01. Percy Grainger - Colonial Song [6'04]
02. - 04. Paul Stanhope - Three Lorca Songs* [15'29]
05. Nicole Murphy - Spinning Top [6'11]
06. Carl Vine - Piano Trio ‘The Village’ (2013) [17'19]
07. Iain Grandage - Richie - In Memoriam [5'30]
08. Matthew Hindson - Rush [9'26]
09. Matthew Hindson - 1915 [6'48]
Greta Bradman*- soprano; Benaud Trio [Amir Farid- piano, Lachlan Bramble- violin, Ewen Bramble- cello]
ABC Classics 4817164 [recorded July 2017; CD and digital download released June 2018]
[digital download; flacs, cover and inlay scans - no booklet]
Recording venue: Elisabeth Murdoch Hall, Melbourne Recital CentreRecording engineer: Alex Stinson; Producer: Stephen Snelleman
Although the title of this album is correct in that it contains only works by Australian composers, it might be more accurately called "The Australian Cricket Album". The piano trio are named after the famed cricketer and TV commentator Richie Benaud and the soprano, Greta Bradman, is the grand-daughter of one of the greatest cricketers of all time, Sir Don Bradman. Iain Grandage's Richie - In Memorium is, of course, a tribute to Richie Benaud.
The Melbourne-based Benaud Trio was formed in 2004 and the violinist and cellist brothers are members of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. All of these works excepting the Grainger are receiving their first recordings.
Greta Bradman treats Paul Stanhope's Lorca settings (in English translation) with great sensitivity and this work, Carl Vine's kaleidoscopic Piano Trio and Matthew Hindson's thrilling Rush and poignant 1915 (commemorating the battle at Gallipoli) are, for me, the standout works in this recital.
As no booklet is provided with this download, I have included the most informative review that I have found - from the Music Trust Ezine - together with Carl Vine's programme notes for his Piano Trio. First-class recorded sound as usual from the ABC.
I have also included in this post, three more recordings of ABC FM broadcasts kindly provided by our friend from Symphonyshare. Again these are lossy broadcasts of works by two of the composers included on the Benaud Trio disc that currently have no commercial recordings. The fourth recording is from the BBC in the UK and is a lossless flac file.
01. Carl Vine - Violin Concerto (2011) [25'10]
Dene Olding- violin, Australian Youth Orchestra conducted by Thomas Dausgaard
Written for Dene Olding (first violin of the Goldner Quartet), this world-premiere performance was recorded at Concert Hall of Sydney Opera House on 21 July 2011.
01. Carl Vine - Cello Concerto (2004) [20'00]
Steven Isserlis- cello, Sydney Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jiri Belohlavek
Written for Steven Isserlis, this world-premiere performance was recorded at Concert Hall of Sydney Opera House on 30 June 2004. [Unfortunately, the ABC transcription disc played in this broadcast developed a fluttery fault towards the end of the work.]
01. - 02. Matthew Hindson - The Rave and the Nightingale. A fantasy based on the first movement of Schubert's String Quartet D.887 - for string quartet and string orchestra [16'30]
Australian String Quartet, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra conducted by Arvo Volmer
Recorded at Adelaide Town Hall on 30 September 2009 (in the same concert as Carl Vine's Seventh Symphony posted earlier). In view of the audacious nature of this work I have included the announcer's (fairly unprofessional) introduction to the work - otherwise it would probably make no sense at all. I find it quite a "hoot".
01. Carl Vine - Descent. Metropolis: The Workers' View (1996) [11'46]
London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Daniel Harding
A descriptive work, originating in a soundtrack score for the Fritz Lang film, which was a finalist in the 1998 International Composing Competition Masterprize. Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London in December 1997. Issued on a BBC Music Magazine cover disc and later by EMI.