Australia Ensemble: Raising Sparks
Ravel’s sparkling Introduction and Allegro with its spectacular harp writing makes for a glorious start to this program, featuring guest artist Alice Giles.
At the core of this program is Scottish composer James MacMillan’s mystical and hypnotic song cycle Raising Sparks for mezzo-soprano and ensemble. A setting of ecstatic religious poetry, the Australia Ensemble will be joined by Fiona Campbell to perform this spiritual journey of creation through to redemption.
Alice also joins the Ensemble for the pastoral serenity of English composer Arnold Bax’s Quintet for harp and strings, which blends Impressionism with elements of late Romanticism and in an unmistakably unique compositional voice.
Complementing the French theme of the opening work, Fauré’s Piano Trio in D minor is a late masterpiece written almost twenty years after the Ravel, and in the year before Fauré died. At times austere but always astute, this music displays the formal freedom and profound insight of his late Romantic style.
Maurice RAVEL Introduction and Allegro (1905)
Arnold BAX Harp Quintet (1919)
Gabriel FAURÉ Piano Trio in D minor Op. 120 (1922-3)
James MACMILLAN Raising Sparks for mezzo-soprano, flute, clarinet, harp, piano and string
quartet (1997)
Tickets: Adult $48/ Senior $35/ Concession $27/ Student rush $15
Bookings & enquiries: 02 9385 4874 www.ae.unsw.edu.au australia.ensemble@unsw.edu.au
