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White Hat's Top 100 Chamber Music Works
During 2008, the ABC conducted a survey of its listeners to find their top 100 chamber music which prompted us at White Hat to compile our own list. Firstly we had to set some bounds as to what we would consider as 'chamber music'. There is no hard and fast definition of 'what is chamber music' and nor should there be. However in the end we had to draw some arbitrary lines in the grey area for the purposes of this list. They are not 'right' or wrong' and you are perfectly welcome to come up with different criteria. For music to be included on our Top 100 Chamber Music List we decided it should: Be written for specified instruments. This eliminates certain 'pure theoretical' music such as Bach's Art of Fugue and most Renaissance instrumental music including wonderful works such as Byrd's The Leaves Be Green. Should not contain 'doubling' instruments (multiple instruments playing the same part throughout as in the string section of an orchestra). This alas eliminates some great works such as Mozart's Serenade for 13 Wind Instruments as well the sunny Dvořák Serenade for Winds, Op. 44. Should be music designed to be performed without a conductor. The presence of a conductor takes the music a step further from 'a conversation between equals'. This unfortunately eliminates great works like Richard Strauss' Metamorphosen for 23 solo strings and Stravinsky's L'Histoire du Soldat.
In the end here is what we came up with one day. The following day the list would probably look different. - Mendelssohn Octet [ABC No.8]
- Schubert String Quintet in C, D956 [ABC No.2] - Schubert is one of the few composers who can make time stand still as he does at times in this glorious work.
- Bartók String Quartet No.3 [ABC - unlisted]
- Ravel Piano Trio [ABC No.29]
- Bach Brandenburg Concerto No.3 - I know this is often played with multiple string players per line, but Bach almost certainly conceived it as being played either by nine individual string players (with continuo) and would have been happy enough for those parts to be doubled.
- Messiaen Quartet for the End of Time [ABC No.22]
- Schubert Piano Trio No.2 [ABC No.9]
- Shostakovich String Quartet No. 8 in C minor, Op. 110 [ABC No.19]
- Haydn String Quartet in E flat major, op 76 no 6 [ABC - unlisted]
- Various The First Book of Consort Lessons (published by Thomas Morley and containing arrangements of works by Dowland and others) - Sophisticated, civilised music beautifully realised for the archetypal English chamber ensemble of instruments of the late Renaissance.[ABC - unlisted]
- Sculthorpe String Quartet No. 15 with didgeridoo [ABC - unlisted]
- Haydn Piano Trio No.25 in G Major 'Gipsy Trio' - This trio ends with a gipsy-inspired finale which is great fun. However it is very simple and very beautiful slow movement which shows what Haydn can produce with very few notes.
- Schubert String Quartet in D min 'Death and the Maiden [ABC No.5]
- Mozart Clarinet Quintet in A [ABC No.6]
- Shostakovich Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor, Op. 67 [ABC No.18]
- Debussy String Quartet in G minor, Op. 10 [ABC No.34]
- Bartók String Quartet No.4 [ABC - unlisted]
- Schoenberg Verklärte Nacht, for string sextet, Op. 4 (Transfigured Night) [ABC No.65] - This lush late-romantic work is often heard in its adaption for large string orchestra and forms a strong contrast to the somewhat astringent works Schoenberg produced in his later 12 Tone style.
- Haydn String Quartet in C major, Hob.III:77 ‘Emperor’ [ABC No.39]
- Shostakovich Piano Quintet in G minor, Op. 57 [ABC No.76]
- Bach Musikalisches Opfer (Musical Offering), BWV1079 [ABC no.96]
- Schubert Quintet for Strings and Piano D. 667 'The Trout' [ABC No.1]
- Desmond Take Five [ABC - unlisted] - This piece in 5/4 time is best known from its performance by the Dave Brubeck Quartet.
- Borodin String Quartet No.2 [ABC No.7]
- Brahms Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op. 115 [ABC No.11]
- Janáček String Quartet No. 2 ‘Intimate Letters’ [ABC No.72]
- Ravel String Quartet in F major [ABC No.13]
- Tchaikovsky Souvenir de Florence, Op. 70 [ABC No.47]
- Beethoven Piano Trio No.17 Op.97 'Archduke' [ABC No.4]
- César Franck Violin Sonata in A major [ABC No.17]
- Ravel Introduction and Allegro [ABC No.53]
- Dvořák String Quartet No. 12 'The American' [ABC No.10]
- Mozart String Quintet in G minor, KV516 [ABC No.41]
- Haydn String Quartet in D major, Hob.III:63 ‘The Lark’ [ABC No.98]
- Schubert Notturno [ABC No.3]
- Mendelssohn Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 49 [ABC No.14]
- Mozart Quintet for Piano and Winds in E-flat major, KV452 {ABC No.45]
- Dvořák Piano Quintet in A major, Op. 81 [ABC No.15]
- Schubert Octet in F major, D803 [ABC No.28]
- Brahms Horn Trio in E-flat major, Op. 40 [ABC No.44]
- Barber String Quartet, Op. 11 [ABC No.56]
- Beethoven String Quartet in E minor, Op. 59 ‘Razumovsky’ No. 2 [ABC No.58]
- Brahms Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25 [ABC No.33]
- Debussy Sonata for flute, viola and harp [ABC - unlisted]
- Beethoven String Quartet in F major, Op. 59 ‘Razumovsky’ No. 1 [ABC No.59]
- Beethoven Septet in E-flat major, Op. 20 [ABC No.67]
- Beethoven String Quartet in C major, Op. 59 ‘Razumovsky’ No. 3 [ABC No.83]
- Rachmaninov Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 19 [ABC No.100]
- Beethoven Violin Sonata in F major, Op. 24 ‘Spring’ [ABC No.12]
- Schubert Piano Trio in B-flat major, D898 [ABC No.16]
- Beethoven String Quartet in A minor Op. 132 [ABC No.21]
- Piazzola Oblivion [ABC - unlisted]
- Brahms Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34 [ABC No.23]
- Schumann Piano Quintet in E-flat major, Op. 44 [ABC No.26]
- Beethoven String Quartet in C-sharp minor, Op. 131 [ABC No.27]
- Boccherini Guitar Quintet in D major, G448 [ABC No.35]
- Pachelbel Canon in D major [ABC No.37]
- Smetana String Quartet No. 1 in E minor ‘From My Life’ [ABC No.52]
- Brahms Sextet No. 1 in B-flat major, Op. 18 [ABC No.38]
- Nielsen Wind Quintet, Op. 43 [ABC No.91]
- Tchaikovsky Piano Trio in A minor Op. 50 ‘A la mémoire d’un grand artiste (In memory of a great artist)’ [ABC No.30]
- Dvořák Dumky (Piano Trio No. 4 in E minor), Op. 90 [ABC No.31]
- Brahms Piano Trio No. 1 in B major, Op. 8 [ABC No.36]
- Fauré Piano Quartet No.1 in C minor, Op. 15 [ABC No.86]
- Dvořák Bagatelles, Op. 47 [ABC No.69]
- Beethoven String Quartet in E major, Op. 74 ‘Harp’ [ABC No.78]
- Poulenc Sextet for Wind Quintet and Piano, Op. 100 [ABC No.93]
- Tchaikovsky String Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op. 11 [ABC No.32]
- Beethoven String Quartet in B-flat major, Op. 130 [ABC No.40]
- Smetana Piano Trio in G minor [ABC No.46]
- Beethoven String Quartet in E-flat major, Op. 127 [ABC No.43]
- Beethoven Violin Sonata in A major, Op. 47 ‘Kreutzer’ [ABC No.50]
- Arensky Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 32 {ABC No.48]
- Beethoven Grosse Fuge (Great Fugue), Op. 133 [ABC No.49]
- Mendelssohn Piano Trio No. 2 in C minor, Op. 66 [ABC No.54]
- Mozart Oboe Quartet in F major, KV370 [ABC No.51]
- Schubert Sonata in A minor, D821 ‘Arpeggione’ [ABC No.20]
- Beethoven Cello Sonata No. 3 in A major, Op. 69 [ABC No.57]
- Boccherini String Quintet in E major, G275 [ABC No.68]
- Mozart Horn Quintet in E-flat major, KV407 [ABC No.88]
- Beethoven String Quartet in F major, Op. 135 [ABC No.61]
- Mozart String Quartet in B-flat major, KV458 ‘Hunt’ [ABC No.80]
- Mozart String Trio in E-flat major, KV563 [ABC No.64]
- Beethoven Piano Trio in D major, Op. 70 ‘Ghost’ No. 1 [ABC No.62]
- Schubert String Quartet in G major, D887 [ABC No.66]
- Brahms Violin Sonata No. 1 in G major, Op. 78 {ABC No.71]
- Hummel Piano Trio in E-flat major, Op. 12 [ABC No.70]
- Boccherini String Quintet in C major, G324 ‘Night Music from the Streets of Madrid’ [ABC No.79]
- Bartók String Quartet No.1 [ABC - unlisted]
- Schumann Piano Quartet in E-flat major, Op. 47 [ABC No.74]
- Mozart Piano Quartet in G minor, KV478 [ABC No.75]
- Richard Strauss Violin Sonata in E-flat major, Op. 18 [ABC No.81]
- Grieg Violin Sonata No. 3 in C minor, Op. 45 {ABC No.85]
- Dvořák Piano Trio in F minor, Op. 65 [ABC No.95]
- Beethoven Piano Quintet in E-flat major, Op. 16 {ABC No.82]
- Hummel Piano Quintet in E-flat, Op. 87 [ABC No.87]
- Elgar Salut d’amour, Op. 12 [ABC No.97]
- Sibelius String Quartet in D minor, Op. 56 ‘Voces intimae’ [ABC No.99]
- Brahms Cello Sonata No. 1 in E minor, Op. 38 [ABC No.94]
- Mozart Trio for Piano, Clarinet and Viola in E-flat major, KV498 ‘Kegelstatt’ {ABC No.84]
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Australian String Quartet - Towards Light
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The Australian String Quartet have new personnel for 2012 and White Hat feels
it is appropriate that for their first concert the new ensemble should emerge
out of the dreamtime with Peter Scunthorpe's Jabiru Dreaming (String Quartet
No.11). Dvořák as at his tuneful best in his String Quartet No.10 then
the concert finishes with one of the great 20th century chamber works -
Shostakovich's Piano Quintet. This work captures Shostakovich in one of his rare
moments of relaxation and seeming contentment. We have rated this concert at 4
hats on potential and, who knows, after this new ensemble has been heard for the
first time this may become 5 hats.
7pm, Wednesday 7th March 2012,
Adelaide Town Hall
7pm, Thursday 8th March 2012,
Conservatorium Theatre,
South Bank, Brisbane
7pm, Monday 12th March 2012,
Perth Concert Hall
7pm, Wednesday 14th March 2012,
Melbourne Recital Centre,
7pm, Thursday 15th March 2012,
City Recital Hall, Angel Place, Sydney |
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St Lawrence String Quartet and Diana Doherty
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 White
Hat suggests that lovers of the oboe should head out of their way for this
concert. Diana Doherty is an Australian oboist who has won international
acclaim. In this concert she joins with the fine St Lawrence String Quartet to
perform Mozart's F major oboe quartet which is tuneful and refined - you would
expect nothing less of Mozart and later performs Australian composer Matthew
Hindson's Rush with its driving rhythms borrowing strongly from rock and
pop music. Mozart's quartet is flanked by string quartets from fellow Viennese,
Haydn and Beethoven.
7.30pm, Saturday 14th April 2012,
Harold Lobb Concert Hall,
Newcastle Conservatorium of Music, Newcastle
7pm, Monday 16th April 2012, City
Recital Hall, Angel Place, Sydney
7pm, Wednesday 18th April 2012,
Conservatorium Theatre,
Brisbane
7.30pm, Thursday 19th April 2012,
Adelaide Town Hall, Adelaide
7pm, Tuesday 24th April 2012, Elisabeth Murdoch Hall,
Melbourne Recital Centre,
Melbourne
7.30pm, Thursday 26th April 2012,
Perth Concert Hall,
Perth |
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Enquiries & bookings: 1800 688 482 |
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St Lawrence String Quartet and Diana Doherty
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A fine string quartet, one of the best oboists in the world, a Mozart chamber
work full of tuneful grace and a Dvorák quartet ending with a movement of
exuberant optimism. White Hat suggests it would be a dreary soul indeed who
wouldn't enjoy this concert.
2pm,
Saturday 21st April 2012,
City Recital Hall, Angel
Place, Sydney
8pm, Saturday 28th April 2012, Elisabeth Murdoch Hall, Melbourne Recital Centre,
Melbourne |
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Trio Dali
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The young and glamorous French trio are named after a Chinese marble, rather
than the Spanish artist. With two of the great works from the piano trio
repertoire, White Hat suspects this may turn out to be a memorable concert.
7.30pm, Saturday 19th May 2012,
Harold Lobb Concert Hall,
Newcastle Conservatorium of Music, Newcastle
7pm Mon 21st May & 2pm Sat 2 June 2012,
City Recital Hall, Angel
Place, Sydney
7pm Tue 22nd May & 8pm Sat 26th May 2012, Elisabeth Murdoch Hall, Melbourne Recital Centre,
Melbourne
7pm, Thursday 24th May 2012,
Llewellyn Hall, ANU
School of Music, Canberra
7.30pm Tuesday 29th May 2012,
Perth Concert Hall,
Perth
7.30pm, Thursday 31st May 2012,
Adelaide Town Hall, Adelaide |
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Enquiries & bookings: 1800 688 482 |
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Danielle de Niese with the Australian Chamber Orchestra
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Danielle de Niese (soprano)
has long been on White Hat's list of
Significant Melbourne People.
She was born in Melbourne and won Young Talent Time aged 9,
then moved to Los Angeles, won an Emmy and made her debut with the LA Opera aged
15. She has blossomed into one of the hottest properties in opera, enrapturing
audiences in roles like Cleopatra, Euridice and Susanna at Glyndebourne, the
Metropolitan Opera and on screen.
To celebrate her professional debut in her home country, De Niese sings a
specially commissioned Australian work, which also marks the centenary of
Australia’s Nobel laureate
Patrick White. The fireworks of
Mozart's
Exsultate jubilatee
is contrasted Schubert's haunting song, Death and the Maiden. The
Australian Chamber Orchestra (Richard Tognetti Artistic Director and Lead
Violin) will then perform Schubert's masterly quartet (arranged for string
orchestra) which uses that same song as an inspiration.
7.30pm, Thursday 7th June 2012,
Wollongong Town Hall,
Wollongong
7pm 9 June; 8pm 12 June; 7pm 13 June 2012
City Recital Hall Angel Place, Sydney
2.30pm,17th June; 8pm, 18th June 2012,
Melbourne Town Hall, Melbourne
8pm, Wednesday 20th June 2012, Adelaide Town Hall, Adelaide
2pm, Sunday 24th June 2012, Sydney Opera House, Sydney
8pm, Monday 25th June 2012, QPAC Concert Hall, Brisbane |
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Buy tickets direct from ACO
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Takács Quartet
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White Hat expects that this may well be on of the standout chamber music
concerts of the year in Australia. Debussy's delicate and atmospheric string
quartet together with Janáček's passionate first quartet both played by the
ensemble most acknowledge to be one of the finest string quartets in the world.
7.30pm, Tuesday 19th June 2012,
Perth Concert Hall,
Perth
2pm, Saturday 23rd June, City
Recital Hall, Angel Place, Sydney
7pm, Mon 25th June 2012,
Conservatorium Theatre, Brisbane
8pm Saturday 30th June 2012, Elisabeth Murdoch Hall,
Melbourne Recital Centre,
Melbourne |
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Takács Quartet
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Two of the finest string quartets of the 20th century performed by one of the
world's most respected chamber groups. White Hat suggests that you attend both
of the Takács Quartet concerts if you can. That way you can hear the pair pair
of Janáček quartets and the Ravel & Debussy Quartets (often regarded as a
'pair') both separated across tow nights - in our opinion the best way to hear
them.
7.30pm, Thursday 21st June 2012,
Adelaide Town Hall, Adelaide
7pm, Tuesday 26th June 2012, Elisabeth Murdoch Hall, Melbourne Recital Centre,
Melbourne
7pm, Wednesday 27th June 2012,
Llewellyn Hall, ANU
School of Music, Canberra
7.30pm, Friday 29th June 2012,
Harold Lobb Concert Hall,
Newcastle Conservatorium of Music, Newcastle
7pm, Monday 2nd July 2012,
City Recital Hall, Angel
Place, Sydney |
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Trout Quintet & Quartet for the End of Time
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A rare treat. Two of what White Hat regards as the finest works in the chamber
music repetoire presented in the one concert. The Schubert
Trout Quintet is full of sunshine
and youthful optimism while Messiaen's
Quartet for the
End of Time is, in White Hat's opinion, one of the great works of the
20th century. A prisoner of war, Messiaen wrote the Quartet for the End of Time for the
musicians he found in the camp, premiering it to an audience of inmates and
guards. “Never” he said, "was I listened to with such rapt attention and
comprehension."
Australian Chamber Orchestra Principals are joined by clarinettist Paul Dean
and dynamic young pianist Saleem Abboud Ashkar, making his Australian debut.The
performers are Helena Rathbone (violin), Christopher Moore (viola), Timo-Veikko
Valve (cello), Maxime Bibeau (double bass), Paul Dean (clarinet) and Saleem
Abboud Ashkar (piano).
8pm, Wednesday 11th July 2012, QPAC Concert Hall, Brisbane
7.30pm, Thursday 12th July 2012,
Newcastle City Hall, Newcastle
7pm 14 July; 8pm, 17 July; 7pm, 18 July 2012
City Recital Hall Angel Place, Sydney
2pm, Sunday 15th July 2012, Sydney Opera House, Sydney
8pm, 16 July; 2.30pm, 22 July; 8pm, 23 July 2012
Melbourne Recital Centre,
Southbank, Melbourne
7.30pm, Thursday 19th July 2012, Wollongong Town Hall,
Wollongong
8pm, Saturday 21st July 2012,
Llewellyn Hall, ANU, Canberra
8pm, Tuesday 24th July 2012,
Adelaide Town Hall, Adelaide
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Buy tickets direct from ACO
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Australian String Quartet - Sunrise
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When ABC listeners voted on their top 100 chamber works, Bartók's 3rd and 4th
string quartets didn't get a guernsey. However In White Hat's list of top 100
chamber works both came within the top 20. Why not go along to this concert by
the Australian
String Quartet with Paul Dean (clarinet) and judge whether you think the ABC
listeners are right or whether White Hat is right. Mores seriously, why not go
along and experience some seriously good music performed by some seriously good
performers.
7pm, Wednesday 12th September 2012,
Adelaide Town Hall
7pm, Monday 17th September 2012,
Conservatorium Theatre,
South Bank, Brisbane
7pm, Friday 14th September 2012,
Perth Concert Hall
7pm, Wednesday 19th September 2012,
Melbourne Recital Centre
7pm, Tuesday 11th September 2012,
City Recital Hall, Angel Place, Sydney |
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Australian Brandenburg Orchestra - Beautiful Minds
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 In
an age when "awesome" has come to mean fleetingly interesting rather than
inspiring awe, you could be forgiven for ignoring the publicist's attachment of
the word "beautiful minds" to this concert. However in this case White Hat
believes the hype is well founded. To have written magical works by your mid
teens and by your death in your mid thirties to have left the world with some of
its most glorious music does require a beautiful mind and both Mozart and
Mendelssohn possessed one.
Mozart's clarinet concerto was written for the basset clarinet of the period
but is most often heard today on the modern orchestral clarinet involving the
minor rewriting of some of the passages featuring the lower notes. Only a few
notes you may say, but with Mozart every note is important. Here is a rare
opportunity to hear Mozart's clarinet concerto featuring the instruments for
which he wrote it.Craig Hill (bassett clarinet) and Madeleine Easton (period
violin) perform with the
Australian
Brandenburg Orchestra (Artistic Director Paul Dyer)
7pm, Wed 24th, Fri 26th, Wed 31st Oct, Fri 2nd & Sat 3rd Nov
2012; 2pm Sat 3rd Nov, City Recital
Hall, Angel Place, Sydney
7pm, Sat 27th Oct & 5pm Sun 28th Oct 2012, Melbourne Recital Centre |
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Enquiries & bookings: 1300 782 856 |
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Anthony Marwood and Aleksandar Madžar
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Beethoven's Kreutzer
Sonata is justifiably well-known and loved as one of the great works of
the violin sonata repertoire. However White Hat believes that
Debussy's Violin
Sonata, the last work he completed and the last that he performed in
public, is yet to be afforded the status it deserves by the public. This fine
pair of instrumentalists are sure to do them both justice.
7.30pm, Thursday 1st November 2012,
Adelaide Town Hall, Adelaide
7.30pm, Saturday 3rd November 2012,
Harold Lobb Concert Hall,
Newcastle Conservatorium of Music, Newcastle
7pm Mon 5th Nov & 2pm Sat 10th Nov 2012,
City Recital Hall, Angel
Place, Sydney
7pm, Wednesday 7th November 2012,
Conservatorium Theatre, Brisbane
7pm, Thursday 8th November 2012,
Llewellyn Hall, ANU
School of Music, Canberra
7pm Tues 13th Nov & 8pm Sat 17th Nov 2012, Elisabeth Murdoch Hall, Melbourne Recital Centre,
Melbourne
7.30pm, Thursday 15th November,
Perth Concert Hall,
Perth |
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Russian Visions
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 The
Australian Chamber Orchestra with Richard Tognetti (Artistic Director and Lead Violin),
Steven Osborne
(piano) and David
Elton (trumpet).
Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir is one of his sunniest and most exuberant works and
Shostakovich's first piano concerto is full of pyrotechnics for the pianist and
accompanying trumpet. What is sometimes less recognised is that this work calls
for first rate string playing from the orchestra. For that reason, White Hat
suggests you take the opportunity to get along and hear it with one of the best
string ensembles in Australia - or any other country for that matter.
8pm,
Saturday 10th November 2012,
Llewellyn Hall, ANU, Canberra
2,30pm 11th Nov; 8pm 12th Nov 2012.
The Arts Centre, Hamer Hall,
Melbourne
7.30pm, Wednesday 14th November 2012,
Perth Concert Hall, Perth
7pm 17 Nov; 8pm 20 Nov; 7pm 21 Nov 2012,
City Recital Hall Angel Place, Sydney
8pm, Monday 19th
November 2012, QPAC Concert Hall, Brisbane
7.30pm, Thursday 22nd November 2012,
Newcastle City Hall, Newcastle
2pm, Sunday
25th November 2012, Sydney Opera House, Sydney
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| Page last updated: | 17 November, 2011 | | URL:
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