Two nights ago I had the very good fortune to listen to a concert given by Australia's highly regarded Acacia Quartet at Armidale's Conservatorium of Music. The quartet's four members are not only quite young and highly accomplished, but have worked in many different countries over the years, including some of Europe's leading orchestras and ensembles.
The performers were Lisa Stewart and Myee Clohessy (both Violin), Stefan Duwe (Viola) and Anna Martin-Scrase (Cello). Their enjoyment of the occasion was exemplary and infected the audience. Here they are at the beginning of the program:
Their program was also an interesting mixture. I loved Mozart's string quartet in D minor (K421, 1783) - beautifully nuanced. Dvorak's quartet in F major (Op 96, 1893) was just as inspiring. In part that is because one of my favourite symphonies is his 'New World' symphony written while in the USA while director of the National Conservatory in New York. Amazingly, the string quartet borrowed themes from the symphony ... or was it the other way around? The quartet was composed in rural Ohio while he was visiting a Czech migrant community there, a visit he really enjoyed.
And now for the cat among the pigeons. The third work was warmly received, but I guess none of my readers would have heard of the composer. Her name is Alice Chance. She's only 25 years old and an Australian. And the work was called "Sundried Quartet", an appropriate name given that we're in the middle of perhaps the worst drought ever. More strangely still, each of the 4 movements was named after a plant or vegetable. I can recall the last two: Aloe Vera and Tomato. Just as interesting for me was the date of composition: 2019. The first two movements were first played mid-year. The third had its debut in c. September and I gather that the last movement dates from just recently. In the next picture, the ensemble is taking a truly deserved bow.
So this was an interesting and high class performance, demonstrating yet again, Armidale's credentials as a music, drama, and fine arts centre.
AS
The performers were Lisa Stewart and Myee Clohessy (both Violin), Stefan Duwe (Viola) and Anna Martin-Scrase (Cello). Their enjoyment of the occasion was exemplary and infected the audience. Here they are at the beginning of the program:
Their program was also an interesting mixture. I loved Mozart's string quartet in D minor (K421, 1783) - beautifully nuanced. Dvorak's quartet in F major (Op 96, 1893) was just as inspiring. In part that is because one of my favourite symphonies is his 'New World' symphony written while in the USA while director of the National Conservatory in New York. Amazingly, the string quartet borrowed themes from the symphony ... or was it the other way around? The quartet was composed in rural Ohio while he was visiting a Czech migrant community there, a visit he really enjoyed.
And now for the cat among the pigeons. The third work was warmly received, but I guess none of my readers would have heard of the composer. Her name is Alice Chance. She's only 25 years old and an Australian. And the work was called "Sundried Quartet", an appropriate name given that we're in the middle of perhaps the worst drought ever. More strangely still, each of the 4 movements was named after a plant or vegetable. I can recall the last two: Aloe Vera and Tomato. Just as interesting for me was the date of composition: 2019. The first two movements were first played mid-year. The third had its debut in c. September and I gather that the last movement dates from just recently. In the next picture, the ensemble is taking a truly deserved bow.
So this was an interesting and high class performance, demonstrating yet again, Armidale's credentials as a music, drama, and fine arts centre.
AS
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