After all the restrictions and limitations imposed over the past couple of years how exciting it is to get off to a new year with the hope of next to no breaks in our schedule. A record number of enrolments this year for our Music Appreciation presentations adds even more to the excitement.
With the Sydney Symphony Orchestra not giving concert performances until March, our February sessions were all selected from the current concert offerings of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
Hence our first session saw us acknowledging Chinese New Year with musical compositions by Chinese composers and Chinese vocalists. The major work was a cello concerto by Zhao Jiping featuring Chinese musical instruments playing in combination with traditional western instruments. The session was rounded off with arias from Puccini operas – Boheme, Butterfly, Tosca and Turandot.
The second session picked up on most of the remainder of the MSO February concerts - Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture, Haydn’s 6th Symphony, a couple of excerpts from Mascagni’s opera.
Cavalleria Rusticana, Cesar Franck’s tone poem Le Chasseur Maudit (The Accursed Hunter), and rounding off with the second of the two Orchestral Suites from Ravel’s ballet Daphnis and Chloe. You can read the programme notes and find links to the music items below.
On a final note, there will not be a Music Appreciation session on Friday 11 March (I will be away taking a short holiday), however I will be home in time for the Friday 25 March session.
Bill Squire.
Convenor
February 11
Session Notes
Wang Xilin - Torch Procession
Pamir, My Beautiful Home Town
Zhao Jiping - Cello Concerto
Jian-Fen Gu - That is Me
La Boheme - Act 1 Excerpts
Tosca - Vissi d'Arte
Madam Butterfly - Un bel di veldremo
Turandot - Nessun Dorma
February 25
Session Notes
Mendelssohn - Hebrides Overture
Haydn - Symphony No. 6
Cavalleria Rusticana - Easter Hymn
Cavalleria Rusticana - Intermezzo
Franck - Le Chasseur Maudit - French National Orchestra
Franck - Le Chasseur Maudit - Salt Lake City Orchestra
Ravel - Daphnis and Chloe Suite No 2
Bill Squire.
With the Sydney Symphony Orchestra not giving concert performances until March, our February sessions were all selected from the current concert offerings of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
Hence our first session saw us acknowledging Chinese New Year with musical compositions by Chinese composers and Chinese vocalists. The major work was a cello concerto by Zhao Jiping featuring Chinese musical instruments playing in combination with traditional western instruments. The session was rounded off with arias from Puccini operas – Boheme, Butterfly, Tosca and Turandot.
The second session picked up on most of the remainder of the MSO February concerts - Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture, Haydn’s 6th Symphony, a couple of excerpts from Mascagni’s opera.
Cavalleria Rusticana, Cesar Franck’s tone poem Le Chasseur Maudit (The Accursed Hunter), and rounding off with the second of the two Orchestral Suites from Ravel’s ballet Daphnis and Chloe. You can read the programme notes and find links to the music items below.
On a final note, there will not be a Music Appreciation session on Friday 11 March (I will be away taking a short holiday), however I will be home in time for the Friday 25 March session.
Bill Squire.
Convenor
February 11
Session Notes
Wang Xilin - Torch Procession
Pamir, My Beautiful Home Town
Zhao Jiping - Cello Concerto
Jian-Fen Gu - That is Me
La Boheme - Act 1 Excerpts
Tosca - Vissi d'Arte
Madam Butterfly - Un bel di veldremo
Turandot - Nessun Dorma
February 25
Session Notes
Mendelssohn - Hebrides Overture
Haydn - Symphony No. 6
Cavalleria Rusticana - Easter Hymn
Cavalleria Rusticana - Intermezzo
Franck - Le Chasseur Maudit - French National Orchestra
Franck - Le Chasseur Maudit - Salt Lake City Orchestra
Ravel - Daphnis and Chloe Suite No 2
Bill Squire.
