Life and death and entropy

Don't read too much into the title.  I'm reading a book (Hovering / Rhett Davis) and this phrase appeared (p.218) and it seemed to fit CSO's Mozart Requiem concert pretty well.  They played 3 pieces.  First was Mozart Divertimento Dmaj, written at age 16 and thus the life to contrast with the final piece, Mozart Requiem, as the death.  In fact, he famously only wrote part of the work and left sketches for more and nothing for some movements.  Entropy somewhat fits with the middle piece, Australian Corrina Bonshek Dreams of the Earth I for string orchestra, all sounds of the bush and cicadas and if structured, not too obviously, although I did note repeating bass passages.  This was sounds of nature and quite authentic in its impression, concerned with nature as the impressionists were, but quite accurate unlike their take on colour and movement.  The Divertimento was a lively and relatively light piece and nicely done, although I did feel some it a bit untogether, perhaps in diverse lines in the composition, but nothing at all of the sort for the Requiem.  To my ears and closed eyes that was a stunning, hugely dynamic with the quieteest passages looming then exploding, solo voices clear and choral passages massive and touching.  The movements are from the Catholic mass.  CSO played with a choir of ~50 and 4 vocal soloists and the orchestra as scored, 2 basset horns, 2 bassoons, three trombones, timpani, violins and violas and continuo comprising cellos, basses (3) and organ.  So not huge in volume but apt.  I sat eyes closed for most of the work, stunned by the effectiveness and power and the capable performance, indulging in the immnse beauty of it all, lusting over the fugues.  How I love fugues.  CSO did themselves proud.

Canberra Symphony Orchestra performed Mozart Divertimento and Requiem and Corrina Bonshek at Llewellyn Hall. Erin Helyard (conductor) led soloist singers Sara Macliver (soprano), Ashlyn Tymms (mezzo-soprano), Louis Hurley (tenor) and Christopher Richardson (bass-baritone), Kristen Williams (violin, concertmaster) and the CSO chorus prepared by Tobias Cole (chorus master).