Dear guests, friends and supporters of the Conservatorium,
Welcome to the first Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra concert in 2023. Tonight we travel back from 2023 in increments of 100. For an orchestral program, we could travel back as far as 1623, but tonight we will begin with 53-year-old Beethoven in 1823. The giant of the classical era was at this time almost completely withdrawn from public life and social events, deaf for almost 15 years, sitting in his lonely apartment in Vienna and writing three of his most significant works: Missa Solemnis, Symphony no.9 and the Diabelli Variations
At the same time and in the same city, a young composer enjoyed life in café houses and within a circle of friends, scribbling melodies and harmonies on serviettes and any available piece of paper: Franz Schubert, the genius song writer, the intimate romantic voice who brought the artform of Lied to full bloom. Yes, the Romantic era was about to take ownership of the musical world. Most important was Carl Maria von Weber with his operas “Der Freischütz” and “Euryanthe”, the latter written in 1823.
By 1923, the whole world had changed. The 1848 revolution in Germany and many related upheavals in Europe were followed by national conflicts and wars, culminating in the horrific and disastrous WWI. We look at some compositions written in different parts of the world, written just 5 years after the end of the catastrophic war.
Finally, here we are in 2023, in a world still plagued by conflicts, fears, and uncertainty. How will the voice of a young composer sound? What are the thoughts, feelings, concerns and hopes of this generation? You will hear in a moment.
Beethoven
Symphony no.9, ii. molto vivace (1823)
Schubert
Die schöne Müllerin (1823)
Paul McMahon, tenor
Kai Hagiwara, piano
1. Das Wandern
2. Wohin?
3. Halt!
4. Danksagung an den Bach
5. Feierabend
Klengel
Piano Trio op.36, iii. scherzo (1823)
Miriam Niessl, violin
Cindy Masterman, violoncello
Reuben Tsang, piano
Bishop Home, sweet home (1823)
Tashana Hardy, soprano
Daniel de Borah, piano
Weber Euryanthe overture (1823)
INTERVAL
Milhaud
La creation du monde (1923)
Ensemble Q and students
Arnheim / Lyman I cried for you (1923)
Harry Ottley, alto saxophone
James Todd, guitar
Regan Hickey, bass
Dominic Nicholson, drumkit
Bartók Dance Suite (1923)
Muller The Fear of Losing Touch (2023)
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
ii. molto vivace
Fewer names are better known in the Western Classical music world than that of Beethoven. His musical works and innovations helped to propel the music of the day into the Romantic period. As a young man, Beethoven left his hometown of Bonn to live in Vienna, eventually studying composition with Joseph Haydn. Among his contributions to art music was the iconic Ninth Symphony, which was the first known work to incorporate choral parts into the standard symphonic format. He composed a staggering 722 works during his lifetime.
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Nos. 1-5
From an early age, Schubert demonstrated a rare aptitude for music. First learning violin and piano from his father and brother respectively, Franz’s abilities skyrocketed him into the Stadkonvikt school at the age of eleven, where he spent five years studying. Following this, Schubert continued studies in composition with Antonio Salieri. Today, Schubert is known for his prolific output of songs and the pivotal song cycles Die schöne Müllerin and Winterreise. His oeuvre showcases colourful and imaginative harmonic ideas, contributing to the positive reputation his music enjoys at present.
August Alexander Klengel (1783-1852)
Mvt. III
Klengel served as the court composer to the King of Saxony (Frederick Augustus I), living most of his life in Dresden. Prior to this, he learned the craft of composition under Muzio Clementi, who took Klengel under his wing during his travels. Among his works is a complete set of canons and fugues in all twenty-four keys, three piano sonatas, and two piano concerti.
Sir Henry Rowley Bishop (1787-1855)
Bishop’s musical aptitude was for opera, light opera and ballet. Today’s work is taken from an earlier opera of his, and was republished as a parlour tune with great success. Working as a composer for hire, Bishop was engaged by every major theatre of London during his life. His later years saw him growing resentful of the public, claiming that their tastes changed too frequently. An examination of work from this time demonstrates his attempts at writing pastiches from more famous composers; these were singularly unsuccessful, to his chagrin.
Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826)
A contemporary to musical giants such as Haydn and Beethoven, Weber had big shoes to fill. His output of German opera with its stylistic drama and flair was substantial, completing ten and having an eleventh (Die drei Pintos) completed by Mahler in 1888. In particular, his development of the leitmotif technique—so often associated with Wagner—in Euryanthe was remarkable. His other operatic work was similarly influential: Oberon revealed an interest in the music of nonWestern cultures, additionally making an impression on Mendelssohn as he wrote A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Darius Milhaud (1892-1974)
Milhaud’s compositions, fusing jazz, art music, and Brazilian popular music, are distinct and unforgettable. A prolific and diverse composer, his works range from the exquisite and complex ballet music heard today to lighter offerings that show his interest in working outside of any particular genre. As one of Les Six, he contributed to neoclassicism and its rise in popularity during the 20th century. Milhaud was also a renowned teacher, with notable students such as Brubeck, Bacharach, Glass, Reich, Stockhausen, and Xenakis.
Gus Arnheim (1897-1955) & Abe Lyman (1897-1957)
Hailing from Philadelphia, Gus Arnheim was a pianist, songwriter, and bandleader. He appeared in several movies in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s as an orchestra leader and directed the music to Scarface (1932).
Originally born Abraham Simon, Abe Lyman was a bandleader and drummer whose work appeared in films of the 1930s and notably, in the Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoons. It was here Lyman briefly rubbed shoulders with Charlie Chaplin, who conducted the band twice as a guest.
Béla Bartók (1881-1945)
Bartók was indisputably one of the most significant composers of the 20th century. Together with Dvorak and Glinka, he played a pivotal role in the resurgence of nationalism and the increased use of non-standard harmonies, intricate rhythms, and dissonance. His music heavily borrows from folk songs, often quoting them verbatim. This interest in Magyar (native Hungarian) folk music and tradition also led him to research their music alongside Zoltán Kodály, contributing to the foundations of what is now ethnomusicology—the study of music through the lens of cultural and social practices.
Program notes by Dr
Samuel DickensonOliver Muller
“When will the advancement stop?”
‘The Fear of Losing Touch’ is an exploration of the fear of a new Dark Ages, and the idea ofwhat it means to be connected. When we look into classical history, a great enlightenment rises and falls throughout all periods. The technological advancement of the Roman Empire,only to be closely followed by a plunge into the darkness of the Middle Ages. The Age of Enlightenment which inevitably destroyed itself in the beginnings of the 20th Century.
The world is now more connected than ever with new technological advancements every moment, but with this arises a fear that a collapse may happen again in the Modern Technological Age.
While exploring the ideas of a dark age and the physical nature of a toppled society, wanted to focus on a more innately human fear, to be disconnected. With the ability to message or call anyone and observe the world at large in the palm of your hand, the inevitable collapse will create a more terrifying reality of isolation.
The sound world created references a wide range of western art music against a Gregorian chant-esque melody, as I have aimed to show how, regardless of technological advancement and isolation, humans will always have a desire to connect and create community.
Program note by Composer
Johannes Fritzsch was appointed Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra in 2021. Previously he was honoured with the position of Conductor Laureate of the QSO, after his seven-year tenure as their Chief Conductor (2008–2014). From 2006 to 2013 he was Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Oper Graz, Grazer Philharmonisches Orchester (Austria). Prior to his appointment in Graz, Johannes held the position of Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Staatsoper Nürnberg. From 1993 to 1999, he was Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Städtische Bühnen and the Philharmonic Orchestra in Freiburg, enjoying widespread acclaim. Johannes was born in 1960 in Meissen, near Dresden, Germany, where he completed his musical education.
He has conducted many great orchestras, both within Germany and internationally. He has worked with most of the orchestras in Australia and New Zealand and Opera Australia, Opera Queensland, West Australian Opera and State Opera South Australia. In June 2019, Johannes joined the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University as Professor of Opera and Orchestral Studies. Over the past fifteen years Johannes has given many masterclasses for the German conductor training and development organisation, Dirigentenforum des Deutschen Musikrates. Similarly, he has been active in his involvement in Australia’s Symphony International Conductor Development Program. In 2018 the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra invited him to design and lead the newly founded Australian Conducting Academy. Since 2018 Johannes has held the position of Principal Guest Conductor of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra.
The Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra consists of approximately 90 of the most talented young instrumentalists in Queensland. From its home at the Griffith University’s South Bank campus, the orchestra performs an annual series of orchestral concerts, large choral works, and operatic and musical theatre productions, in addition to a wide variety of creative collaborations both onsite and in the wider community. Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University (QCGU) supports an annual commissioning project, encouraging the creation and performance of new works. The orchestra also collaborates regularly with other departments within QCGU and across the University.
Students in QCGU’s orchestral program have the unique opportunity to perform under the baton of a variety of conductors, instilling a flexibility required in the profession. Resident conductors Johannes Fritzsch, Peter Luff and Peter Morris are joined each year by distinguished guest conductors from around the world, providing students with the rich variety of experience they will find when entering the profession. Notable guest conductors have included Sir Neville Marriner, Peter Sculthorpe, Jessica Cottis, Nicholas Braithwaite, Natalia Raspopova, Larry Rachleff and Elim Chan, to name a few.
Concertmaster
Theoni Wang*
Violin 1
Kevin Hsu
Haneulle Lovell
Daisy Elliott
Yuro Lee
Jonah Spriggs
Noah Coyne
Ingram Fan
Rhys Williams
Dylan Weder
Luke Hammer
Violin 2
Miriam Niessl*
Eden Annesley
Julian Lachmund
Maddisyn Dixon
Whitbourne
Kaia Scheidler
Madeleine Crosby
Alisha Dunstan
Alan Leslie
Joshua Smith
Viola
Edmund Mantelli*
Angelina Kim
Ella Pysden
Caitlin Annesley
Sebastien Masel
Rose-Ann Breedt
Violoncello
Mya Whatson*
William Bland
Benjamin Crosby
Beethoven, Weber
Matthew StuartStreet
Bartók, Muller
Ai Hasegawa
Contrabass
Deakin Darby*
Megan McWilliams
Charlotte Scanlan
Sophia Buchanan
Harp
Bartók, Muller
Jemma Telleman*
Piano
Bartók
Rylan Malcolm*
Milhaud:
Celesta Bartók
Mai-Lin Olsson*
Flute
Beethoven, Bartók
Elinor Hillock*
Braden Simm
Weber
Braden Simm*
Muller
Caitlin Malcolm*
Oboe
Beethoven, Weber
Liam Robinson*
Bartók, Muller
Tina Gallo*
Clarinet
Beethoven, Weber
Stephanie Tan*
Catherine Edwards
Bartók
Nathanael Duffy*
Lewis Blanchard
Muller
Joshua Rosen*
Hamish Cassidy
La création du monde (The Creation of the World), op.81
Violin 1
Natsuko
Yoshimoto~
Violin 2
Theonie Wang*
Violoncello
Trish Dean
Contrabass
Deakin Darby*
Piano
Daniel de Borah
Alto Saxophone
Isaac Reed*
Flute
Tim Munro
Braden Simm
Oboe
Liam Robinson*
Clarinet
Paul Dean
Nathanael Duffy
Bassoon
Beethoven, Weber, Bartók
Christopher
Buckley*
Hayden Mears
Muller
Hayden Mears*
Madeline Nickelson
French Horn
Beethoven
Jessica Piva*
Weber
Matilda
Monaghan*
Bartók
Rhiannon Hurn*
Muller
Isabelle RaizScanlon*
Emma Rolfe
Jude Austen-Kaupe
Arabella Davie
Hannah Waterfall
Alec Berg
Trumpet
Beethoven, Weber
Tennyson Hall*
Bartók
May Eisenmenger*
Weber, Bartók
Matthew Nash
Muller
Cooper Williams*
Trombone
Weber, Bartók
Sophie Ainsworth*
Muller
Tate Cassells*
Jay Ghodke
Timpani
Beethoven, Bartók
Dara Williams*
Weber, Muller
Quinn Ramsey*
Percussion
Mikaela Thomsen*
Matthew Conway
Bartók
Quinn Ramsey
Muller
Dara Williams
Bassoon
Hayden Mears*
French Horn
Peter Luff
Trumpet
May Eisenmenger*
Matthew Nash
Trombone
Jay Ghodke*
Timpani
Matthew Conway*
Percussion
Mikaela Thomsen*
* denotes principle player
~ denotes Ensemble Q player
Philanthropy plays a vital role at Queensland Conservatorium. Only through your support can our students experience valuable learning opportunities through productions such as this one. To invest in the future of music and performance in Queensland, contact us on +61 (0)7 5552 7218 or email giving@griffith.edu.au.
Director | Professor Bernard Lanskey
Deputy Director (Engagement) | Professor Peter Morris
Deputy Director (Learning and Teaching) | Associate Professor Donna Weston
Deputy Director (Research) | Dr Alexis Kallio
Conservatorium Manager | Stuart Jones
Technical Team Leader | Cameron Hipwell
Front of House Operations Manager |
Michael Hibbard
Operations Administrator | Clare Wharton
Ensembles Administrator | Daniel Fossi
Technical Officers |
Keith Clark, Amy Hauser, Len McPherson
Sound Operator | Eleanor Steels
Venue Officers | Alex Penca, Grace Royle
Administration Officer | Liz Tyson-Doneley, Clare Hudson
griffith.edu.au/arts-education-law/ queensland-conservatorium/giving
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