Queensland Symphony Orchestra & Circa | The Rite of Spring
21 February, 2025, QPAC, Brisbane, QLD
Performing The Rite of Spring as a collaborative venture with Circa was a smart move for the QSO. The promotion of this program has attracted considerable attention and there was a notable buzz of excitement as people claimed their seats. Prominent musicians were in the crowd including composer-conductor Richard Mills, acclaimed singer Katie Noonan and Brendan Joyce, artistic director and leader of Camerata – Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra. Significantly, there was also a bounty of noticeably younger ticket holders from mid-twenties to mid-thirties in tee shirts and jeans. Evidently, QSO’s management was confident the program could fill QPAC’s concert hall as it presented this event over three consecutive nights.
The program began with Debussy’s much-loved tone poem L’ Apres- Midi d’un Faun which he wrote in 1894. Alison Mitchell’s exquisitely languid, flute solo with which the work begins embraced the crowd. Inspired by Stephane Mallarme’s poem it represents a turning point in the history of Western art music in the same way the Rite of Spring sparked revolutionary new directions. Both works begin with a striking solo. In the Stravinsky, it’s a haunting melody which was beautifully realised by Nicole Tait.
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