Program Guide 2012 Program Guide | Page 49

World PREMIERE Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre and Speak Percussion in association with Melbourne Festival Grand provocateur of Australia’s contemporary classical scene, Melbourne’s Speak percussion takes us on an inspired sonic voyage through the possibilities of keyboard music. Speak Percussion has spent the last decade rerouting, deconstructing and altogether shattering our preconceptions of what classical music can be. From canonical works turned inside out to controversial new compositions that merge choreography, architecture, dining and design, Speak is one of the most consistently innovative ensembles in Australia today. Now, with Quasi Una Fantasia (Almost a Fantasy), Speak sets its sights firmly on the foundation point of the Western tradition itself. In a playful program that is part conceptual exploration, part reverential tribute to the infinite possibilities of the keyboard, Quasi Una Fantasia showcases this most familiar of instruments in ways you’ve never heard before. John Cage 4.33” Helmut Lachenmann Guero for solo piano Rohan Drape See hearer clearer for mechanical piano, percussion and electronics* Iannis Xenakis Evryali for solo piano Adam Simmons Pandora’s Box for music boxes and toy piano* Chris Dench Permutation City for marimbas, vibraphone and crotales* La Monte Young Piano piece for David Tudor no. 1 for piano, hay and a bucket of water Conlon Nancarrow Player Piano Studies (arr. Speak Percussion) for various keyboard instruments * World premiere Speak Percussion (Australia) MUSIC Quasi una Fantasia Artistic Director Eugene Ughetti Performers Peter Neville, Matthias SchackArnott, Eugene Ughetti Guest Soloist Michael Kieran Harvey Event information Salon, Melbourne Recital Centre Tue 23 Oct at 6pm, 9pm 1hr 30min including interval $35 / $25 Transaction & booking fees may apply Melbourne Recital Centre (03) 9699 3333 melbournerecital.com.au Ticketmaster 136 100 melbournefestival.com.au Australian PREMIERE Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre in association with Melbourne Festival From the seeds of one of the world’s most enduring conflicts comes an inspiring musical collaboration, as two classical pianists find a harmony that their nations are yet to enjoy. Both just 28 years old, piano virtuosos Yaron Kohlberg and Bishara Haroni are the preeminent pianists of their generation in their respective homelands: Israel and Palestine. For the past four years they have performed together as Duo Amal, their finesse and energy taking them to some of the world’s most prestigious auditoriums, from the Beijing Concert Hall and New York’s Carnegie Hall to the legendary Beethovenhalle in Bonn. Whether playing two grand pianos nestled together or sharing the same keyboard, Kohlberg and Haroni create a music that rises above the national barriers that would see them pushed apart. Across a wide-ranging repertoire, their pieces sweep from masters through to the new breed of Israeli and Palestinian composers, exploring the myriad sounds and possibilities afforded by the piano duo – a form of classical music almost lost in the modern age. Bringing the voice of youth to bear on a conflict they have endured their whole lives, Kohlberg and Haroni’s exhilarating performances are a transcendent plea for peace, and a vital celebration of the capacity of music to join people across the boundaries of culture and place. Duo Amal MUSIC (Israel/Palestine) Schubert Fantasy in F minor D. 940 Prokofiev Symphony No. 1 in D minor ‘Classical’, Op. 25 (arranged for four hands by Rikuya Terashima) R. Shapira He is the One S. Odde Tamimi Amal Rachmaninov Suite no. 1 Op. 5 Event Information Elisabeth Murdoch Hall, Melbourne Recital Centre Wed 24 Oct at 7.30pm 1hr 45min including interval A Res. $60 / $50 B Res. $40 / $30 Transaction & booking fees may apply Melbourne Recital Centre (03) 9699 3333 melbournerecital.com.au Ticketmaster 136 100 melbournefestival.com.au This concert has been made possible with assistance from the Embassy of Israel. 49