Composed in the shadow of World War I, Elgar's cherished Piano Quintet, is a brooding, evocative work brimming with ghostly piano phrases, dark string passages, and rich textures. Across its three movements, the Quintet moves through haunting, lyrical beauty and bursts of grandeur, echoing Spanish legends of sacrilegious monks and the untamed beauty of the English countryside.
A rising star in Australia and overseas, Ella Macens is one of Australia's most celebrated young composers, drawing upon elements of her Latvian heritage and fusing these with her love of popular and classical music. Her language is rooted in a deeply evocative and sensitive musical aesthetic, for which she is becoming well-known in Australia and beyond.
Drawing inspiration from the playful energy of the legendary clarinettist Benny Goodman, Nigel Westlake’s Rare Sugar showcases the clarinet’s virtuosic capabilities, reflecting a joyful jazz quality that resonates throughout.
Program
ELLA MACENS New Commission*
EDWARD ELGAR Piano Quintet in A minor, Op. 84
NIGEL WESTLAKE Rare Sugar
* World premiere. Commissioned by Omega Ensemble with the generous
support of the Darin Cooper Foundation
- 90 mins (no interval)
