B i t t e r s w e e t O b s e s s i o n s

O N E WO M A N .T H R E E E M O T IO N A L TA L E S .

A D R A M AT IC A L LY STA G ED P E R FO R M A N C E .

M O N TEV E R D I & BA C H

L A U G H T E R , T E A R S , V E N G E A N C E

LAMENTO DELLA NINFA

Music Claudio Monteverdi Libretto Ottavio Rinuccini

IL COMBATTIMENTO DI TANCREDI E CLORINDA

Music Claudio Monteverdi Libretto Torquato Tasso

COFFEE CANTATA

Music Johann Sebastian Bach Libretto Christian Friedrich Henrici

PROGRAM

Scene 1

Kapsberger Toccata arpeggiata Monteverdi Lamento della ninfa

Scene 2

Falconieri Ciaccona Monteverdi Overture to Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria Monteverdi Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda Trabaci Consonanze stravaganti

INTERVAL

Scene 3

Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 4, BWV 1049 (first movement) Bach Coffee Cantata, BWV 211

CASTNatasha Wilson Soprano (New Zealand) Ninfa, Clorinda, Lieschen

Karim Sulayman Tenor (USA) Shepherd 1, Testo/Narrator, Narrator

Jakob Bloch Jespersen Baritone (Denmark) Shepherd 3, Tancredi, Schlendrian

Spencer Darby Tenor (Australia) Shepherd 2

Melanie Lindenthal Aikido Performer

Andrew Sunter Aikido Performer

ARTISTIC TEAMPaul Dyer AO Artistic Director, Conductor

Constantine Costi Director

Charlotte Mungomery Set Designer

Genevieve Graham Costume Designer

John Rayment Lighting Designer

The duration of this concert is approximately 2 hours including interval.

Sung in Italian and German with English surtitles.

We kindly request that you switch off all electronic devices during the performance.

This concert series is proudly supported by the Brandenburg Opera Circle.

macquarie.com

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B i t t e r s w e e t O b s e s s i o n s

Australian Brandenburg Orchestra

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Macquarie Group is delighted to welcome you to Bittersweet Obsessions: Monteverdi & Bach.

This concert series marks an exciting departure from the Brandenburg’s usual performance style. The three stories in Bittersweet Obsessions are heightened and emotional tales, so it is fitting that Paul Dyer and his team have created a rich and dramatic staged experience for us to enjoy this thrilling program.

Throughout history, the arts have been an important vehicle for people to record significant events, reflect on society and keep stories alive for future generations to learn from. The Brandenburg is renowned for presenting historically informed music performance in a way that resonates with today’s audiences, and this concert series is a perfect demonstration. Bittersweet Obsessions brings a contemporary twist to emotional stories that transcend time and place, reminding us of the significance of the past and our place in it.

Macquarie is proud to announce that we have recently renewed our Principal Partnership with the Brandenburg for a further three years. This partnership is an important part of our investment to the advancement of arts and culture in Australia, and we look forward to a partnership of continued growth, delivering bold visions, and celebrating the Orchestra's milestone 30th anniversary in 2019.

Brandenburg’s dedication to delivering innovative artistic triumphs, and Macquarie’s commitment to supporting these, is what empowers our partnership. The orchestra continues to broaden its reach each year – through touring widely, introducing baroque music to new audiences, and inspiring emerging artists. Together we will continue to celebrate creativity and culture, to sustain vibrant local communities and economies.

I hope you enjoy this performance and I look forward to welcoming you again at future Brandenburg concerts.

Bill Marynissen Head of Wealth Management

P OW E R I N PA R T N E R S H I P S

A R T I S T I C D I R E C TO R ' S M E S SA G EA close group of my mates and I have a regular ritual of cooking together followed by a movie or TV series at home. It could be science fiction, action, comedy or drama and often compressed into a couple of hours of entertainment. These exaggerated, heightened stories let our imaginations fly and often expose our fears and insecurities, as well as our dreams and desires. Harry Potter is a pure example of this wonderment. There is something deeply compelling about settling down in a darkened room and disappearing into another world for a couple of hours. It is no wonder that millions of Australians tuned in to smash hit series Game of Thrones.

Compelling drama with amazing costumes, beautiful design, and breathtaking music has always captured human imagination. The story could be ancient or modern, but the feelings and sentiments explored are almost always timeless.

Our tale tonight is about a woman: her passions, obsessions and her sadness. The score is Claudio Monteverdi, the great master of music and text along with Johann Sebastian Bach, the genius of the baroque. Both men had a keen eye for drama.

I have assembled an exceptional creative team, led by Constantine Costi who directed Handel’s Messiah earlier this year, to produce our drama tonight. Con and his dynamic creative team featuring two recent NIDA graduates have imagined three compelling worlds in which the story unfolds. This music is bold and brave and the tales told are as relevant today as they were many centuries ago.

Starring in three roles: Monteverdi’s Nymph; the warrior maiden Clorinda; and the coffee-obsessed Lieschen; is the beautiful New Zealand soprano, Natasha Wilson. Natasha is joined by brilliant tenors Karim Sulayman (USA) and Spencer Darby (Australia), and powerful baritone Jakob Bloch Jespersen (Denmark).

Bittersweet Obsessions: Monteverdi & Bach is a project that has been in my mind for several years and I am thrilled to bring it to life in this 2017 season. This year marks 450 years since the birth of Claudio Monteverdi in Cremona, Italy on the 15th of May 1567. This pivotal figure bridged the renaissance and baroque periods and had a profound impact on musical history and the development of opera. A dramatic theatrical production such as this is a tremendous undertaking both logistically and financially, and my hat goes off to the whole Brandenburg team.

I hope you enjoy this stunning homage to the great Claudio Monteverdi and Johann Sebastian Bach.

Paul Dyer AO Artistic Director 32

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Paul Dyer is one of Australia’s leading specialists in period performance. He co-founded the Brandenburg in 1990 after completing postgraduate studies at the Royal Conservatorium in The Hague, and has been Artistic Director and conductor since that time. Paul is a performing artist comfortable in his unique music arena – whether working in ancient music, contemporary music, opera, with artists such as circus performers, contemporary dance, or visual art. His busy performing schedule in Europe, Asia, the USA and Canada over the years has synchronised perfectly alongside his bold stage work in Australia.

Paul is an inspiring teacher and has been a staff member at various Conservatories throughout the world. In 1995 he received a Churchill Fellowship and he has won numerous international and national awards for his CD recordings with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra and Choir, including the 1998, 2001, 2005, 2009 and 2010 ARIA Awards for Best Classical Album.

Paul has performed with many international soloists including Andreas Scholl, Cyndia Sieden,

Marc Destrubé, Christoph Prégardien, Hidemi Suzuki, Manfredo Kraemer, Andrew Manze, Yvonne Kenny, Emma Kirkby, Philippe Jaroussky and many others. In 1998 he made his debut in Tokyo with countertenor Derek Lee Ragin, leading an ensemble of Brandenburg soloists, and in August 2001 Paul toured the orchestra to Europe with guest soloist Andreas Scholl, and recently featured in the soundtrack of the James Bond 007 movie, Spectre.

A passionate cook, entertainer, foodie, teacher, swimmer, traveller, he is friends with people and artists from Istanbul to India and Japan to Italy creating a unique platform for overseas performing artists to work with him and the Brandenburg in Australia.

Among his list of many awards and medals, Paul was awarded the Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for his ‘distinguished service to the performing arts in Australia’. Paul is Patron of St Gabriel’s School for Hearing Impaired Children. In 2003 Paul was awarded the Australian Centenary Medal for his services to Australian society and the advancement of music. In 2010 Paul was awarded the Sydney University Alumni Medal for Professional Achievement.

PA U L DY E R

Accenture is proud to support the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra as Series Partner of Bittersweet Obsessions: Monteverdi & Bach.

Since 2014, Accenture and the Brandenburg have collaborated on developing the Brandenburg’s presence in the digital space. Together we will continue to enhance the way people experience Brandenburg performances, and devise new ways to reach wider audiences of all ages and backgrounds. These initiatives aim to provide enriched experiences and a deeper understanding of the inspired visions that Artistic Director Paul Dyer brings to baroque music.

Accenture applauds this concert series for engaging a number of creative talents at the early stage of their careers, including soloists, directors and designers. Providing professional opportunities for young talent in Australia is essential to this country’s cultural future. This approach will shine new perspectives onto well-known works, and ensure the performance is accessible to a whole new generation of audiences.

We hope you will join us in enjoying this orchestral experience.

David Mann Managing Director Accenture

W O R K I N G I N H A R M O N Y

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D I R E C TO R ' S N O T E

DA T E S& T I M E S

Constantine Costi

To express something new, Monteverdi looked to the past.

In the third book of The Republic Plato writes, “Take that harmony that would fittingly imitate the utterances of a brave man who is engaged in warfare”. In other words: fuse the action to the music, and the music to the action.

Upon reading this, Monteverdi was inspired. He developed his stile concitato, or agitated style, which you will hear tonight In Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda. His music conveys specific sounds of war – horses galloping, swords clashing and even the heavy breathing of exhausted lovers engaged in battle.

In the context of 17th-century musical norms, this cohesive approach to operatic scena was groundbreaking and injected his work with a spirit of burning immediacy.

We too have delved into the past to invigorate our staging. Tonight we present a dramatically staged concert centring around three scenes.

Monteverdi looked to Plato’s assertion that there are three humours that compose a human being:

Reflective – seen tonight in a woman’s pensive sadness in Lamento della Nympha.

Spirited – Clorinda’s heated and tragic romance in Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda.

Appetitive – Lieschen’s insatiable caffeine-mad rebellion in Bach’s Coffee Cantata.

To capture the unique flavour of each scene, Charlotte Mungomery (set design), Genevieve Graham (costume design) and John Rayment (lighting design) have created three visually distinct worlds. What unites them is the passionate journey of one woman.

The artistry, insight, and flair of Paul Dyer and the Brandenburg team have made the process of bringing this journey to life a distinct joy.

The first thing you see on stage tonight is a painted backdrop version of Claude Lorrain’s Ascanius Shooting the Stag of Sylvia – his last work painted for the Roman prince, Lorenzo Colonna in 1682.

The starting point of tonight’s concert is a baroque pastoral, and we will conclude in a modern day café. Finding ourselves in these pieces of then and now – being heartbroken, fighting against love, and breaking free.

Sydney, Melbourne October – November 2017

SydneyCity Recital Hall

Wednesday 25 October at 7pm

Friday 27 October at 7pm

Saturday 28 October at 2pm

Saturday 28 October at 7pm

Tuesday 31 October at 7pm

Wednesday 1 November at 7pm

Melbourne Melbourne Recital Centre

Saturday 4 November at 7pm

Sunday 5 November at 5pm

Costume design sketch of La Ninfa by Genevieve Graham 76

Constantine Costi – Director

In 2016 Constantine directed Suor Angelica by Puccini (Opera Projects Sydney) and co-wrote an immersive theatre experience for Sydney’s Vivid Festival called Visiting Hours. Constantine was co-assistant director on Turandot (dir. Chen Shi-Zheng) for Opera Australia’s Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour. He is also directed The Space Between the Fuel and the Fire by Laura Lethlean, at the National Institute of Dramatic Art, and Puccini’s Il Tabarro at Alfie’s Warehouse Theatre Sydney. Constantine also assisted Sir David McVicar at the Vienna State Opera on Verdi’s Falstaff.

In 2015 Constantine won The Berlin New Music Opera Award with The Opera Foundation for Young Australians where he worked with Komische Oper Berlin’s assistant team on the premiere of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, directed by Barrie Kosky.

Other directing credits include The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer, Young Artist’s Program Showcase for Opera Australia, Thomas Arne’s The Sailor’s Return, The Shewing-Up of Blanco Posnet by GB Shaw, The Master and Margarita after Bulgakov, The Merchant of Venice, and Accidental Death of an Anarchist by Dario Fo.

In 2013 Constantine completed a Graduate Diploma of Dramatic Art (Directing) at the National Institute of Dramatic Art.

Genevieve Graham – Costume Designer

As an artist, Genevieve has always been fuelled by her immense appreciation of zeitgeist in culture, which feeds into her skills of combining and utilising different pastiche to highlight the humanity in her work.

In 2013 her artwork ‘All The World’s a Stage’ was exhibited in the Art Gallery of New South Wales as part of Art Express. In the same year her costume designs for ‘Cyrano de Bergerac’ were exhibited in the 2013 Onstage exhibition.

Whilst studying at NIDA, Genevieve has designed two music videos as part of the Triple J Unearthed project: ‘Gold’ (2015, Donatachi), and ‘I’ve Gotta Have You’ (2016, Fluir). Genevieve was also the Production Designer for 'A Clockwork Orange' as part of the NIDA director's productions 2016 season.

In 2016, Genevieve seconded on the set of ‘Alien: Covenant’ by renowned director Ridley Scott, assisting in both the art department and wardrobe. She was also awarded the William Fletcher Foundation Grant for the development and advancement of talented young Australian artists.

Genevieve completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts (Design for Performance) in 2016, and is currently undertaking her Masters of Fine Arts (Design For Performance).

For Genevieve, a satisfying collaboration thrives in an environment that encourages fluidity between creative roles.

Charlotte Mungomery – Set Designer

Charlotte’s practice investigates the boundaries between theatre, film and visual art. She also likes talking to strangers. Charlotte is a recent graduate of the Design for Performance BFA at NIDA and is currently completing an MFA in Design at NIDA. Prior to NIDA, Charlotte studied Theatre and Fine Art at the Queensland Academy of Creative Industries where she received a CIVA: Creative Innovation Vision Award, for her multi-disciplinary art-making approach.

She has created and designed for Charlie (2013, Brisbane Emerging Art Festival), Submerge (2013, Terra Nemo Theatre Company), The Lost Thing (2013, Zen Zen Zo), and One of the Good Ones (2016, The Red Rattler). Her latest film work includes Production Design for the 2016 Tropfest finalist short film Why Would I Lie, as well as two music videos for Triple J Unearthed: Grow Up (2015, Nastaij), and Vampires (2016, Mid Ayr).

Charlotte recently collaborated on an installation Rats in the Walls, and performance work Tribes, at the Prague Quadrennial for Performance Design and Space. Her practice is driven by the ephemeral quality of transient experiences; a philosophy that feeds into her obsession with the imperfect, the unpredictable, and the mundanity of day-to-day life.

John Rayment – Lighting Designer

Opera Australia: Includes Two Weddings, One Bride, Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour: La Traviata and Carmen; La Bohème, Salome, Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, Norma, The Mikado, Aida, The Little Mermaid, The Trojans Parts 1 & 2, Orpheus in the Underworld, Lulu; The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (OA & STC).

Other Companies: Don Carlos (VSO); Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, Salome, La Bohème (SOSA); Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Red Earth (The Australian Ballet); The Nutcracker (ENB); Romeo and Juliet, The Nutcracker, The Wedding, Salterello (RNZB); Poppy, Beauty and The Beast, Berlin, The Protecting Veil, Synergy with Synergy, Free Radicals and Salome among some thirty designs for Sydney Dance Co; Mulan, Nutcracker Magic (Shanghai City Entertainment Group); Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Sydney 2000 Olympics; original conception & realisation of Hong Kong’s permanent cityscape display, A Symphony of Lights; the multi-award winning Walking With Dinosaurs - Arena Spectacular; City of Lights display (Brisbane Festival 2011, 2012, 2013) and Debbie Allen’s Freeze Frame - 2013 (AUS), 2016 (USA).

T H E C R E A T I V E T E A M

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NATASHA WILSON Soprano (New Zealand)

Natasha Wilson was born and raised in Auckland and is of Maori and European heritage. Natasha studied at the University of Auckland, graduating with a BMus (Hons) majoring in classical vocal performance with first class honours in 2016.

Natasha made her professional debut with New Zealand Opera in 2017, as a member of the company for their touring production of The Mikado. In 2016, Natasha was involved in workshops of Tim Finn's upcoming opera, Star Navigator, in the role of Purea, also through NZ Opera. Other operatic roles include Ilia: Idomeneo (University of Auckland, ‘Opera Scenes’, 2015), Belinda: Dido and Aeneas, Rusalka: Rusalka (University of Auckland, ‘Opera Scenes’, 2016). In May this year, Natasha made her Australian debut with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, in collaboration with C!RCA, in the 'Spanish Baroque' series, performing in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.

Natasha enjoys the support of the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation as a member of their ‘Kiri programme’, a mentoring programme initiated by the foundation to foster the next generation of New Zealand's operatic voices. Natasha also enjoys the support of the Dame Malvina Major Foundation, which most recently sent her to Florence, Tuscany, to attend ‘Patricia’s Opera Tours’, where she performed in concerts, both in Florence and Rome.

KARIM SULAYMAN Tenor (USA)

Karim Sulayman is consistently praised for his sensitive musicianship, vivid portrayals, and beautiful voice. With a vast repertoire that spans from the Renaissance to contemporary music, he has firmly established himself as a sophisticated and versatile artist of his generation. Recent highlights include engagements at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, New York City Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, Aldeburgh Festival and Snape Proms, the Casals Festival, Aspen Music Festival and the International Bach Festival.

Mr Sulayman recently completed three seasons at the Marlboro Music Festival collaborating with Mitsuko Uchida and Richard Goode, and continues to focus on championing vocal chamber music under the auspices of Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Brooklyn Chamber Music Society, Cleveland ChamberFest, and earlier this season performed programs of French chamber works at the Roman River Festival in the UK. In the 2016-2017 season, he debuted with Houston Grand Opera as Albert in the world premiere of Laura Kaminsky’s Some Light Emerges.

His growing discography includes the title role in Handel’s Acis and Galatea, and two releases for NAXOS in works of Philidor and Grétry, as well as the release of Sephardic Journey with Apollo's Fire on AVIE which debuted at the Number 2 slot on the Billboard World Music Chart and Number 5 on the Classical Chart. He's also featured on the album of Jonathan Dawe's 21st-century chamber works, Piercing are the Darts, on the Furious Artisans label and on the future EP release of Matt Frey's new chamber opera 111 Heavy with the ensemble Hotel Elefant.

JAKOB BLOCH JESPERSEN Bass-Baritone (Denmark)

Bass-Baritone Jakob Bloch Jespersen acquired his initial musical education and interest in singing as a member of the Copenhagen Boy's Choir. This led to his earning a diploma from the Royal Danish Academy of Music and to further studies at the Opera Academy of the Royal Danish Theatre from where he made his debut in 2006.

In 2013 Jakob Bloch Jespersen received the Danish Music Critic’s Choice award. Jakob Bloch Jespersen is in demand as a concert singer throughout Europe, with a repertoire stretching from the 17th to the 21st century. He has a particular affinity for German Baroque music, especially composers such as Buxtehude, Bach, and Händel of whom he has performed numerous cantatas and large-scale works with groups such as Trinity Baroque, Lautten Compagney, Barokkanerne, Barokksolistene, Leipziger Kammerorchester, Concerto Copenhagen, Arte Dei Suonatori, and Nieuwe Philharmonie Utrecht.

On the opera stage Jakob Bloch Jespersen has, among others, sung roles of Angelotti in Puccini’s Tosca, The Magister in Carl Nielsen’s Masquerade, and The Drunken Poet in Purcell’s The Fairy Queen at The Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen, as well as appearances with regional Danish opera companies in roles such as Basilio in Rossini’s The Barber in Seville, Masetto in Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Jakob's favourite coffee is the Australian invention: a Flat White – Cortado being too strong, Latte too milky!

SPENCER DARBY Tenor (Australia)

Spencer Darby has recently completed postgraduate vocal studies at the Sydney Conservatorium. Having initially studied as a baritone, Spencer has spent the past five years making the transition to the tenor voice, currently under the guidance of Glenn Winslade.

Spencer’s first musical love was the Lieder of Schubert, which formed the basis of his passion for story telling in music. He has subsequently excelled in roles from Gilbert and Sullivan to Mozart, to Johann Strauss and beyond. His passion for music is not restricted to a single era or composer though; he is equally at home performing early music or challenging new works.

Aside from performing, Spencer is a committed concertgoer, reader, writer, and teacher. In his spare time, he keeps fit doing yoga and playing indoor soccer, and he enjoys travel, cooking, entertaining. Spencer performed as a soloist in the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra’s 2016 Noël! Noël! concerts and ABC recording performing The Luckiest by Ben Folds.

T H E S O L O I S TS

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B I T T E R S W E E T O B S E S S I O N SM O N TEV E R D I & BA C H

THE MUSICIANS ON PERIOD INSTRUMENTS

Baroque Violin Shaun Lee-Chen, Perth Concertmaster * Matt Bruce, Sydney Associate Concertmaster* Ben Dollman, Adelaide*

Baroque Viola Monique O'Dea, Sydney1

Baroque Cello Jamie Hey, Melbourne*

Violone Rob Nairn, Adelaide

Baroque Flute / Recorder Melissa Farrow, Sydney*

Recorder Mikaela Oberg, Sydney

Lirone / Viola da gamba Laura Vaughan, Melbourne

Theorbo / Baroque Guitar / Gallichon Tommie Andersson, Sydney*

Harpsichord / Chamber Organ Paul Dyer, Sydney

Baroque Harp Hannah Lane, Melbourne

Percussion Adam Cooper-Stanbury, Sydney

Paul Dyer AO Artistic Director, Conductor

* Denotes Brandenburg Core Musician1 Monique O’Dea appears courtesy of Presbyterian Ladies’ College, Sydney (staff)Organ preparation by Joanna Butler. Harpsichord preparation by Alistair McAllister in Melbourne, and Joanna Butler in Sydney

The Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, led by charismatic Artistic Director Paul Dyer, celebrates the music of the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries with excellence, flair and joy. Comprising leading specialists in informed performance practice from all over Australia, the Brandenburg performs using original edition scores and instruments of the period, breathing fresh life and vitality into baroque and classical masterpieces – as though the music has just sprung from the composer’s pen.

The Orchestra’s name pays tribute to the Brandenburg Concertos of J.S. Bach, whose musical genius was central to the baroque area. Celebrating their 28th anniversary in 2017, the Brandenburg continues to deliver exhilarating performances.

The Brandenburg has collaborated with such acclaimed and dynamic virtuosi as Andreas Scholl, Philippe Jaroussky, Kristian Bezuidenhout, Emma Kirkby, Andreas Staier, Elizabeth Wallfisch, Genevieve Lacey, Andrew Manze and more.

Through its annual subscription series in Sydney and Melbourne, the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra performs before a live audience in excess of 52,000 people, and hundreds of thousands more through national broadcasts on ABC Classic FM. The Orchestra also has a regular commitment to performing in regional Australia. Since 2003 the Australian Brandenburg

Orchestra has been a member of the Major Performing Arts Group, which comprises 28 flagship national arts organisations supported by the Australia Council for the Arts. The Orchestra began regular touring to Queensland in 2015.

Since its beginning, the Brandenburg has been popular with both audiences and critics. In 1998 The Age proclaimed the Brandenburg “had reached the ranks of the world’s best period instrument orchestras”. In 2010 the UK’s Gramophone Magazine declared “the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra is Australia’s finest period-instrument ensemble. Under their inspiring musical director Paul Dyer, their vibrant concerts and recordings combine historical integrity with electrifying virtuosity and a passion for beauty”.

The Australian proclaimed that “a concert with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra is like stepping back in time, as the sounds of period instruments resurrect baroque and classical works with reverence and authority”.

The Brandenburg’s 20 recordings with ABC Classics include five ARIA Award winners for Best Classical Album (1998, 2001, 2005, 2009 and 2010). In 2015 the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra was the recipient of the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Group Award and in 2016 the Helpmann Award for Best Chamber Concert.

Discover more at brandenburg.com.au

“…what stands out at concert after concert is the impression that this bunch of musicians is having a really good time. They look at each other and smile and laugh... there’s a warmth and sense of fun not often associated with classical performance.”

S Y D N E Y M O R N I N G H E R A L D

A U S T R A L I A N B R A N D E N B U R G O R C H E S T R A

The Australian Brandenburg Orchestra greatly acknowledges the support from: NIDA for their collaboration on this project, NIDA Design for Performance Student Placement: Genevieve Graham, Charlotte Mungomery for this production. Caffé Molinari for supplying coffee equipment. Aikido in Sydney, Backcloths painted by Scenografic Studios. The Opera Australia Props Department: Simon Craw, Gerard Foley. The technical staff from City Recital Hall for their ongoing support.

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P R O G R A M N O T E S

Theorbo tablature of Toccata Arpeggiata from Libro primo d'intavolatura di chitarrone by Kapsberger

S C E N E I

GIOVANNI GIROLAMO KAPSBERGER (C. 1580 – 1651)

Toccata arpeggiata

While little is known of Kapsberger’s life, he is primarily remembered as a composer for theorbo, a large guitar-like instrument that was common in the period. This work, which features on our ARIA award-winning recording Tapas, comes from a beautiful 60-page manuscript published in Venice in 1604, titled Libro primo d'intavolatura di chitarrone (first book of theorbo tablature). Tablature is a form of music notation that indicates fingering rather than specific pitches. In this case, it shows which fingers are to be placed on which strings of the theorbo. The manuscript below constitutes the entirety of the music notated by Kapsberger for this piece: all other aspects of realising the music are left to the performers. However, the marking arpeggiata indicates that is to be played with arpeggios: musical phrases that take individual notes of a chord, and sound them individually in succession. An earlier page of the manuscript also suggests that this piece is a toccata: a musical work that typically features fast-moving or complex passages, in these performances realised by the Brandenburg’s principal theorbo player, Tommie Andersson. The result is an exciting and virtuosic journey through adventurous musical territory.

CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI (1567 – 1643)

Lamento della ninfa

As you walk through Venice for the first time, nobody can escape two things: the labyrinth of canals, and the striking Piazzo San Marco (St Mark’s Square), which has been walked by countless musical geniuses over the years. One of these was Claudio Monteverdi, who was the head of music at the stunning St Mark’s Basilica which dominates the square. Famed for its extraordinary acoustic, St Mark’s Basilica was practically Monteverdi’s home, and it was during his over 30 years here that he cemented his position as one of the most influential and monumental figures in music history. He is usually credited as the father of the opera, and also as the most important transitional figure between the Renaissance and Baroque periods of music. He composed an enormous volume of both secular and sacred music, although sadly much of it has been lost. The many musical concepts pioneered by Monteverdi include the basso continuo, a small group of bass instruments which provide the harmonic foundation of a work. In these performances, the continuo group consists of the harpsichord, theorbo, cello, violone, lirone and viola da gamba. The bulk of Monteverdi’s work is contained in nine books of madrigals: secular vocal compositions common in the Renaissance. The Lamento della ninfa (lament of the nymph) comes from the eighth book, which is evocatively titled Madrigali guerrieri et amorosi (Madrigals of war and love). It is structured in two roughly equal halves: the first for ‘war’ and the second for ‘love’. Unsurprisingly, this short work comes from the part of the book devoted to love.

THE STORY

The Lamento della ninfa (Lament of the nymph) is a three-part work, opened and closed by a chorus of three shepherds, who introduce the nymph as full of fuora (anger) and dolor (pain). The central and most striking section is the nymph’s lament itself – a grief-stricken song where she bemoans her fate. She has been betrayed by a lover and is consumed by anguish. Most likely, he has abandoned her for another woman. The shepherds interject throughout her song, calling her miserella (miserable girl) and lamenting her fate. Their final words make the poignant comment that mesce amor fiamma, e gel (love blends fire and ice).

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ANDREA FALCONIERI (C. 1585 – 1656)

Ciaccona

Andrea Falconieri, or Falconiero, was born in Naples, but travelled across Italy, France and Spain during his long life. He worked at a convent in Genoa for some time, before being ejected by the Mother Superior, who complained that his music was unsettling to the nuns. He then returned to Naples, where after the death of Trebacci, who appears later in this program, Falconieri was named his successor as the maestro di cappella (music master). He died of the plague, and although little survives of his music, it is likely that he composed a very large amount. As a lutenist, many of his published works are popular songs and villanellas (rustic songs common in Naples in the period). This particular work comes from the composer’s primo libro (first book) of assorted works, which was published in 1650. It is a ciaccona: a piece with a repeated bass line that featured varied musical lines above it. In this case, these lines are wonderfully virtuosic on the part of the violins.

CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI (1567 – 1643)

Overture from Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria

Although Monteverdi’s Orfeo (c. 1607) is often considered the first opera, Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria (c. 1639) is one of Monteverdi’s later works, and comes considerably closer to the modern conception of opera. For example, it includes several ensembles – where several cast members sing together – a form which was new and fashionable at the time. As with many works of the period, it fell into obscurity during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and interest in the work was revived in 1922, when the score was published. For many years, the authenticity of this work was repeatedly questioned, and as a result it was not regularly performed until the 1950s, when its authorship by Monteverdi became widely accepted. Its story comes from the later part of Homer’s Odyssey, and tells of the return of the King of Ithaca, Ulysses, to his homeland. He discovers that his wife Penelope is beset by suitors, and resolves to vanquish each of them. The overture, or sinfonia avanti il prologo (sinfonia before the prologue), of this work is just eight bars long, however the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra will perform it with repetitions and variations, as was common in the period.

CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI (1567 – 1643)

Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda

This work was first performed during the Venice carnival season of 1624. Like the Lamento della ninfa, it comes from Monteverdi’s eighth book of madrigals, and is the

centerpiece of the ‘war’ component of the manuscript. It is considered an operatic scena (scene): a short work which is difficult to label using modern musical terms, but approximates opera in a period when the concept was in its infancy. The work contains one of the first known uses of pizzicato – the technique where string players pluck their strings with the finger rather than playing them with the bow. This is believed to represent Tancredi and Clorinda striking one another with the bases of their swords. Monteverdi also uses music to paint various other aspects of the story, including lilting rhythms for the motto de cavallo (horse trot) and fiery string passages for the clash of Tancredi and Clorinda. This work also pioneers the stile concitato (agitated style), which consists of rapid repeated notes, usually to convey tension.

THE STORY

Set during the First Crusade (1095 – 1099), the scena tells the story of a wandering knight, Tancredi, who encounters a mysterious armoured figure, who he takes for an opposing soldier. They fight and, when Tancredi is victorious, he removes the mortally wounded soldier’s helmet to tragically discover his lover, Clorinda. In her dying moments, Tancredi baptises Clorinda and she sees heaven opening to welcome her.

GIOVANNI MARIA TRABACI (C. 1575 – 1647)

Consonanze stravaganti

Giovanni Maria Trabaci is a little-known southern Italian composer, but he left a sizeable body of surviving works. His professional life seems to have taken place almost exclusively in Naples. This short work comes from a large volume of music called the Libro primo (first book) in dozens of different styles, dated 1603. It is over one hundred pages long, and contains one work titled Consonanze stravaganti (extravagant consonances). This is most likely a reference to the striking and unusual harmonies of the piece. Unexpected harmonic twists and turns make this work particularly memorable, much like the Kapsberger that opens this program. There is evidence that Trabaci would have intended this work to have been performed on a keyboard which had more keys than the modern keyboard, which has twelve keys per octave. This instrument, which would have been known as a type of cimbalo cromatico, would have had fourteen keys per octave, with the capacity to distinguish between notes that a modern keyboard cannot. This work is written with extreme chromatic changes that showcase these notes.

INTERVAL

S C E N E II

1716

S C E N E III

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685 – 1750)

Brandenburg Concerto No. 4, BWV 1049 (First Movement)

Johann Sebastian Bach is one of the titans of music history, and his volume of works is enormous, varied and hugely influential. The six Brandenburg Concertos have a special place among this repertoire, and so important are they to the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra that they are the inspiration for our name. These works were a gift from Bach to the Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt, which is the source of their name, although this moniker was not given to the set until about 150 years later. Surprisingly, there is no evidence that the Margrave ever replied to Bach, and it is likely that the Margrave never even heard them performed. Each of the six concertos has a distinct character, and all are noted for various virtuosic deployments of certain instruments. This concerto, the fourth, is renowned for its technically brilliant violin lines. It is also the only one of the six to feature two parts for the fiauti d’echo, although it is not entirely clear which instruments Bach had in mind for these parts. It is now believed that they were intended for the flauto dolce, or baroque recorder. While no single Brandenburg Concerto requires all 17 of the musicians that Bach had at his disposal while Kappellmeister (head of music-making) at Köthen, when viewed collectively their instrumentation suggests that they were intended for this specific group of musicians. As a result, it was most likely Bach’s intention that these concertos be performed with an ensemble of one musician per part, and for this performance, the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra is presenting the first movement of this concerto with just such a group.

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685 – 1750)

Coffee Cantata, BWV 211

For most of his working life, Bach resided in Leipzig, which was home to Café Zimmerman, the most prestigious and best-appointed Kaffeehaus (coffeehouse) in the town at the time. During Bach’s lifetime, coffeehouses were hugely popular. Coffee was introduced to Europe from Africa via the Middle East in the late 1500s, and it swept through the continent like wildfire in the 1600s. The earliest coffeehouses in Germany were established in port cities in the 1670s, and reached Leipzig some time after that. Leipzig’s Café Zimmerman was home to a Collegium Musicum (a musical society common in Germany at the time) that had been established by the composer Telemann in 1702. Bach ran the society between 1729 and 1739, and it was during this period that he composed the cantata Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht (Be quiet, stop chattering), but today it is best known as the Coffee Cantata. Although classified as a cantata – a vocal composition with instrumental accompaniment intended for concert performance – this particular work is rather like a miniature opera, featuring two characters plus a narrator, similar to Monteverdi’s combattimento.

THE STORY

The Coffee Cantata tells the story of Lieschen, a young girl who is addicted to coffee. Her disapproving father, Schlendrian (which literally means stick in the mud), threatens to withhold meals, clothes and anything else he can think of in order to force her to stop drinking the beverage. Ultimately, only the threat of forbidding her from marrying has the desired effect. However, Lieschen is a strong-willed girl, and when her father is offstage, she admits that she won’t marry a man who doesn’t indulge her coffee-drinking ways. In the end, Schlendrian seems to relent to his daughter’s ways, and the cantata closes with Lieschen, her father and the narrator singing together that drinking coffee is natural – a sentiment still shared by many, hundreds of years later.

Costume design sketch of Lieschen by Genevieve Graham

1918

Matt BruceAssociate Concertmaster

Shaun Lee-ChenConcertmaster

Ben DollmanBaroque Violin

Paul DyerHarpsichord / Organ

Monique O'DeaBaroque Viola

Jamie HeyBaroque Cello

Melissa FarrowBaroque Flute / Recorder

Mikaela ObergRecorder

Adam Cooper-StanburyPercussion

Laura VaughanLirone / Viola da gamba

Tommie AnderssonTheorbo / Baroque Guitar / Gallichon

Hannah LaneBaroque Harp

A U S T R A L I A N B R A N D E N B U R G O R C H E S T R A

Rob NairnViennese Violone

Costume design sketch of Tancredi by Genevieve Graham 2120

To find out more about becoming a partner for the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra please contact our Development team on 1300 782 856 or development@brandenburg.com.au

Principal

Government

Major

Presenting

Supporting

Media Trusts and Foundations

Australian Brandenburg Orchestra is assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia

Council, its arts funding and advisory bodyAustralian Brandenburg Orchestra is supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW

Brandenburg applauds our wonderful partners who proudly support our 2017 season.

O U R PA R T N E R S

“ Thanks to the tremendous generosity of you and your fellow Brandenburg supporters, we have established nothing short of cultural excellence as Australia’s national baroque orchestra for nearly 30 years. Our dream is to continue doing exactly this – achieving excellence, inspiring audiences and sharing our music with you for many more years to come.”

Paul Dyer AO Artistic Director Bruce Applebaum Managing Director

If the Brandenburg has enriched your life or if you would like to deepen your involvement with us, we would be thrilled to welcome you into our valued family of supporters.

To find out more, or to make a donation please get in touch with our Development team: T: 1300 782 856 E: development@brandenburg.com.au W: donations.brandenburg.com.au

BRANDENBURG ANNUAL GIVING DONORSLIFE PATRONS

Mary Holt and the late Dr John Holt

CHRISTINA $10,000 or above

Anthony Adair and Karen McLeod AdairAidan AllenStephen and Sophie AllenVirginia Braden WoolleyGraham Bradley AM and Charlene BradleyJillian Broadbent AO

Jane and David DuncanMichael Ebeid AM and Roland HowlettThe Faithfull FamilyMs Lesley GrantAlison HarropMary Holt and the late Dr John HoltMrs W G Keighley in memory of GeoffreyNick and Caroline MinogueAlison Park in loving memory of Richard ParkLady Potter AC CMRI

Rodwell FoundationRowan Ross AM and Annie RossJeanne-Claude Strong in memory of James StrongCameron WilliamsAnonymous x 3

RUSPOLI $5,000 – $9,999

Antoinette AlbertGlenn BarnesMrs Ros Bracher AM

David and Leith Bruce-SteerWayne Burns and Kean Onn SeeLouise ChristieRick and Sue Coles*Ms Emmanuelle DelannoyIn memory of Darrel FraserIphygenia KallinikosKatie Lahey AM and Robert MarriottVicki and Adam LibermanRobyn Martin-WeberJ and R MacLeodJ A McKernanVictoria TaylorDr Jason WenderothRay Wilson OAM in memory of James Agapitos OAM

A heartfelt thank you to our generous family of supporters.

O U R D O N O R S

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DURAZZO $1,000 – $4,999Paula AdamovichJ M AlroeBrett Andersen and Brad BowenJohn and Robyn ArmstrongCathy AstonIan Baker and Cheryl SaundersPeter BarclayFrederic Baudry and Paul BaileyJeanette BeaumontMarc Besen AC and Eva Besen AODr Beverley and Mr Alan CastlemanDr Catherine Brown-Watt PSM and Mr Derek WattKay BuckeridgeHenry Burmester and Peter MasonElizabeth Butcher AMDr Annette E CarruthersMr Peter Clark and Mrs Jan ClarkRebecca and Craig ClarkeMargaret and Bernard ColesEmeritus Professor Martin Comte OAMProfessor Geoffrey N CooperPhillip Cornwell and Cecilia RiceDom Cottam and Kanako ImamuraJim Cousins AO and Libby CousinsTim and Bryony CoxA L CrottyDr John Dale AO and Mrs Joan DaleDavid Davies and Paul PresaEmeritus Professor Dexter Dunphy AMNita DurhamRalph and Maria EvansRosemary FarrowWendy and Ron FeinerNancy Fox and Bruce ArnoldBrian and Philippa FranceCarrillo and Ziyin GantnerJustin and Anne GardenerBill and Julie GooldAnn Gordon*Richard and Anna GreenKen Groves and Yun-sik Jang

Margaret and Chris de GuingandH L HanksAudrey HawkinsJane HemstritchDr Ailsa Hocking and Dr Bernard WilliamsJ Holden Family FoundationCarr and Ann HordernJenny and Peter HordernJ L HossackJill and David HuntBelinda Hutchinson AMDr Alastair JacksonGayl Jenkins & Chris PellegrinettiNuala and Ajit KamathThe Hon Rod Kemp and Mrs Daniele KempLiana KestelmanArthur and Vicky KoumoukelisAnn and James LahoreMr John Lamble AOPaul LindwallGreg LivingstoneRichard and Elizabeth LongesElizabeth Mackenzie and Michael BremnerProfessor Roy and Doctor Kimberley MacLeodAggie MaisanoCarina MartinDr Diana Marks and Dennis BluthJoanna B MaxwellMora MaxwellRichard and Rowena McDonaldPeter McGrathJohn Milhinch OAMDr David Millons AM and Mrs Barbara MillonsGlenn MossDr Paul Nisselle AM and Mrs Sue NisselleRointon Nugara and Brendan NugentRosemary and Jim O'CollinsPaul O'DonnellFaye ParkerTrevor J ParkinRemembering Tom and Jenny Parramore

Professor David PeningtonDr John PercyWJ and R PoateJim and Chris PollittKevin Powell and Alison DeansTed and Jean RadfordMicheal L RattiganPatricia H Reid Endowment Pty LtdDr David and Dr Gillian RitchieAlexander and Rosemary RocheLois RoffeyJustice Ronald Sackville AO and Mrs Pamela SackvilleJohn ScottDr Celina SeetoDaniela ShannonDr Gideon and Mrs Barbara ShawPaul Sheehan and Susan WyndhamMr Charlie Shuetrim AM and Mrs Sandra ShuetrimAlan and Jennifer SmithChris and Bea SochanMrs Beverley SouthernBrendan SowryKeith StammersDr Murray and Mrs Joy StapletonThe Suich FamilyMrs Suzy and Dr Mark SussPenny SwainMark and Debra TaylorMr Mike ThompsonMs Janet TorneyMrs C and Mr P Vaughan-ReidStephen and Ruth WalshSally and Geoffrey WhiteYanina WhiteBruce WilliamsJudith WilliamsRichard WillisGregory W WonGregory WoodK A WrattenAnonymous x 16

SUPPORTER I $500 – $999Jaci ArmstrongCatherine BroadyKeith and Louise BrodieProfessor David BryantAnnette and Kevin BurgesIta ButtroseMarianne CochraneChris and Trudy CooteDeborah DebnamCarol des CognetsSusan Dixon and Stephen RixMargaret DobbinJane Edmanson OAMElisabeth and Grahame ElderSarah FindlayPeter Fletcher AM and Kate FletcherMalcolm and Barbara FranceLeigh GarvanChristine GeorgeNorman GillespiePatricia Glanville-MillerRichard and Heather GorrellPhilip and Anabel GosseCarole A. P. Grace

Peter and Deirdre GrahamSandra HaslamArmon Hicks and Dr Karin SowadaGeoff HogbinGeoff HowardPenelope HughesMichael JonesNicholas KornerBetty LynchA le MarchantJ & J MartinRichard MasiulanisWendy E McCarthy AOKate McCueRoss McNair and Robin RichardsonJulie Ann MorrisonMrs June Musgrove in memory of Dr Peter MusgroveJohn and Susan MyattAndrew NaylorMoffatt Oxenbould AM and Graeme Ewer AMDr Alice J PalmerIn memory of Jenny ParramoreDr Kevin PedemontJohn Peisley and Ros Royal

Christina PenderHelen PerlenNella PinkertonBeverly and Ian PryerMr Paul ReinBarbara and Malcolm RichardsonG J RowePeter RushJeannette SharpeDr Agnes SinclairJann SkinnerRobyn SmilesMargot SmithThe Hon Susan and Dr Frank MorganAnthony TarletonSue ThomsonMr Frank Tisher OAM and Dr Miriam TisherJillian WaltonSusanne WardDr J and A WhaiteDavid Wood and Gary FungSusan YoungAnonymous x 24

SUPPORTER II $250 – $499Peter AllanCarole BaileyProfessor Fran Boyle AMDr Roderick BrooksJenny and Henry BurgerIngrid ButtersDavid and Louise ByrneJ and M CameronToula and Nicholas CowellIn memory of Betty CurtainJanet DoustAndrew DunnRita ErlichKay FellMarguerite Foxon*Dr Mark Garwood and Mrs Elizabeth GarwoodJudith GibsonMrs Judith L. Gibson

Peter HalesAnthony B HallRoger and Scarlet HawkeMeredith HellicarFrank Hemmings*In Loving Memory of Dean HuddlestonePamela Kenny in memory of Peter*Joshua Kim and Richard HouseLizanne and Julian Knights AOGeorge LawrenceIan K LloydAnne LoveridgeNeil Mackintosh and Stuart BrownRosemary MangiameleMorris and Helen MargolisPeter McCallJustin MilneKatrina Molino

Rosemary and Jim O'CollinsPenelope OerlemansMrs Roslyn Packer ACE K PalmerArt and Cynthia RaicheKen RamshawProfessor Steve and Dr Sharon Schach*Judith ShelleyCathy and John SimpsonIn memoriam Malcolm StewartMr Mark Edward Taylor*Amanda Trenaman and Steven TurnerMargot VaughanHenry Vindin and Vail BrombergerJoy WardleDr. Anthony WilliamsAnonymous x 47

*Donors to the Brandenburg International Baroque Study Program This donor list is current for a 12-month period to 25 Sep 2017. Supporter III donations are acknowledged at donations.brandenburg.com.au

ORCHESTRAL CHAIRS

Concertmaster Chair supported by Jacqui and John Mullen

Baroque Cello Chair supported by Mrs W G Keighley

Theorbo/Baroque Guitar Chair supported by The Alexandra and Lloyd Martin Family Foundation and friends, in memory of Lloyd Martin AM

CHAIRMAN’S 11

Dedicated to the memory of James Strong AO. Chairman’s 11 supports the Brandenburg’s international and local guest artists.

Louise Christie Roxane ClaytonJan and Frank ConroyJamieson Coote BondsRichard Fisher AM and Diana FisherRichard Grellman AMChris and Gina Grubb

Carol Haynes and Skipp WilliamsonIn memory of a first class cricketer (UK), W G KeighleyGrant and Jennifer KingSusan Maple-Brown AMMs Gretel PackerAnonymous

BRANDENBURG OPERA CIRCLE

The following donors have supported the establishment of the Brandenburg Opera Circle, enabling the Orchestra to expand its repertoire into the world of baroque opera, as well as nurturing young opera singers and creative teams.

Toula and Nicholas CowellDeborah Fox and Harald JahrlingJustin and Anne GardenerIrene and John GarranKen Groves and Yun-sik JangMary Holt and the late Dr John HoltA le MarchantPeter McGrath

Dr Agnes SinclairVictoria TaylorGreg WardRay Wilson OAM in memory of James Agapitos OAM

Christine Yip and Paul BradyAnonymous x 2

CORPORATE DONORS AccentureAPA GroupBain & Company

Link GroupPacific Equity PartnersQANTAS Loyalty

PLANNED GIVINGBequest The Australian Brandenburg Orchestra warmly acknowledges the bequest it has received from the Estate of Valda Astrida Siksna.

Play on: a lasting legacy We are hugely appreciative to all those who have pledged a bequest to the Brandenburg.

Janet DoustThe Faithfull Family Brian and Leonie FisherR J IrwinLilly K

Peter McGrathPenelope OerlemansJoan and Lloyd PoultonArt and Cynthia RaicheAnonymous x 8

BRANDENBURG FOUNDATION DONORS

AMATI $250,000 – $500,000

The Eileen Marie Dyer AM FundAnonymous

STRADIVARI $100,000 – $249,999

Cary and Rob GillespieAnonymous

GUARNERI $50,000 – $99,999

Chris and Kathy HarropMacquarie Group FoundationThe Martin Family in memory of Lloyd Martin AM

Christine Yip and Paul BradyAnonymous

MAESTRI $25,000 – $49,999

John and Robyn ArmstrongGreg Hutchinson AM and Lynda HutchinsonNick and Caroline MinogueRowan Ross AM and Annie Ross

ARCANGELI $15,000 – $24,999

Mr David Baffsky AO and Mrs Helen BaffskyMelinda Conrad and David JonesGlenn Moss and the late Dr Ken Moss AM

David and Rachel Zehner

CAMERATA $10,000 – $14,999

Graham Bradley AM and Charlene BradleyThe Clayton FamilyNorman GillespieRohan Mead

To find out more, or to make a donation please get in touch: T: 1300 782 856 E: development@brandenburg.com.au W: donations.brandenburg.com.au 2524

CITY RECITAL HALL LIMITED

Board of Directors Renata Kaldor AO, Chair Timothy Cox AO, Deputy Chair Helen Bauer Jo Dyer The Hon Justice Elizabeth Fullerton Kerri Glasscock Marcus McArdle Clive Paget Maria Sykes

CEO Elaine Chia

2 – 12 Angel Place Sydney NSW 2000

Administration 02 9231 9000

Box Office 02 8256 2222

Website cityrecitalhall.com

MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE

Corner Southbank Boulevard and Sturt Street Southbank VIC 3006

Administration 03 9699 2228

Box Office 03 9699 3333

Facsimile 03 9207 2662

Website melbournerecital.com.au

Founding Patron The Late Dame Elisabeth Murdoch AC DBE

Board of Directors Kathryn Fagg, Chair

Peter Bartlett

Stephen Carpenter

Joseph Corponi

The Hon Mary Delahunty

Paul Donnelly

Eda Ritchie AM

Margaret Farren-Price

Executive Staff

Euan Murdoch, Chief Executive Officer

Greg Diamantis, Director of Production & Presenter Services

Marshall McGuire, Director of Artistic Planning

Robert Murray, Director Marketing & Customer Relations

Sandra Robertson, Director of Development

Sandra Stoklossa, Director Corporate Services

Executive Assistant Susan DuffyOrchestral Operations Manager Ashley GilesAssistant to Artistic Director Joanna ButlerLibrarian Alex PalmerProduction Coordinator Shannon O’Hara

Head of Development Kirsty DivehallPhilanthropy Manager Andrew BrookMarketing Manager Tom MorganMarketing Manager, Digital Tina SempleMarketing Executive Shiki ChanPublicist Steven Godbee Publicity

Box Office Manager Kateryna CollierActing Box Office Manager Thomas ChiuReceptionist/Ticketing Assistant Ewelina EllsmoreAdministration/Ticketing Assistant Nastassia LaptevAccountant John Scott

Accounts Assistant Ian CreeveyAuditors KPMGRepertoire Advisors (honorary) Charles Gwynn Andrew O’Connor Christopher PricePre-Concert Talks Dr Alan Maddox

PatronsHis Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Ret'd) Governor-General of AustraliaHis Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Ret'd) Governor of New South Wales

Artistic DirectorPaul Dyer AO

Managing DirectorBruce Applebaum

The Brandenburg CouncilJillian Broadbent AOGreg Hutchinson AMMax Suich

The BoardGreg Ward, ChairmanAidan AllenBruce ApplebaumDavid Baffsky AORichard BoycePaul Dyer AOJohn C FastLesley GrantAlison HarropKatie Lahey AMRohan MeadDavid ZehnerBridget O’Brien, Company Secretary

Deputy General ManagerBridget O’Brien

Brandenburg Ensemble Limited trading as Australian Brandenburg Orchestrais a non-profit organisation registered as a company limited by guarantee. ABN 41 003 908 183Address 142 New South Head Road, Edgecliff NSW 2027 | Post GPO Box 4416, Sydney NSW 2001Telephone 61 2 9328 7581 | Website brandenburg.com.au | Email mail@brandenburg.com.au

For Bittersweet ObsessionsProduction Manager Sandie BekavacProduction Coordinator Shannon O’HaraDeputy Stage Manager Alex PalmerHead Mechanist Stephen BancroftLighting/Technical Tyrone SantikaWardrobe Oscar GuarnizoHair & Makeup Peggy Carter

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SERIES TWO

the harpistXAVIER DE MAISTREVisit inner worlds of exquisite sensitivity, filled with light and shade.

SERIES ONE

Soar gently above the rolling, patchwork fields of England.

Thomas Tallis England

Karakorum A musical Journey

SERIES THREE

Cross from west to east, from concert hall to theatre, on a mysterious, cultural, and spiritual journey.

SERIES SIX

SUBSCRIBECall 1300 782 856 or visitbrandenburg.com.au/subscribe

SERIES FOUR

THe BURNING ViolinStefano Montanari is a true baroque star and a thrilling performer.

WITH STEFANO MONTANARI

Lixsania and the Labyrinth

SERIES FIVE

Witness a vibrant new energy brought to Vivaldi, Graun and Duchiffre.

Follow your starLike discovering Prague’s Christmas market in the middle of your hometown. 3332

J o y f u l a n d t r i u m p h a n t

City Recital HallDecember 13-16

Melbourne Recital CentreDecember 9

Celebrate the wonder of the seasonStarring tenor Joel Parnis and the Brandenburg Orchestra & Choir

BOOK NOW | BRANDENBURG.COM.AU | 1300 782 856