Cups runneth over

There was a bounteous plenitude of performers at Wesley when the Scholars presented.  Not all Scholars, but 6 is lots in 40 minutes, and they were a capable lot.  Core was possibly Bernice Chua who was accompanist for both Zoe Loxley Slump and Yona Su, oboe and viola.  They swapped a little with Zoe playing two shortish Saint Saens movements, then Yona a longer Alfred Hill movement, then Zoe returning for a short Oboe tango.  Then a change of all, with Emma Warburton playing a flute on Reinecke with accompaniment by Ronan Apcar.  So a mix of performers and styles and very well received.  Bernice is now studying performance in Salzburg but I think the others are all advanced students at the School of Music.  Whatever, it was a fascinating mix of tones and composers and exposure to some seriously upcoming artists.  Two are to join the winter academy at the Australian Romantic and Classical Orchestra; another was performing for Megan and CIMF that very night at Ainslie Arts Centre.  That was Ronan, but he might just be a Scholar ring-in pm the day.  Either way, busy all round and impressive and it all bodes well.  Much enjoyed.

Zoe Loxley Slump (oboe), Yona Su (viola), Emma Warburton (flute), Bernice Chua and Ronan Apcar (piano) performed as Wesley Scholars at Wesley.

A keyboard’s range

Some pianos are bigger, but the range of a standard grand piano is 88 keys, or about 7.5 octaves. But talking here or ranges, I mean something else. For the second time, I’ve heard a concert of the students of Marie Cull. She’s a renowned piano teacher here in Canberra and one who’s won AMEB awards. This concert had range: of age, of difficulty, of style. We heard pieces from young to old, boy to girl and a few duets. From etudes to Liszt and Chopin and on from Australian contemporary composer Ross Edwards. The young ones started with piano stool hiked high. I enjoyed all of this music: from the first etude, this was interesting. Marie must know her repertoire. Joshua Lee played first with an insistent, thriller-like 3/4 etude, Heller’s Study Op.46 no.3. Sarah Zhu followed with Bortkiewicz’ Butterfly which was flighty then heavy then dissonant then flighty again until a skewering pin brings its end. Vivienne Tran played a slower impressionistic piece, Night by Melartin, then teamed with Jerry Lu for more impressionism, Laideronette Imperatrice des Pagodes by Ravel. Bernice Chua and Sarah Zhu belted out a jazzy outspoken number with blues chords, The dancer by Dello Joio. Patrick Gu presented two Songs without words by Mendelssohn, a prettier, salon-style Op.102 no.5 then the a more driving 3/4 Op.102 no.3. Kirsten Leung played a twittering 3/4 called Forest Birds by Jensen. Then Jonathon Lee with Chopin’s well deserved, well known Nocturne Op.9 no.2. Bernice Chua played a Chopin waltz that I remember playing in my schooldays, but which I never played so well, the sometimes morose Op.34 no.2. I understood it better from this take with its distinct segments. Candice Lui played Prokofieff Prelude Op.12 no.7. This is also played on harp, and it’s a dead ringer, all rippling arpeggios and sweeps of notes. Then Fiona Backhouse with the slow, pensive, romantic Gluck Melodie, and to finish, Emily Buckley played emotional, varied, virtuosic piano from Liszt, Sonetta 47 del Petrarca, and a gentle, lyrical ¾ with big flourishes, Frangipani by Ross Edwards.

Very clever kids (some not quite so young)! Well done and much enjoyed. Marie Cull’s students performed at St Albans.

Next gen

I caught a series of students of piano teacher, Marie Cull, at St Albans and it was varied and engaging. Ages from 6 to young adult. AMEB levels from grade 3 to LMUS. Varied composers and thus styles. I was intrigued by Bach’s varying takes on English and Italians: the English Suite was steady, even incessant, the Italian Concerto was interrupted, punctuated. Debussy presented another sense of tonality. Chopin was romantic and heavily pedalled. Frank Hutchens was romantic and perhaps bushy. Apparently he’s known to some locals. Plenty of triplet and waltz feels and some devilish sprays of notes and odd times bouncing between left and right hands. In all, it was a satisfying lunchtime outing from a new generation of pianists.

Here’s the program: Nicholas Shuttleworth, Big black spider by Mirrie Hill; Enling Liao, Contradanse by Hummel; Jerry Lu, Little bird by Grieg; Zoe Larsen-Cumming, Nocturne by Grieg; Bernice Chua, Mazurka Op.7 No.1 by Chopin; Bernice Chua and Jonathan Lee, Le jardin de Dolly by Faure; Jonathan Lee, Arabesque 1 by Debussy; Vivian Zhu, Italian Concerto (1st movt) by JSBach; Laura Pham, Weeping Mist by Frank Hutchens; Christopher Bottomley, Prelude from English Suite 3 by JS Bach; Emma Rayner, Nocturne Op.27 No.2 by Chopin; Emily Buckley, Sonata Op.31 No.2 (1st movt) by Beethoven.