Birthday boy beats Mozart

When we think of a child-genius, it is natural to think of Mozart. He was performing and composing at the age of five. But other composers also began very early. And some even surpassed his considerable feats.

Did you know that Chopin wrote pieces from the age of seven that were much more demanding to write and play than many of the pieces that Wolfie wrote, even in his maturity?

But the one who really impresses me is Camille Saint-Saëns, born on 9th October, 1835.

Consider this: at the age of two he could already read and write, and was picking out melodies on the piano. He began composing shortly after his third birthday, and by the age of five had given his first piano recital.

At seven he was reading Latin, studying botany and investigating butterflies (the last of which he continued to do for the next eighty years).

When he was ten he made his formal debut as a concert pianist, performing a Mozart piano concerto in B flat and Beethoven's Third Piano Concerto in C Minor. For an encore, he offered to play any of the thirty-two Beethoven piano sonatas from memory!

Where did you first hear Mozart's magic music?

Many people first heard the wonderful music of Mozart at school. Maybe your teacher played his delightful string quartet Eine kleine Nachtmusik (A Little Serenade) or did you first encounter him through attempting to play his pieces yourself?
They say Mozart is too easy for the amateurs, but too hard for the professionals. It seems so light and charming, yet Mozarteans spend a whole lifetime in perfecting his phrasing and little nuances.

Like many people, I learnt a lot of his music through the wonderful film Amadeus. And the most striking of all of this music is surely his Requiem. Have you heard it yet? On Saturday, 30th June there will be a very special performance of this superb choral music at 3 PM at All Saints Cathedral.

Mitchell Conservatorium's Jonathan Lewis (tenor) will join with Helen Barnett (soprano), Bill Moxey (bass) and Narelle Hissey (mezzo soprano), The Allegri Singers, Macquarie University Singers  and Bathurst Chamber Ochestra to perform under Timothy Chung's baton.

This brief excerpt was one of the favourite parts of the mass when NSW secondary school students performed excerpts in a choral concert in Sydney Opera House, conducted by Graham Abbott in the late 1990s.



You can have a preview of other parts of the Requiem in Mitchell Conservatorium's Armchair Concert on Monday, 25th June at 1.30 PM on 2MCE fm, 92.3 or 94.7 fm or at 2MCE.org

Countdown

Simon Tedeschi

Our new Armchair Concert radio program begins on Monday, 5th March at 1.30 PM and will feature Simon Tedeschi, Bathurst Chamber Orchestra and Guitar Trek, performing music by Mozart, Gershwin, Australian composers and a few surprises.

You can listen on 92.3 or 94.7 FM, at 2MCE.org or with the smartphone tunein app.

We are playing music by Simon Tedeschi and our own local orchestra, because we want to let you know about the great concert at 7.30 PM in Lithgow on Friday 16th March and Bathurst on Saturday, 16th March, and at 2 PM in Forbes, on Sunday 18th March.

Tickets are only $20 for adults ($15 concession) and free for all school-aged children!

Later Armchair Concerts will feature the best of Mitchell Conservatorium concerts over the past few years, including piano duets from Max and Hayden Reeder, flute and piano music featuring Phil Braithwaite, Prem Love and Cindy Fox, and performances from our Rising Stars concerts.

Christine Sweeney and David McKay are looking forward to showcasing our talented musicians every fortnight from Monday, 5th March at 1.30 PM

Musical Time Machine

Do you know your composers and which musical periods they belong to? Was Mozart born in the 20th century? Did Bach know Debussy? Who was the most famous composer in the Renaissance Period?

You might enjoy the DSO Kids Time Machine.

Would you like some hints to help you? The Naxos Brief History of Music could be just the ticket.

Haydn Seek

He was the most famous composer of his day, more popular than Handel had been and certainly more popular than Mozart or Bach were, in their own lifetimes. He has been called the father of the symphony and the father of the string quartet. New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians says

No other composer approaches his combination of productivity, quality and historical importance in these genres.

Mozart and Beethoven were both taught by him, and were greatly influenced by his music. But surprisingly, most people would not know much of his music.

I'm hoping to change this with The Haydn Pages. This is my effort to add a little about Joseph Haydn, because there is not a lot of information about him that is easily accessible.

As a student, I learnt his wonderful late Sonata in E Flat Major, Hob XVI:52, when I was studying for my licentiate diploma (L Mus A). This is the first movement, played by Bulgarian pianist, Ivaila Ivanova.

Gil Sullivan

Gil Sullivan: Mozart K498a First Movement from David Banbury on Vimeo.

On Saturday 22 October 2011, distinguished Australian pianist, Gil Sullivan will play some delightful piano music at Mitchell Conservatorium in Russell St, Bathurst at 7.30 PM

The program will include works by Liszt, whose bicentenary we are celebrating this year, Mozart and Tristram Cary.

Mr Sullivan's previous concert in Bathurst a few years ago was warmly received. i particularly enjoyed the Polly Fillers by Tristram Cary.

You can order your tickets, during office hours, Monday to Friday, by ringing 6331 6622

Tara Chan is a talented pianist and violinist. She has already been awarded an Australian Music Examinations Board A Mus A diploma, and is currently working towards her licentiate L Mus A diploma, and is not yet 16 years of age.

Tara enjoys playing violin with fellow violinist Chloe McCormick, violist and pianist, Ailie McGarity and cellist,Nicola Ball in the delightful Bella Forte string quartet.

On Sunday, 28th August, 2011, Tara will perform her L Mus A program in a 12.30 PM concert in The Orchard Room at Mitchell Conservatorium. The concert is free of charge and includes J S Bach's Prelude and Fugue in G Minor, from his Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2, Mozart's Sonata in A Minor, K.310, Chopin Prelude in C# Minor, op 10 no 4 and Prokofiev's one movement A Minor Sonata.

A splended time is guaranteed for all.

Awesome String Orchestra Day

And here is one of Mozart's great pieces of music for orchestra:

Who Am I?

Guten Tag. Today is my birthday. Do you know who I am? I was born on 27th January, 1756 in Salzburg, Austria. I died in December, 1791, just a few weeks before my 36th birthday.

In my short life I wrote over 600 pieces of music. My father put some of the first pieces I wrote into a book for my sister, which is called Nannerl's Music Book. You can find a copy of these first pieces here, which is a special internet site from Germany, which contains copies of all of my music. You might like to download the pages and try them out. Some of them are easy, but some are harder than they look!

Here is a short extract from a film about me called Amadeus, which is my middle name. Do you like the laugh they gave me?

Beat That!

When we think of a child-genius, it is natural to think of Mozart. He was performing and composing at the age of five. But other composers also began very early. And some even surpassed his considerable feats.

Did you know that Chopin wrote pieces from the age of seven that were much more demanding to write and play than many of the pieces that Wolfie wrote, even in his maturity?

But the one who is impressing me at the moment is Camille Saint-Saëns. Consider this: at the age of two he could already read and write and was picking out melodies on the piano. He began composing shortly after his third birthday, and by the age of five had given his first piano recital.

At seven he was reading Latin, studying botany and investigating butterflies [the last of which he continued to do for the next eighty years].

When he was ten he made his formal debut as a concert pianist, performing a Mozart piano concerto in B flat and Beethoven's Third Piano Concerto in C Minor. For an encore, he offered to play any of the thirty-two Beethoven piano sonatas from memory!