Monday, June 10, 2013

Vanguard with the Australian Ballet

Life back in Melbourne is settling down nicely. We are about to move into a new rented house, and the cats are out of quarantine after their move from the UK.

I am back working with Orchestra Victoria, with whom I will spend most of the remainder of 2013. There are two ballet programs in June, later in the month we perform the evergreen Swan Lake, but right now we are in the middle of a run of a triple bill called Vanguards. Its a fantastic show - all those people who bought tickets to Swan Lake and didnt go to Vanguards are missing out on an amazing show. What those dancers do with their bodies is quite amazing....and humbling.


Its a triple bill:-
Hindemith - Four Temperaments
Bella Figura - a medley of slow Baroque pieces, with quirky arrangements
Dyad - Steve Reich

Am am associate principal, so when I am sat no 2 I am only in the first pieces, so my gig is 34 mins long. The second piece has only one bass, which is fun to play when I am principal (due to rostering). And the last piece has not basses, so we get off early! Am really enjoying the season, its left field, short and just great fun.

And before Vanguard I nipped back to Tazzie as principal with TSO in two interesting programs in late May:-
Schumann 4 plus Mozart choral music, incl Coronation Mass
A French program of Poulenc, Canteloube and Bizet


 

Photo - slightly arty shot of me playing the Tarr in a Parkville Ensemble concert