Or their nations remained steadfast, allowing the most magical cultural overlaps at the border fringes. For centuries generations of musicians wrote dances and masses, symphonies and quartets, as their homelands changed ownership under their feet. This Tasmanian Baroque ensemble invites you to explore the historic borderlands of Europe. And perhaps it’s the absence of land borders that empowers its musicians to view the world in a distinctive light. Van Diemen’s Band comes from an island state. Impassioned and serene in equal measure, the work constantly shifts in tone, mood, and colour, but never loses its sense of quiet beauty.
The composer’s final chamber work, it is simply sublime and symphonic in scope, helping to redefine at time of writing what a small string ensemble could accomplish. Schubert’s String Quintet in C Major couldn’t be more different. Influences as disparate as bluegrass, grunge, prog-rock, metal, and disco coalesce into something utterly unique. Making use of punk-rock rhythms, dissonance, and percussive-based jams, it encourages the traditional string quartet to behave like something of a rock band, interrupting, challenging, and engaging in one-upmanship with each other. A highly theatrical piece, Balderdash explores musical ideas inspired by the electric guitar, including distortion, white noise, and power-chords. The concert opens with Holly Harrison’s Balderdash, commissioned for the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition and receiving another well-deserved hearing here. Joined by guest violinist Jos Jonker and cellist James Morley, the players’ preternatural rapport, formidable musicianship, and gusto for performance will make this an unforgettable experience. Musica Viva Australia’s current FutureMakers, the brilliant Partridge Quartet, are sure to wow audiences with this knockout of a program.