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.

I try

I recently discovered a new company around town, Canberra Opera. It's another community organisation, small scale attempting big things, supporting the development of singers and performance of opera in Canberra. Their latest production was La Boheme, staged with piano accompaniment at the Ainslie Arts Centre. Not a big production in a big hall with orchestra, but the real thing nonetheless. Four acts; presumably all the parts and lyrics and music and a full evening's outing. I warmed to the duo of Puccini's Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi when performed a few years back by ANUSM then struggled with an Australian Opera performance in the Sydney Opera House sometime later. I thought it was time to revisit opera. But I'm afraid, despite an Italian background, I find it difficult to warm to the theatrical device that is opera, this story no less than others. But many do. I did enjoy aspects of this performance, though, not least the two strong performers playing the two key female parts, Louise Keast as Mimi, seamstress dying of consumption and loved one of poet Rudolfo, and Karen Dalzell as flirty Musetta, old flame of painter Marcello. Congrats also to pianist Kathleen Loh who played unceasingly throughout the full performance and even between acts. And cast and company.

Canberra Opera presented Puccini La Boheme at the Ainslie Arts Centre. Louise Keast (Mimi), Karen Dalzell (Musetta) and company were accompanied by Kathleen Loh (piano).