There was plenty of hype about the Omega Ensemble’s American Masters, not simply because its centrepiece was a new work by rock star US composer Nico Muhly, but also because it kicks off something of an unofficial Muhly festival in Australia, with the composer’s commission for the Gondwana World Choral Festival coming up in a week or so and a violin concerto for Pekka Kuusisto and the Australian Chamber Orchestra set to be unveiled later in the year.
Brett Brown, Gordon Hamilton and the Omega Ensemble in American Masters. Photo: supplied
The Omega Ensemble delivered the goods and more, however, presenting a beautifully crafted program – featuring repertoire from the group’s upcoming album for ABC Classic – that put Muhly’s new piece into context, weaving a tapestry of music by composers who influenced him, including Philip Glass (for whom he worked for eight years), John Adams (whose music he grew up listening to), and – at a remove – Steve Reich, Anton Webern and Renaissance composers Thomas Weelkes and William Byrd.
The concert opened with a spell-binding performance of two of Philip Glass’s Études for Piano by Sally Whitwell. Whitwell is Australia’s Glass interpreter par excellence –...
Dear Limelight,
Thank you for the opportunity to see the Omega Ensemble and the guest artists. I did attend and found the concert most interesting. There was a large proportion of young people in the audience and even a few children, which was wonderful to see.
I enjoyed the Philip Glass Etudes, with the amazing Sally Whitwell, but was blown away by the Sonata No. 1 for violin and piano, with Sally again and the violinist Alexandra Osborne. I don’t remember ever hearing this before and it was marvellous, particularly the second movement. I found the rest of the programme interesting rather than moving, but maybe I am a bit of a traditionalist. Nonetheless, the audience responded to John Adams and Nico Muhly with great applause and a standing ovation at the end. I was surprised to see that (I am guessing) Nico Muhly came onto the stage at the end, to a great audience reaction.
We have such fine musicians in this country. Thanks again to Limelight for the opportunity for attend.