Sydney’s favourite international chamber music export The Hourglass Ensemble presents breezy jazz standards from Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald, headlined by “Prelude to a Kiss” and “Lullaby of Birdland”. Hourglass welcomes trumpet and percussion for the first time to give that smoky club feel, and some suave silky sounds.
NB This event is the preview for the show on Sat 12 August at 7.30pm at the Sydney Opera House.
Alongside, they premiere Australian Tim Hansen’s humorous, dark, poignant song cycle, “The Sharpest Piece”: cabaret, circus, melodrama, expressionism, and music theatre fused - chronicling Sigmund Freud’s treatment of a woman suffering the bizarre delusion that she is completely made of glass. She lives in fear of her behaviour upsetting her husband, or of making any moves that might cause her to shatter.
Next, the third piano sonata of Chopin, his most rich, difficult, and brilliant, and the only piece he wrote in 1844 while his romance with George Sand fractured. Watch Gregory again take total command of the Opera House Steinway!
Finally, Hourglass play a funky new piece “Canon” by Nathan Lam, commissioned by us for clarinet, tenor sax, and piano, and the favourite flute solo “Spirit of the Plains” by Sally Whitwell.
Clarinets/director - Andrew Kennedy Flutes - Ewa Kowalski Saxophones - Nathan Henshaw Trumpets - Andrew del Riccio Percussion - Tim Brigden Mezzo-soprano - Jo Burton Piano - Gregory Kinda