Carnival Francais With The Omega Ensemble And Julian Morrow

The City Recital Hall’s Ensemble – in – Residence, the Omega Ensemble presents a programme of French chamber music with an entertaining twist. In the line-up is Saint-Saëns’ The Carnival of the Animals.  which will be narrated by the inimitable Julian Morrow (ABC’s The Chaser).     

Written by Saint-Saëns in 1886, The Carnival of the Animals is one of his best known and most loved works. This entertaining musical suite of 14 movements includes portraits  and caricatures of hopping kangaroos, a cuckoo, an elephant, tortoises and most famous of all, the swan. The familiar lush cello solo is played over rippling notes accompanied by two pianos.

Julian Morrow will bring his unique style to the narrative to the puckish verses of  The Carnival of the Animals, written in English by Ogden Nash in 1949.

“The kangaroo can jump incredible,
He has to jump because he is edible.
I could not eat a kangaroo,
But many fine Australians do.
Those with cookbooks as well as boomerangs,
Prefer him in tasty kangaroomeringues” excerpt from The Carnival of the Animals by Ogden Nash 1949.

The Omega Ensemble was established by Artistic Director David Rowden in 2005 when he and 10 other young musicians sought to redefine Sydney’s classical chamber music landscape. Their performances have received enthusiastic acclaim from audiences and reviewers alike for its performances in major Sydney venues.  Omega performs chamber music in programs of classical and contemporary classical music both live and in broadcast. The ensemble was nominated for the Best Performance of an Australian Composition in the APRA/AMC Classical Music Awards. 

In 2011 the ensemble toured with Musica Viva to country New South Wales. From 2011 to 2012, the Omega Ensemble presented a series of concerts in the Utzon Room at the Sydney Opera House.

 In 2014, Omega Ensemble was appointed Ensemble – in – Residence at the City Recital Hall Angel Place. Their Virtuoso Series at the City Recital Hall Angel Place has included guest artists, including James Crabb (accordion), Timo-Veikko Valve (cello) and Paul Meyer (conductor). They will participate once again in the Art Gallery of NSW’s Resonate series in October. 

The programme:

IBERT Trois Piéces Brèves for Wind Quintet/POULENC Sextet for Winds and Piano/FRANÇAIS Dixtour for Wind Quintet and String Quintet/SAINT-SAËNS Le Caranval des animaux (The Carnival of the Animals)   

The artists:

Ike See (violin)/Veronique Serret (violin)/James Wannan (viola)/Paul Stender (cello)/Maxime Bibeau (double bass)/Lisa Osmialowski (flute)/David Rowden (clarinet and Artistic Director Omega Ensemble)/Georgina Roberts (oboe)/Ben Hoadley (bassoon)/Michael Dixon (horn)/Kristian Chong (piano)/Maria Raspopova (piano)/Claire Edwardes (percussion)/Julian Morrow (narrator). 

 

Tickets: Adult $65, Concessions available (additional fees may apply)

Bookings: 02 8256 2222, www.cityrecitalhall.com , or in person at City Recital Hall Angel Place