New images and better format
Check out the photo gallery page. We’ve added some more images of The Warriors concerts in September 2009 at Fremantle Town Hall and WAAPA courtesy of David Pye.
October 20, 2009
In Search of Beethoven
A comprehensive feature length cinema documentary about Beethoven, with over 60 live performances.
In search of Beethoven
Visit At the Movies for a review by Margaret Pomeranz and David Stratton
Release details: Staggered limited national release. 22/10/09 Syd/Melb/Bris/Hob; 29/10/09 SA/WA. Check newspapers for screening dates.
Classification: G
Duration: 139 mins
Genre: Documentary, Biography, Music
Director: Phil Grabsky
Cast: Emanuel Ax, Jonathan Biss, Alban Gerhardt, Roger Norrington, Ilona Schmiel, Lars Vogt
Producer: Phil Grabsky
Distributor: Gil Scrine Films
Language: English
Country: United Kingdom
October 7, 2009
Vale patron Vaughan Hanly
FSO patron Vaughan Hanly has died at the age of 92.
Hanly was an eminent violinist, teacher and long-standing concertmaster of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra.
He was awarded an MBE for services to music in 1973 and named a State Living Treasure in 1998.
The FSO salutes a great Australian musician, leader and respected patron.
September 30, 2009
Rehearsal schedule
Programme Orchestration
Brahms Academic Festival Overture: 3(1.2pic)223(1.2cbn)-4331 -tmp+3-str (requires extra tpt) – 10mins
Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No 2 op 18 in c min: solo piano 2222-4231-tmp+2-str – 33mins
Dvorak Symphony No 8 op 88 G maj: 2(1.2/pic) 2(1.2/Eh) 22-4231- tmp+1 – str – 34mins
Rehearsal Schedule Draft – last updated 14 October
Wednesday 16 Sept 7.30-10.00pm Dvorak 1 Dvorak 4
Wednesday 23 Sept 7.30-10.00pm Brahms / Dvorak 2 Dvorak 3
Wednesday 30 Sept 7.30-10.00pm All Dvorak
Wednesday 7 Oct 7.30-10.00pm Brahms / Rach
Wednesday 14 Oct 7.30-10.00pm Brahms /Dvorak 1 and 4
Wednesday 21 Oct 7.30-10.00pm Brahms /Dvorak 2 and 3
Wednesday 28 Oct 7.30-10.00pm Strings only
Wednesday 4 Nov 7.30-10.00pm Brahms / Rach (with Kathy)
Wednesday 11 Nov 7.30-10.00pm (Jessica n/a) Dvorak
Wednesday 18 Nov 7.30-10.00pm Brahms /Rach (with Kathy)/ Dvorak
Wednesday 25 Nov 7.30-10.00pm Run full concert programme (with Kathy)
CONCERT Sunday November 29th Fremantle Town Hall Dress rehearsal and seating call TBC 1.oopm / Concert 3.oopm
September 30, 2009
Final 2009 concert
Rachmaninov, Brahms & Dvorak
Sunday 29 November 2009 at 3pm
Fremantle Town Hall
The orchestra welcomes well-known conductor Jessica Gethin back to the podium for this concert. Exciting young pianist and Fremantle Eisteddfod winner Kathy Chow will be the soloist in Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No 2 – a towering masterpiece of the concerto repertoire. The program also includes the exuberant Academic Festival Overture of Brahms. Our musical year ends with a symphony brimming with melody and charm – Dvorak’s Symphony No 8.
September 13, 2009
New leadership at FSO
New FSO comittee
At the recent Annual General Meeting of the orchestra, the following committe was elected:
President: Richard Isted
Musical Director: David Pye
Leader: Richard Isted & Jocelyn Cullingford
Secretary: Michael Hodgkins
Treasurer: Len Creagh
Librarian: Lynda Chadwick & Andrew Martin
Promotions: Marie Yuncken & Ash Sinclair
Committee members: Jeremy Hall, Nola Cray and Aileen Emery
September 13, 2009
Jeremy Hall retires after 14 year Presidency
Jeremy Hall retires as president after 14 years in the role.
It’s a remarkable contribution in anyone’s terms – 14 years.
In a speech given at the concert at WAAPA today, incoming president Richard Isted paid tribute to Jeremy and granted him honourary life membership of the orchestra. Richard spoke of Jeremy’s contribution having gone way beyond what might be expected of a president, in addition to his fine playing as the orchestra’s principal oboe. He said that the current membership of the orchestra being a good mix of young and more experienced players was testament to Jeremy’s leadership over many years.
Bravo Jeremy!
September 13, 2009
The Warriors – retrospective
With the gigantic sounds of Grainger’s The Warriors still ringing in our ears we say farewell to this extraordinary season of two concerts. Certainly the biggest orchestra ever assembled by the FSO (with about 100 players), many audience and orchestra members alike will remember this as the best concert series we’ve ever done. Who would’ve thought we could top the performance of Mahler’s Symphony No 1 in 2000 or Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring in 2006?
Undoubtedly a score of the grandest designs and ideals, The Warriors was thrilling to learn and to perform. Who could forget the dramatic, pulsating energy of the piano-percussion battery which propelled the opening of each fast section, and the brilliant orchestration and atmospheric writing of the slower interludes.
Much, if not most, of the credit for these two successful concerts must go to our musical director and “spiritual leader” David Pye. Several years in the planning, this concert was the culmination of David’s idea of using percussion ensembles as orchestral soloists in these pieces. Having succesfully guided the FSO through several major projects in previous years, the orchestra was happy to accept this challenge under David’s leadership.
David’s unwaveringly positive attitude, clear direction and (most importantly) calm and reassuring presence at the podium are hallmarks of his success as a conductor. He was a tower of strength in this repertoire of demanding contemporary works. So effortlessly eloquent are his remarks introducing each work it is easy to take them for granted.
“Utterly mesmerising” was how one audience member described the world premiere of David’s work Cicadan Rhythms which was a show-case for the talents of the Bells West and FSO percussionists on the anklung.
The orchestra’s performance of Kodaly’s Hary Janos Suite was one to emphasise the contrasting moods of the work – from the delicate flourishes of the cimbalom in the “Song” (played with great technique and style by Josh Webster) to the violent outbursts of the lower brass in “The battle and defeat of Napoleon”.
Thanks to all our guest artists including assistant conductors Aaron Wyatt and Monica McTaggart; pianists Roland Brand, Kathy Chow and Kevin Chow; tenor saxophonist Phillipa Gibson; celeste Rebecca Cossen; cimbalom Josh Webster; harp Jessica Khoo and Ariel Lyons and all the members of our fabulous percussion ensemble soloists Bells West and Defying Gravity.
Thanks also to Tim White, director of Defying Gravity, who backed up some amazing playing with WASO on the weekend with our concert at WAAPA today.
Thanks for a great season!
August 13, 2009
FSO plays at the Totally Huge New Music Festival
Fremantle Symphony Orchestra, Defying Gravity and BellsWest
Visit the Festival’s promotional page for this concert.
World Premiere of David Pye’s cicadan rhythms
Fremantle Symphony Orchestra join with Defying Gravity, the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts Percusison Ensemble, and BellsWest, handbell ringers of WA, to present a tour de force under the baton of David Pye.
cicadan rhythms, was commissioned in 2006 by Southern Forest Arts for the Sculpture Trail at Northcliffe. Rescored earlier this year for a standard orchestra, 14 keyboard percussion players, an ensemble of 11 angklung players and tape, it draws its inspiration from the rhythmic pattern of cicadas, which Pye notated in the karri forests of the south west.
Another highlight of the program is Percy Grainger’s The Warriors, his wildly exuberant and extravagant tone poem for large orchestra.
The program opens with Kodaly’s colourful Hary Janos Suite.
July 10, 2009
Send in your FSO photos
We need photos of the FSO for publicity purposes. If you have photos of the FSO you’re willing to share, please email them to michael@fremantleorchestra.com.au
We’ll also publish them on the photo gallery page of this blog (link above) for everyone to enjoy.
