Incredible Floridas
Two of Australia's finest chamber works by one of its leading composers. Richard Meale shows two major strands of his style: the coruscating drama of Incredible Floridas, a homage to Rimbaud, and the more harmonically romantic String Quartet No. 2.
Incredible Floridas is a chamber homage to Rimbaud, by turns dramatic and lyrical. The String Quartet No. 2 follows a more harmonically romantic path across five movements. Both works were recorded in the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House in the presence of the composer.
Reviews
…the Australia Ensemble's Meale disc fairly tramples the competition. Incredible Floridas, Meale's homage to the poet Rimbaud, receives more detailed advocacy than the Seymour Group gave it for ABC Classics, and the second quartet comes alive as never before. …The string players… find all the passion in this score.… This is the most important disc of Meale's music on the market.
Artists
Australia Ensemble
The Australia Ensemble, resident at the University of New South Wales since its founding in 1980, is widely recognised as Australia’s leading chamber music ensemble. Seven principal instrumentalists form its core, joined by guests for standard repertoire and unusual combinations.
Richard Meale
Richard Meale (1932–2009) was a leading Australian composer of instrumental works and operas, and an influential teacher. Early scores introduced international avant-garde methods to Australian audiences; later music turned toward a frank lyric tonality.
Tracks
- Prelude: Voyelles [Homage to Rimbaud, 1971] 5:46
- Fêtes de la faim [Homage to Rimbaud, 1971] :59
- Sonata I: Le Bateau ivre [Homage to Rimbaud, 1971] 8:29
- Interlude: Phrases – Veillées – Génie [Homage to Rimbaud, 1971] 5:33
- Sonata II: Une saison en enfer [Homage to Rimbaud, 1971] 7:37
- Postlude: Une saison en enfer; Matin – Adieu [Homage to Rimbaud, 1971] 2:39
- i. Tempo comodo [1980] 5:47
- ii. Scherzo quasi una toccata [1980] 3:09
- iii. Cantilena triste [1980] 7:05
- iv. Ruvido [1980] 2:35
- v. Cantilena pacifica [1980] 9:21
Incredible Floridas Richard Meale
String Quartet No. 2 Richard Meale
Performers
- Australia Ensemble · ensemble
Contributors
Piano tuner
Terry Harper
Where to listen
Incredible Floridas is available for streaming through Apple Music. It can also be purchased through the iTunes Music Store.
Incredible Floridas is available as a CD. It can be purchased online through Buywell Music or the Australian Music Centre which both offer online ordering.
Product details
- Catalogue number
- TP048
- Total playing time
- 59 minutes 0 seconds
- Contributor
- Roger Covell
- Producer
- Belinda Webster
- Recording Engineer
- Belinda Webster (tracks 7–11)
Max Harding (tracks 1–6) - Venue
- Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House
- Credit
- Terry Harper (tracks 1–6)
- Release date
- 1 Jun 1996
- Label
- Tall Poppies
- Musical work
copyright - © 1996 Tall Poppies Records
- Sound recording
copyright - ℗ 1996 Tall Poppies Records
- Category
- Australian Classics
- Genres
- Contemporary Classical, Modernist Classical
- Barcode
- EAN 9399000004820
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