Schubert’s Trout
Love Music?Love Omega.Omega Ensemble’s mission is to showcase outstanding artists, captivate and excite audiences, and present revelatory programs of chamber music.
Like many arts organisations, box office revenue and government grants make only a partial contribution to the costs involved in bringing our music to an audience.
Omega’s growth is dependent upon the many generous individual supporters who make a substantive contribution to the Ensemble’s current and future success.
We invite you to join this core group of diverse and passionate supporters who share a uniting passion for uncovering great music through captivating chamber performance.
See page 18 for more information.
A Brahms AffairSchumann Fantasiestücke, Op. 73
Borodin String Quartet No. 1 in A major
Brahms Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op. 115
Beethoven’s QuintetNielsen Wind Quintet, Op. 43
Hindemith Kleine Kammermusik for Wind Quintet, Op. 24, No. 2
Françaix Quartet for Winds
Beethoven Quintet in E flat major for Piano and Winds, Op. 16
Ravel ImpressionsMozart Trio in E flat major ‘Kegelstatt’, K. 498
Fauré Piano Trio in D minor, Op. 120
Arensky Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 32
Ravel String Quartet in F major
What’s On
Date and TimeThurs 7 Sept, 7:30pm
VenueCity Recital Hall
Bookingscityrecitalhall.com02 8256 2222
Date and TimeSun 8 Oct, 2:30pm
VenueUtzon Room, Sydney Opera House
Bookingssydneyoperahouse.com02 9250 7777
Date and TimeThurs 16 Nov, 7:30pm
VenueCity Recital Hall
Bookingscityrecitalhall.com02 8256 2222
Virtuoso Series Master Series Virtuoso Series
Schubert’s TroutThursday 27 July, 7:30pmCity Recital Hall
SchubertPiano Quintet in A major, Op. 114 ‘The Trout’40 mins
Interval (20 mins)
SchubertOctet for Clarinet, Horn, Bassoon and Strings in F major45 mins
Cover Image, Maria Raspopova. Credit: Keith Saunders
This evening’s performance will be recorded by ABC Classic FM for future broadcast. Producer, Don Bate
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The Ensemble
Omega Ensemble shines a light on outstanding musicians, giving every instrument its own voice.
Founded in 2005, Omega Ensemble initially performed in churches and fast became one of Australia’s finest and most lauded chamber groups. Its mission is to showcase outstanding artists who captivate and excite audiences through a revelatory program of chamber music. With a dedication to engaging the finest Australian musicians, as well as international guest artists, Omega presents outstanding musicians in an intimate and stimulating chamber setting.
Omega Ensemble is unique in that the combination of musicians varies for each concert. Ranging from full chamber orchestra to duos it constantly provides a fresh and invigorating musical experience, captivating audiences. Omega’s players pride themselves on performing a diverse range of repertoire; whether it is an iconic gem, a neglected beauty or a brand new work, their passion and commitment to the highest level of craft is still deployed. For audiences, a performance by Omega touches mind, heart and spirit.
To date, the Omega Ensemble has commissioned and performed over twenty new works that demonstrate a Who’s Who roster of Australian
composers, including Daniel Rojas (Hard Boiled Overture), Mark Isaacs (Chamber Symphony No. 2), Cyrus Meurant (Eventide Visions), George Palmer, Elena Kats-Chernin, Anne Boyd, Matthew Hindson, Christopher Gordon, John Peterson, Margery Smith, Stuart Greenbaum, Paul Stanhope, Ben Hoadley, and their latest world premiere, Contradance by acclaimed composer, author and music journalist Andrew Ford.
As well as performing a diverse range of well-known and loved repertoire, Omega Ensemble’s programming includes works that have been lost to time. Omega’s ability to find these pieces and bring them to life spells out a deep love and passion not only for well-known chamber music, but also for exploring gems that delight, entertain and enrich their audiences.
Omega’s innovative approach to concert repertoire and programming is further enhanced by Omega On Demand, in which audiences can relive the magic of a live performance. Beyond these videos, Omega Ensemble’s performances are now included as part of Qantas’s inflight entertainment.
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David RowdenCo-Artistic Director
Maria RaspopovaCo-Artistic Director
David Rowden was born in Sydney and studied clarinet from a young age. He was awarded a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music where he won the Geoffrey Hawkes Prize for clarinet performance. David also studied in Italy with Anthony Pay and in France with Paul Meyer.
Since returning to Sydney David has performed as a freelance orchestral musician with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra and many others, as well as being Guest Principal Clarinet with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2011 he was a finalist in the ABC Young Performer of the Year Awards. From 2013-2014 David curated the House Music series at Government House.
In 2005 David founded the Omega Ensemble where he has overseen the growth of the organisation since. In 2016 David was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music and he recently appeared on the 50th Anniversary DVD of Australia’s iconic children’s program, Play School. 2016 saw David record with Omega Ensemble alongside Dimitri Ashkenazy performing George Palmer’s Clarinet Concerto, It Takes Two, on Omega’s debut album.
In 2017 David joined the staff at the Newcastle Conservatorium of Music as part of the University of Newcastle.
Maria Raspopova is an acclaimed and virtuosic chamber musician and recitalist. She is the Co-Artistic Director of Omega Ensemble, and has performed with a number of revered musicians.
Maria began learning the piano at a young age in Russia. At seventeen she moved to Australia with her family and soon commenced studies at Sydney Conservatorium of Music where her teachers were Gerard Willems and Philip Shovk. She was then awarded a scholarship to study with Philip Kawin (Professor of Piano at the Manhattan School of Music). Since returning to Australia, Maria has recorded and performed recitals in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney. During the past few years she performed at both the Art Gallery of New South Wales and in the Government House Music series with acclaimed soprano Emma Matthews. With Omega Ensemble she has also performed in a number of newly commissioned Australian works.
Maria has received wide acclaim for her performances with Omega Ensemble. “…the piano sparkled with a shimmering clarity. Raspopova played with confidence and zest. She shone like gold…here is a pianist who could play anything”. Cut Common Magazine.
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Musicians
Alexandra OsborneViolin
Veronique SerretViolin
Alex HeneryDouble Bass
Michael DixonHorn
Maria RaspopovaPiano
Neil ThompsonViola
Ben HoadleyBassoon
David RowdenClarinet
Paul StenderCello
For full biographies, On Demand videos and featured interviews with all our 2017 musicians, visit omegaensemble.com.au/ensemble
Dressed by Scanlan Theodore, courtesy of Mark Wakely & Steven Alward
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Meet the MusicianAlexandra Osborne, Violin
When did you first start playing the violin and what drew you to it?
I first picked up the violin at the age of 4. The story goes that I began to have interest in it as young as 2 years old, because my older brother was doing it and I wanted to be just like him! My dear violin has taken me all over the world and I have met such amazing people everywhere because of it. The best part of being a performer is that I get to make people feel something, anything, even from one phrase of music!
What do you love most about performing chamber music?
I love the freedom, expression, close interaction, responsibility, and excitement that comes with playing so closely with a small group of musicians as well as the vulnerability of letting go with some of
your closest friends or even new friends. I also love the combination of everyone’s expertise and experience pooling together into this awesome vessel of sound and expression. Chamber music fulfills me in every possible way as a musician and as a person, and I can’t live without it.
What are you most looking forward to about performing with Omega Ensemble?
This will be my first official appearance with the Omega Ensemble, and I can’t wait to share the stage with such great musicians and in a beautiful concert hall. David Rowden and I have known and respected each other for a very very long time, and it will be so fun to perform together after all these years! It is always an amazing experience for me to come back to Sydney and perform in my hometown.
What makes Schubert is one of those composers of ‘all time’ and why do you love his music?
Franz Schubert transcended pretty much every musical genre. I think musicians and audiences love Schubert because of his mastery and brilliance of melody, musical form and his ability to transfix us as the music turns corners. There is so much innocence and playfulness in “The Trout,”, and no sadness or anxiety which come in his later compositions.
Encore.The concert hall is never silent with Omega On Demand. Relive hours of beautiful music and inspiring
performances in the comfort of your home or on your mobile device.
omegaensemble.com.au/ondemand
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Franz Schubert (1797—1828)
Piano Quintet in A, “The Trout”D.667 (1819)
I. Allegro VivaceII. AndanteIII. Scherzo. PrestoIV. Thema Mit VariationenV. Finale. Allegro Giusto
Schubert was only 20 years old when he composed the song Die Forelle (The Trout). Two years later, when touring the Austrian countryside, Schubert met Sylvester Paumgartner; an enthusiastic – and very wealthy – amateur cellist, who encouraged the composer to write a chamber work based on the popular song. Schubert obliged, and the resulting work has since become one of the composer’s best-known pieces.
The song’s rippling sextuplet figure accompaniment appears throughout the quintet’s five movements, yet Schubert keeps his listeners in suspense until the fourth movement, where he indulges in a set of variations on the song’s original melody.
Unfortunately, Schubert over-estimated Paumgartner’s skill, and the piece was relegated to the shelf following an informal performance in which the cellist stumbled through the work with a group of friends in his living room. Finally published a year after the composer’s death, the Trout has since proved to have widespread audience appeal. As well as being much performed and recorded, it has been used as the soundtrack in a number of television shows and films. The music also weaves through the plot of An Equal Music, by writer Vikram Seth, where the bubbling surface melodies that disguise undercurrents of sorrow are a poignant allegory to the main character’s refusal to admit her encroaching deafness.
Two inspiring concerts.Two master composers.
Book a two-concert ticket package and save up to 20%.
A Brahms Affair Ravel Impressions
Book Nowcityrecitalhall.com or call 02 8256 2222
Thurs 7 Sep, 7:30pmA celebration of chemistry, romance and love.
Thurs 16 Nov, 7:30pmDedications and intricate shadings of trios and quartets.
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Franz Schubert (1797—1828)
Octet for Clarinet, Horn, Bassoon and Strings in F majorD. 803, Op. 166 (1824)
I. Adagio - AllegroII. AdagioIII. Allegro vivaceIV. Andante con variazioniV. Menuetto; AllegrettoVI. Andante molto – Allegro
Amateur clarinettist Count Ferdinand von Troyer would likely have been well pleased with the opportunities to flaunt his talent in this piece. The Octet, which was premiered by von Troyer and friends in a private performance in 1824, was everything he had ordered and more.
Requested as a companion piece to Beethoven’s immensely popular Septet, Schubert’s work is closely modeled on its Beethoven forebear: it is written in six movements with a slow introduction for each outer movement; the harmonic relationship between each movement is identical, and the work contains both an Adagio movement (unusual for Schubert) and an Andante theme and variations.
Yet despite the structural similarities, Schubert’s work is much more than mere imitation. His unique style, with its long melodic lines and emotional clarity, is expressed here in this joyful music with a hint of the poignant.
The Octet begins with a slow introduction in which the clarinet’s extended melody prepares the ear for the movement’s main theme. In the second movement the clarinet, along with the strings, plays a major part in unfolding a gentle and lovely melody. The third movement begins with an exuberant scherzo, from which the trio provides a brief respite. A love duet written by Schubert at age 18 forms the basis for a set of variations in the fourth movement, while the fifth movement is structurally similar to the third, written as a minuet and trio.
The presence in this work of both the Classical minuet and trio, and the Romantic scherzo and trio, points to Schubert’s position on the bridge between two eras. This dichotomy can also be heard in the final movement where the slightly somber material of the slow introduction is balanced against the joyful energy of the work’s conclusion.
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Supporters
Omega Ensemble is honoured to be supported by our generous patrons. All donations go towards enabling Omega Ensemble to continue to produce and perform outstanding chamber music.
Chairman’s Council
Mr Robert Titterton (Chairman)
Ms Karen O’Flynn
Dr Neville Rowden
Mr Shane Simpson AM
Mrs Mary Anne Terry
Principal Chair Sponsors
ViolinMs Amanda Armstrong
ViolaThe Hon. George Palmer AM QC
Drs Jane & Neville Rowden
CelloMr & Mrs Richard and Alison Morgan
Ms Sandra Hutcheson
Dr Anthony White AM and Mrs Doffy White
The Hon. Mary Finn
FluteMr Geoffrey White OAM and Mrs Sally White
BassoonDrs Jane and Neville Rowden
ClarinetMr & Mrs Chris and Ingrid Latham
Mr & Mrs David and Virginia Creer
Drs Jane & Neville Rowden
PianoDrs Jane & Neville Rowden
Artistic Director’s Circle
Mrs Kyril Agnew
Mr Mark Wakely & Mr Steven Alward
Mr Michael Crouch AC
Mrs Kerry Jones
The Hon. Jane Mathews AO
Dr Jane Rowden
Mrs W.G.Keighley – In memory of Keighley Quist
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Annual Giving Program
Maestoso $10,000+Mrs W.G.Keighley – In memory of Keighley Quist
The Hon. Jane Mathews AO
Anonymous (1)
Maestri $5,000 +Mrs Kyril Agnew
Mr Mark Wakely and Mr Steven Alward
Mr and Mrs Bruce and Mary Anne Terry
Mr Bernard Coles QC
Virtuosi $1,000 +Mr Andrew Andersons AO
Mr Paul Blacket SC and Mrs Cristl Blacket
Mr Bernard Coles SC
Mr and Mrs David and Virginia Creer
Mr David Emanuel
Mr Stuart Glenn
Mr and Mrs Chris and Ingrid Latham
Mr and Mrs John and Jo-Ann Negrine
Ms Karen O’Flynn
The Hon. George Palmer AM QC
In Memory of Katherine Robertson
Ms Petrina Slaytor
Professor John Snowdon AM and Mrs Libby Snowdon
Professor Gillian Straker and
Ms Nellie Robertson
Dr Jenepher Thomas
Mr Peter Weiss AO
Mr Geoffrey White OAM
Dr Anthony White AM and Mrs Doffy White
Dr Nicholas Wilcken and Ms Susan Want
Mr Cameron Williams
Anonymous (1)
Encore $500 +Emeritus Professor Christine Alexander and the late Professor Peter Alexander
Mr & Mrs Ian and Adrienne Bailey
Mr Stephen Burley
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Mr John Sydney Smith and Ms Nola Charles
Mr & Mrs Alan and Phillippa Clark
Mr Shane Simpson AM
Mr Philip Stern
Mr & Mrs Tom and Dalia Stanley
Dr Geoff & Mrs Renee Symonds
Emeritus Professor David Wilcken and Professor Bridget Wilcken AM
Anonymous (1)
Da Capo $250 +Ms Anita Austin
Mr & Mrs Gary and Joanna Barnes
Mrs Catherine Corver
Mr & Mrs Robin and Wendy Cumming
Mr & Mrs Charles and Anne Edmondson
The Hon. Mary Finn
Professor Zoltán H Endre
Mr Andrew Fox-Smith
Mr Randell Heyman
Mr Ian Latham
Mr & Mrs Robert and Tessa Phillips
Mr & Mrs Terrance and Shirley Plowright
Ms Irene Poinkin
Mr Greg Robertson
Mr & Mrs Max and Josette Staples
Mrs Lindsay Wanstall
Anonymous (2)
Soirée Supporter
Mr Ermes De Zan
The Hon. Jane Mathews AO
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Details published in this publication, including dates, prices, artist and venue information are correct at the time of publishing. Omega Ensemble reserves the right to vary, substitute or withdraw advertised programs, artists and venues. For up to date performance and artist details, please visit omegaensemble.com.au. The publisher does not take responsibility for any changes to fees, booking details or other changes made by ticketing agents or performance venues after the time of publication.
Our VisionTo enrich life through a deeper understanding of music.
Omega Ensemble34 Centennial Avenue Randwick NSW 2031Omega Ensemble ACN 40 120 304 725 is listed on the Australian Government’s Register of Cultural Organisations maintained under Subdivision 30-B of Part 2-1 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (Cth).
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Acknowledgments
BoardRobert Titterton, Chairman
Bruce Terry, Treasurer
David Rowden
Stuart Glenn
TeamMarketing Manager David Boyce
Administrator Stephen Bydder
Content Manager Samuel Cottell
Researcher Rhiannon Cook
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Acknowledgment of Country
Omega Ensemble acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of the land on which we perform. We pay respect to the Elders both past and present, and extend that respect to other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.
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Support the Ensemble with a tax deductible annual donation. Your contribution will be acknowledged throughout the season, as well as exclusive supporter events and opportunities. See a list of current supporters and support levels here.
Help support the musicians that make our dynamic ensemble. Limited sponsorship opportunities are available for each instrument with full sponsorships starting at $7,000. Co-sponsorships are available between family, friends and like-minded supporters.
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A Premiere Recording
Omega Ensemble’s first studio album features George Palmer's Concerto for Two Clarinets, ‘It Takes Two’ performed by David
Rowden and Dimitri Ashkenazy, as well as Ian Munro’s beautiful Clarinet Quintet ‘Songs from the Bush’ and Mozart's Clarinet
Quintet, in a rare performance on basset clarinet.
Available from omegaensemble.com.auand all good music retailers.