Violist with the ACO and then successfully auditioned for the ACO’s Principal Viola position.

20 AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA TIMOVEIKKO VALVE CELLO Timo-Veikko Valve studied at the West-Helsinki Music Institute, the Sibelius Academy and in Edsberg. His main teachers were Heikki Rautasalo, Marko Ylönen, Teemu Kupiainenin, Torleif Th edéen and Mats Zetterqvist. Timo-Veikko has performed as soloist with the Helsinki Filharmonia, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia Lahti, Tampere Filharmonia and the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra and appeared as soloist and chamber musician in Europe, Asia, Australia and the US including appearances at the Helsinki, Kemiö, Musica Nova Helsinki, Kuhmo Chamber Music, Lahti Sibelius and Järvenpää Sibelius Festivals. In 2006 he was appointed Principal Cello of the ACO. He appears as a soloist with the ACO frequently and is a founding member of Jousia Ensemble and Jousia Quartet. He performs regularly with pianist Joonas Ahonen and accordionist Veli Kujala. Timo-Veikko Valve plays on a 1729 Giuseppe Guarneri fi lius Andreae cello, made available to him by an anonymous benefactor.

MAXIME BIBEAU DOUBLE BASS Maxime studied at the Conservatoire de Musique du Québec à Montréal with René Gosselin and at Rice University with Timothy Pitts and Paul Ellison, where he was awarded a full university scholarship as well as grants from the Canada Arts Council and the Canadian Research Assistance Fund. Maxime has been Principal Double Bass of the ACO since 1998. He has performed with the SHIRA International Symphony Orchestra, Jeunesses Musicales World Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Montreal Symphony Orchestra and WDR Symphony Orchestra. He has also appeared in the Spoleto, Australian Chamber Music, Huntington and Sydney Festivals and has featured as soloist with the ACO on numerous occasions. Maxime has been involved with the AYO National Music Camp, Sydney Youth Orchestra, University of NSW and Australian National Academy of Music and is a lecturer at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA 21 ABOUT THE ARTISTS

CRAIG HILL CLARINET Craig Hill studied with Phillip Miechel at the Victorian College of the Arts and with Dieter Kloecker at the Freiburg Musikhochschule. Following his solo debut in 1997, Craig has come to national recognition for his performances on period clarinets in repertoire spanning from Telemann to Mozart, Weber and Brahms. His recording of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra and Paul Dyer has been released by ABC Classics. Performance highlights include collaborations with Geoff rey Lancaster, Bart van Ort, the Australian Bach Ensemble, Elizabeth Wallfi sch and Lucinda Moon and appearances at festivals throughout Australia and the United States. Since 2004 Craig has been guest principal clarinet of the period instrument orchestra Concerto Copenhagen (under Lars Ulrik Mortensen). In April 2009 he was the artistic director of Concertino Copenhagen, a mini festival of period instrument chamber music resident at the newly opened Melbourne Recital Centre, which brought together musicians from Australia and Europe. Craig has been a member of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra since 1992.

DARRYL POULSEN HORN Darryl Poulsen graduated with distinction from the Conservatoria of Luxembourg and Liège in the horn classes of Professor Francis Orval. Formerly Professor and Head of Music at the University of Western Australia he is now Professor and Associate Dean (Academic) at the Sydney Conservatorium. For many years Principal Horn with the ACO, Darryl is currently Principal Horn with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, and he has performed and recorded with the Joshua Rifkin New York Bach Ensemble, Concertino Copenhagen, Anthony Halstead, Geoff rey Lancaster, Bart Van Oort, Cantus Cölln, and the Sirius Ensemble. His research into classical hand-horn playing has resulted in the publication of the fi rst English translation of the Méthode de premier et de second cor by Heinrich Domnich, the most important source on the history of classical horn playing.

22 AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA JANE GOWER BASSOON Jane Gower studied at the Canberra School of Music and the Royal Conservatory in Th e Hague. She has appeared as principal bassoonist with many of the world’s fi nest period instrument orchestras. In 2005 she was appointed principal bassoon of Sir John Eliot Gardiner’s English Baroque Soloists and l’Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, and since 2007 has lectured at the Royal College of Music, London. Jane founded the quartet for classical bassoon and strings, Island, which has just recorded its fourth CD. In collaboration Photo © Steven Godbee with Torbreck Vintners she launched the Barossa Klassik chamber music series in 2010. Jane is in demand as soloist on the historical bassoon and has performed with Concerto Copenhagen, Les Agrémens, Sirius Ensemble and the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra. In 2002 she recorded Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto with Anima Eterna with her cadenzas and performance practice notes published by Bärenreiter. Her latest solo recording is of bassoon concertos by Franz Danzi.

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Ph: 02 9319 2700 Email: [email protected] www.katering.com.au

AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA 23 ACO PARTNERS

Th e ACO receives around 50% of its income from the box offi ce, 35% from the business community and private donors and less than 15% from government sources. Th e private sector plays a key role in the continued growth and artistic development of the Orchestra. We are proud of the relationships we have developed with each of our partners and would like to acknowledge their generous support.

C FOUNDING PARTNER A O2 PRINCIPAL PARTNER

OFFICIAL AIRLINE

NATIONAL TOUR PARTNERS

PRINCIPAL INNOVATION PARTNER

OFFICIAL PARTNERS

PERTH SERIES AND WA REGIONAL TOUR PARTNER

QLD/NSW REGIONAL TOUR PARTNER

CONCERT AND SERIES PARTNERS

PREFERRED TRAVEL PARTNER

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT ACCOMMODATION AND EVENT SUPPORT

ACO is supported by the NSW Government through Arts NSW

BAR CUPOLA SWEENEY RESEARCH

AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA 33 STACCATO: ACO NEWS DONOR PROFILE: EDWARD GRAY Queenslander Ted Gray comes struggle with fi ve children in tow at from a musical family and was the University of California, Berkeley a violinist himself, until the end Campus from 1968 to 1971. of his secondary school years. A Ted has lived in Papua New Guinea, strong supporter of live orchestral the USA, Canada and Fiji and has performances, his fi rst exposure to travelled extensively in , the ACO was on the radio. It was Europe, India and Sri Lanka. His the ACO’s consistent excellence and travels have taken him to numerous the lightness, joyousness and the concert halls outside Australia and disciplined enthusiasm of the ACO’s have aff orded him the opportunity to hear many music which inspired Ted and his wife to become orchestras including the London Philharmonic, ACO subscribers around seven years ago. Toronto Symphony, Hamilton Philharmonic, and Ted has generously supported the ACO’s Capital the San Francisco Symphony Orchestras, but as Challenge Campaign and has been a consistent Ted says, “None better than the ACO!” and generous supporter of the ACO’s Emerging It has been a privilege for the ACO to have Ted’s Artists and Education Programs. For Ted, support and we are extremely grateful to him. supporting these programs follows on naturally from his own experiences during three years of

For more information about donating to the ACO, please phone Lillian Armitage on (02) 8274 3835 or email [email protected]. ACO EVENTS ANNUAL DINNERS  SYDNEY AND MELBOURNE Th e ACO’s Annual Dinners, held in late July in Melbourne and Sydney, thanked the ACO’s Chairman’s Council members, Medici Patrons, lead International Patrons and Major Patrons for their invaluable contribution to, and support of, the Orchestra. In Melbourne, this event was generously hosted by Andrew and Shadda Abercrombie, who opened their glorious home to seventy of the ACO’s major patrons. Richard Tognetti and the Orchestra performed a beautiful program, Mark Ingwersen, Penny Buckland and David Buckland crafted especially for the occasion. In Sydney, this event was hosted by Park Hyatt Sydney. Eighty loyal supporters of the Orchestra enjoyed a delectable three course dinner, and a stirring performance by the ACO. At both dinners, guests enjoyed Peter Lehmann’s exquisite wines, which were accompanied by

Taittinger Champagne, generously supplied by Melissa Barnard and Carol Julianne Maxwell, Alice Evans and Cellarmasters. Sroczynski Brendan Hopkins

34 AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA STACCATO: ACO NEWS ACO LONDON CONCERT  PARKY LEADS THE OVATION

A glittering crowd gathered at Cadogan Hall on 31 August for the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s London concert, sponsored by Macquarie Group and Global Switch. Th e audience included Sir Michael and Lady Parkinson, and his eternally elegant mother-in-law, Lady Natasha Spender, actors Simon Callow and Miriam Margolyes, conductor Sir Mark Elder, cellist Steven Isserlis and soprano Dawn Upshaw. Sir Michael Parkinson, Satu Vänskä, Barry Humphries At the end of a heart-racing performance of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, Parky brought the 800 strong audience to its feet for fi ve curtain calls. Th e Orchestra performed the fi nal movement of Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony as an encore. Guests then adjourned for a post-concert party hosted by His Excellency Mr John Dauth LVO, High Commissioner for Australia. Guests including Transfi eld’s Tony Shepherd and APN’s Brendan Hopkins were treated to a hilarious oration by Barry Humphries, after which Richard Tognetti told Humphries that his time had come – Sir Les for Prime Minister! Brendan, Tor and Bee Hopkins Th e ACO gratefully acknowledges the generous support of all of our 2010 Trans-Atlantic Tour Patrons, Macquarie Group, Global Switch and the Australain High Commission, without whom the tour would not have been possible.

Lady Mary and SIr Michael Parkinson

For more information about supporting the ACO’s future international touring, please phone Lillian Armitage on (02) 8274 3835 or email [email protected]. C APN A O2 NSW/QLD TOUR Bangalow - A&I Hall Tue 5 Oct, 7.30pm Coffs Harbour - Jetty Memorial Theatre Sat 2 Oct, 8pm Logan Central - Logan Entertainment Centre Fri 8 Oct, 8pm Noosaville - Good Shepherd Lutheran College Sun 10 Oct, 7.30pm Tamworth - Capitol Theatre Fri 1 Oct, 8pm Toowoomba - Empire Theatre Wed 6 Oct, 8pm Parramatta - Riverside Theatres Tue 28 Sep, 7.30pm Sydney - Verbrugghen Hall Wed 29 Sep, 7pm

APN News & Media has had a long association with regional Queensland and New South Wales, so it is a great honour to partner with the Australian Chamber Orchestra in this signifi cant tour. As Australia’s leading publisher of regional newspapers and websites, APN has long championed the growth and development of the country’s provincial centres. Th is C tour by A O2 recognises the vibrant and creative nature of our communities and will showcase world-leading talent to an appreciative and knowledgeable audience. It is indeed a privilege to bring the orchestra to our local towns and schools, where so many people can benefi t from the skills of this ensemble. For many students, they will experience a master class unlike any other, from some of Australia’s brightest musical talents. As APN News & Media continues to grow in its local markets, it is through partnerships such as this one with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, that we can expand on the important cultural and social cornerstone that we hold in our communities.

C We are proud to be part of this very special tour of A O2, showcasing some of Australia’s fi nest musical talent.

BRENDAN HOPKINS Chief Executive APN News & Media

36 AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA COX & KINGS OVER 250 YEARS OF DISCOVERY

Cox & Kings, the world’s longest established travel company, is offering ACO subscribers 10% of all Escorted Small Group Journeys of 10 days duration or longer, for travel any time from now until 31 December 2011.

*Valid for bookings made any time from now until 31 December 2010. To be eligible for the discount, subscribers must provide their ACO membership number at the time of reservations enquiry. Reservations must be made by contacting Cox & Kings on: [email protected] or 1300 836 764