Retrospect: Pre-War Australian Miniatures
Larry Sitsky is known throughout Australia as a composer. He is also one of the finest pianists, and he has a healthy respect for the work of his fellow Australians. Here he plays pre-war miniatures with evident affection.
Mirrie Hill composer
Dorian Le Gallienne composer
Margaret Sutherland composer
Percy Grainger composer
Louis Lavater composer
Iris de Cairos-Rego composer
Frank Hutchens composer
Roy Agnew composer
The programme gathers short piano pieces by Australian composers writing before the Second World War, from Alfred and Mirrie Hill through Sutherland, Grainger, Lavater, de Cairos-Rego, Hutchens and Agnew. Sitsky treats the bagatelle-like repertory with care, restoring a body of local music that is seldom heard complete.
Reviews
Larry Sitsky's laudable collection appeals and succeeds on a number of levels. Firstly it commits to CD a chunk of the local piano repertory that is often snubbed – the bagatelle-like miniature. Secondly, it mines the unstable area of early 20th century Australian music. And lastly, Sitsky's coruscating pianism – some of the pretty but unimportant music here would have been hard to argue for were it not for his piano-playing.
Artist
Larry Sitsky
Larry Sitsky's activities as a composer, pianist, writer, broadcaster and teacher place him among the foremost ambassadors of contemporary Australian piano music. His work has made a lasting contribution to the Australian musical tradition.
Tracks
- Retrospect Alfred Hill 3:33
- Highland Air Alfred Hill 1:34
- Waltz Mirrie Hill 1:39
- Berceuse Alfred Hill 2:16
- Valse Triste Alfred Hill 3:07
- One Came Fluting Alfred Hill 1:58
- The Broken Ring Alfred Hill 2:38
- Quiet River Alfred Hill 1:49
- Nocturne Dorian Le Gallienne 3:22
- i. Herzliebster Jesu 3:00
- ii. Jesu, meine Freude 3:39
- Beautiful Fresh Flower Percy Grainger 2:46
- Valse Capricieuse Louis Lavater 2:02
- Valse Élégante Louis Lavater 2:50
- Canzonetta Iris de Cairos-Rego 2:37
- The Waltz Caprice Iris de Cairos-Rego 2:08
- Tarrel (A Highland Song) Iris de Cairos-Rego 2:42
- Arabesque in A Minor Iris de Cairos-Rego 2:18
- Gavotte Brillante Frank Hutchens 2:10
- Evening Frank Hutchens 1:53
- In a Boat Frank Hutchens 2:30
- Prelude in B Major Frank Hutchens 3:00
- Weeping Mist (A Legend) Frank Hutchens 4:24
- The Enchanted Isle Frank Hutchens 2:54
- Prelude No. 1 Roy Agnew 2:09
- Prelude No. 2 Roy Agnew 2:22
- Prelude No. 3 (The Wind) Roy Agnew 2:15
- Prelude No. 4 Roy Agnew 1:43
- Sea Surge Roy Agnew 1:13
- Album Leaf Roy Agnew 1:31
Two Choral Preludes Margaret Sutherland
Performers
- Larry Sitsky · piano
Composers
Percy Grainger
Percy Aldridge Grainger (1882–1961) was an Australian-born composer, arranger and pianist. A brilliant folk-song collector and arranger, he was also a restless experimenter whose work ranged from tuneful percussion to Free Music machines that foreshadowed electronic synthesis.
Alfred Hill
Alfred Hill spent most of his early life in New Zealand and made a significant contribution to the study of the indiginous musics of the Maoris and Australian Aborigines.
Mirrie Hill
Mirrie Hill composed in many genres, her favourite being orchestral music. Several works took their inspiration from Aboriginal themes and rhythms including Little Babe of Arnhem Land.
Margaret Sutherland
Margaret Sutherland (1897–1984) was an Australian composer whose work ranged across almost every form, with a particular gift for chamber music. She remains one of the most distinctive voices in twentieth-century Australian composition.
Dorian Le Gallienne
Dorian Le Gallienne's piano miniatures balance reflective lyricism with bush-born energy, while his Shakespeare songs sit in the lyrical-pastoral English tradition. The music is carefully made, with clear melodic construction.
Contributors
Cover artwork
Genevieve De Couvreur
Where to listen
Retrospect: Pre-War Australian Miniatures is available for streaming through Apple Music. It can also be purchased through the iTunes Music Store.
Retrospect: Pre-War Australian Miniatures 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
- TP049
- Total playing time
- 74 minutes 2 seconds
- Producer
- Belinda Webster
- Recording Engineer
- Belinda Webster
- Venue
- Llewellyn Hall
- Credit
- Genevieve De Couvreur
- Release date
- 27 Jul 1995
- Label
- Tall Poppies
- Musical work
copyright - © 1995 Tall Poppies Records
- Sound recording
copyright - ℗ 1995 Tall Poppies Records
- Category
- Australian Classics
- Genre
- Romantic & Impressionist
- Barcode
- EAN 9399000004929
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