MSO: Forbidden Love
The Romanian-born pianist Alexandra Dariescu brings the teenage Clara Schumann's piano concerto to life in a concert that celebrates some of opera's greatest lovers.
Against her patriarchal father's wishes, the brilliant and prodigious pianist Clara Wieck fell in love with the composer Robert Schumann when she was still a teenager and had just composed the piano concerto featured in this unique concert. Her older paramour waxed poetically after the work's 1835 premiere: 'Here white yearning roses and pearly lily calyxes inclined their heads; there orange blossoms and myrtle nodded, while alders and weeping willows spread out their shadows.' Accepting his hand in marriage the following year meant Clara, while continuing to tour as a concert soloist, would have precious little time to write music in between raising eight children (with all but one reaching maturity) and enduring the stormy seas that was her husband's ever-declining metal health. 'I once believed that I possessed creative talent', Clara wrote despairingly, 'but I have given up this idea; a woman must not desire to compose – there has never yet been one able to do it. Should I expect to be the one?'
Having established a titular award for an outstanding performance of a work by a female composer at the 2024 Leeds International Piano Competition, Alexandra Dariescu states 'The classical music world has made significant strides in recent years to address the gender balance, but there is still much work to be done.' Hence she delights in giving what is the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra's premiere performance of Schumann's lyrical and suitably brooding Romantic-era concerto.
This concert's guest conductor Fabien Gabel, newly-appointed as the Music Director Designate of the Austrian Tonkünstler-Orchester, leads the musicians of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in music from the opera stage depicting similarly ill-fated yet fictional lovers such as Richard Wagner's Tristan and Isolde and Claude Debussy's Pelléas and Mélisande. Travelling to Cornwall to marry a king to whom she has been betrothed, Isolde falls for her handsome escort mid-journey, thanks to her servant's love potion, with deadly consequences. Pelléas too pays the ultimate price for his passion of Mélisande, murdered by the cuckolded Golaud. Musically, these works also share the distinction of making great strides both thematically and harmonically, establishing both these composers as revolutionary artists.
Recorded live in concert at Hamer Hall, Narrm/Melbourne, on October 5, 2024 by ABC Classic. Producer Duncan Yardley. Sound Engineer Russell Thomson.
Program
Deborah Cheetham Fraillon: Long time living hereClaude Debussy arr. Alain Altinoglu: Pelléas and Mélisande: SuiteClara Schumann: Piano Concerto in A minor, Op.7Florence Price: The Goblin and the MosquitoRichard Wagner: Tristan and Isolde: Prelude and Liebestod
Richard Strauss: Die Frau ohne Schatten: Symphonic Fantasy
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
4 hours ago
- ABC News
Blake Solly: We want them to show us the details
11m ago 11 minutes ago Sat 21 Jun 2025 at 8:00am Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.
ABC News
11 hours ago
- ABC News
You Need To Hear: IsGwan and Thndo - 'Drifting Away'
What's a bit of speed garage between friends? That's what IsGwan and thndo have served up on 'Drifting Away'. The combo of rich vocals and perfected textures make it sound deeply nostalgic while entirely new. Impossible to not bounce to this wherever you are. For fans of: reflective clothing reflective clothing 90s rave docos 90s rave docos hype ups hype ups breakbeat
Daily Telegraph
12 hours ago
- Daily Telegraph
Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom reportedly had explosive fight about ‘ridiculous' space flight
Don't miss out on the headlines from Hook Ups & Break Ups. Followed categories will be added to My News. He's gonna hear her roar. Orlando Bloom reportedly blasted Katy Perry's Blue Origin space flight in April as 'embarrassing' and 'cringe-worthy' in 'the middle of a fight.' The actor, 48, 'told her the whole thing looked ridiculous' during the explosive argument, a source told the Daily Mail on Friday. 'It hurt her feelings,' the insider noted. 'Of course she was hurt. Imagine going to space – motherf***ing space – and your partner isn't impressed.' The singer, 40, had reportedly 'hoped' her fiance would 'be more supportive.' Orlando Bloom reportedly had an explosive argument with Katy Perry over her recent space flight. Picture:Bloom reportedly called Perry space mission 'embarrassing' and 'cringe-worthy'. Picture:She told Sirius XM's The Morning Mash Up listeners in March that Bloom was 'all about' her historic journey to space. In fact, he even was photographed on site, supporting Perry before and after the launch. Because of Bloom's reported comment, however, Perry is finding it 'difficult to accept' that her partner will be attending Lauren Sánchez and Jeff Bezos' Italy wedding this month without her as she tours. The singer blasted off in April with Lauren Sánchez, Gayle King and three more women. 'He complains about her going to space, and then wants to go to the wedding of the people who made it possible for her to do this in the first place,' the outlet added. 'They're already spiralling and now the wedding is another thing that they have to fight about.' TMZ was the first to report that Perry will not be present at the star-studded nuptials due to 'prior commitments' — her Lifetimes tour. While the Grammy nominee 'does have prior commitments,' Bloom's attendance 'feels like … a 'f**k you' to her from him,' according to the outlet. 'They're really her friends more than his, and yet he's the one going to the wedding,' the insider alleged. 'And he's insistent that he goes, which annoys her because he's not particular close to either of them.' Bloom's barbed comment are said to have 'hurt [Perry's] feelings'. Picture:MORE:'Greedy' Katy Perry slammed for 'unforgivable' act Reps for Bloom and Perry have yet to respond to Page Six's requests for comment. The couple have been together since 2016, briefly splitting up the following year before getting engaged in 2019. The duo, who share a 4-year-old daughter named Daisy, put their 2020 wedding on hold amid the coronavirus pandemic. Perry, seen here performing in Brisbane, is currently on Australia on her Lifetimes tour. Picture: David Clark News broke earlier this month that their was 'tension' in the pair's relationship, with People reporting that Perry's 'devastating' album flop caused 'stress.' The outlet claimed, 'Katy was deeply frustrated following the reception of her new album, [143]. It made her very stressed. Orlando was understanding, but it did cause some tension.' Page Six subsequently heard that the romance is on the rocks. 'It's over,' a source told us. 'They are waiting 'til her tour is over before they split.' Perry's tour, notably, wraps on December 7. This article originally appeared in Page Six and was reproduced with permission Originally published as Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom reportedly had explosive fight about 'ridiculous' space flight
