Most worthy rehash of rehashes

I recorded the first of Mike Dooley's set of compositions in the styles of a string of periods and renowned composers, from baroque and classical to the romantics and impressionists, Mozart, Bach, Haydn, Beethoven, Clementi, Chopin and the like.  I guess it was a learning tool but more.  This was authentic in a ranges of styles, so his piano concerto had been played several times and the set is recorded and on streaming sites (Michael Dooley Anachronisms).  This was Anachronism's 10 year anniversary, Mike had written some string quartet parts, there one or two newbies, not least a latin called Tango in Cheek, where each pianist lined up to play a part with the string quartet.  Very amusing but also interesting musically.  After all, Mike is a pretty decent jazz improviser and that calls for latins too, even if he read this one. There were a series of some of the best pianists in town, Anthony Smith, Emily Leong, Jennifer Hou, Aaron Chew and Andrew Ramsay taking their pieces and the Grevillea String Quartet, and a very decent audience ready with all proceeds going to a charity project to build a school for children in Nigeria.  And it was a long night: 2.5 hours with the interval.  But so impressive.  Much admired.

Mike Dooley (composer, piano) presented a string of his compositions written in different musical styles played played by Mike and Anthony Smith, Emily Leong, Jennifer Hou, Aaron Chew and Andrew Ramsay (piano) with accompaniment by the Grevillea String Quartet comprising Vanessa Driver and Shilong Ye (violins), Julie Kate Horneman (viola) and Alex Moncur (cello).

Aussie oi

Black Mountain Piano Quartet are mates of mine from NCO and they played Mozart as one will, but the real feature of this concert was the Australians.  It matches the Matilda times.  They opened with Elena Katz-Chernin, admittedly born in Tashkent but now warmly welcomed as one of our great composers.  Then the Mozart, his Piano Quartet no.2 Ebmaj.  Then a break and the main work, Colin Brumby Piano quartet.  I didn't know of Colin Brumby but he's Australian in more ways than just his name and his piano quartet was considerable and impressive.  CB was from Melbourne and studied there and further in Europe then settled in Brisbane as a music academic and director of the Queensland Opera Company.  His work is extensive, for opera, choirs, orchestra, chamber group, organ and more.  Including this one piano quartet.  I heard it as an expansive opening movement (expansivo!), a nicely questing middle movement and a demanding third, all with effective push and pull between piano and strings.  A worthy work and a nice find for BMPQ.  Then a final twist.  I wonder why it is that the classics are often welcoming to metal, but thus it is.  Today it was Iron Maiden Run to the hills, capably arranged by local Warren 'Wazza' Brahms (AKA...).  So, an interesting and expansive concert from one of our local gems.  Nicely done and congrats for finding that work from Colin Brumby.

The Black Mountain Piano Quartet performed at All Saints Ainslie.  BMPQ comprises Jason Li (violin), Thayer Parker (viola), Alex Moncur (cello) and Kathleen Loh (piano).

B-ing late

Last year was the big Beethoven birth bicentennial but many events were lost due to Covid.  I just got to one, a year late.  It was Black Mountain Piano Quartet playing two Beethoven piano quartets, one written at age 15, another much later, and two pieces written to Beethoven.  Local composer Michael Hardy, an old mate from the Patents Office and also the Blues Club, presented two world premieres, A scherzo for Ludwig and Ludwig in Wonderland.  Mike introduced the works as influenced by Beethoven's playfulness, thus the scherzo, obvious enough, but Wonderland?  Beethoven after too much listening to Steve Reich and Terry Riley.  Amusing.  And both were solid, interesting works.  Well done.  Not to be limited (Mike is prolific!) the encore was a classical take on an Angels song, a great melody with classical harmony and quartet interplays.  Insinuating and satisfying.  The BMPQ was neat and internally responsive, perhaps a bit unsure of some of Mike's reimaginings, but very satisfying.  As for cello, Alex got a good few bass-like lines.   But think of this.  In a few hours in downtown Canberra, I've explored bell ringing in two venues and experienced 2.5 world premieres and 2 Beethoven piano quartets.  And tomorrow a touch of Afrobeat, perhaps?

 The Black Mountain Piano Quartet comprised Jason Li (violin), Thayer Parker (viola), Alex Moncur (cello) and Kathleen Loh (piano).  They played Beethoven and Michael Hardy after Beethoven and The Angels at All Saints, including 2.5 world premieres.