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Australian Haydn Ensemble Tours With Beethoven’s Pastoral

June 7, 2021 @ 7:00 pm

The Australian Haydn Ensemble presents Beethoven’s Pastoral on its next tour, in a modern times premiere performance which will have audiences falling in love with the greats all over again.

The AHE is well known for unearthing historical chamber versions of the classics and this program brings both drama and joy with two of the greats in chamber version – Beethoven’s Symphony No 6, Pastoral and Mozart’s Haffner Serenade. The ensemble will also perform Boccherini’s beautiful string sextet.

Beethoven often criticised chamber versions of his own works by other composers. Watt’s c. 1810 arrangement of Beethoven’s Pastoral is an exception – a vibrant and passionate reinterpretation of this famous work. Mozart’s Serenade in D major (Haffner) was commissioned by Mozart’s friend, Sigmund Haffner, for the wedding of his sister in 1776. Masi’s arrangement, to be performed in this series, reflects Mozart’s own shortened version of the Serenade, capturing brightness, joy and celebration. The AHE also performs a beautiful, dark and moving string sextet by Luigi Boccherini – taking a journey full of drama, melancholy and dance.

The magic with these works is in the instrumentation. The AHE will play these masterworks by Beethoven and Mozart in a septet, including strings, double bass and flute. These beautiful arrangements bring colour, light, shade and drama,
allowing contemporary audiences to hear this much loved music in a whole new way.

In 2021 the Australian Haydn Ensemble is adding new dates to the Beethoven’s Pastoral tour which will also be broadcast throughout the UK on BBC Radio 3 in April. As well, they launch their new digital platform AHE Player in May with the dazzling late Italian baroque piece SACRO AMOR – a fusion of performance and contemporary imagery with soloists Celeste Lazarenko and Melissa Farrow.

The program: BOCCHERINI String Sextet in F minor Op. 23 No. 4 G. 457/ MOZART Serenade in D major Haffner
Serenade K. 250 Selections (arr. Masi c. 1810)/ BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 6 in F major Op. 68 Pastoral (arr. Watts c. 1810)

The performers: Australian Haydn Ensemble – Skye McIntosh Director & Violin/ Matthew Greco Violin/ Karina Schmitz Viola/ James Eccles Viola/ Daniel Yeadon Cello/ Bonita Williams Double Bass/ Melissa Farrow Flute

Touring June 3 – 20, 2021 to Canberra • Berry • Sydney • Southern Highlands • Tamworth • Parramatta • Lake Macquarie • Livestream Melbourne Digital Concert Hall

Venue

City Recital Hall and online
2 Angel Place
Sydney, NSW 2000 Australia