Darwin Symphony Orchestra: Kakadu
Join the Darwin Symphony Orchestra (DSO) this October as they continue their exploration of the music of Dmitri Shostakovich and welcome back regular guest soloist, pianist Michael Kieran Harvey.
Described by DSO Chief Conductor and Artistic Director Matthew Wood as one of Australia’s most cherished instrumentalists, Harvey will perform Shostakovich’s 2nd piano concerto, one of his most jovial works.
This MasterSeries performance also continues the DSO’s exploration and celebration of the music of the late Peter Sculthorpe. One of Australia’s greatest composers whose affinity with the Northern Territory played a significant role in the inspiration of his compositional work over many years, ‘Kakadu’ is considered by many as one of his greatest works.
“Sculthorpe’s ‘Kakadu’ explores the sounds of our own backyard,” says Wood.
“A sense of place in music has been explored by many composers and here Peter has created a soundscape that infuses not just the sounds of Kakadu but also the landscape in both its breathtaking natural beauty and contradicting harshness.”
Sculthorpe himself described the melodic material in the work as inspired by the contours and rhythms of Aboriginal chant, exploring his emotional connection with the landscape of Kakadu.
“This enormous wilderness area stretches from coastal tidal plains to rugged mountain plateaux, and in it may be found the living culture of its Aboriginal inhabitants, dating back for fifty thousand years. Sadly, today there are only a few remaining speakers of Kakadu or Gagadju. The work, then, is concerned with my feelings about this place, its change of seasons, its Dry season and its Wet, its cycle of life and death.”
This MasterSeries concert once again showcases the remarkable depth of our NT musical talent, performing the work of one of Australia’s greatest ever composers alongside Tchaikovsky’s ‘Marche Slave’, Shotakovich’s ‘Ballet Suite No. 3’ and Harvey’s own ‘Homage to Liszt’.
This is an event not to be missed.
Sat 21 Oct | 7.30pm | Darwin Convention Centre | dso.org.au
