2023 Sidney Myer Concert

Melbourne is living up to its reputation of being the hub of arts and sports once again. The Sidney Myer free concerts were held over the past 3 weeks, we could only make it to the last concert of the series and what a concert it was!

A young pianist Hannah Shin played Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3 in the first half. She played energetically, fingers moving non stop and without needing any notes for the whole concert. We were seated away from the piano so could not see her finger movements on the piano but it was captured by the camera man and shown on the big screen above the stage. Such fluidity! Twice I saw the pianist play glissando - I just learnt that term today. It's when the pianist slides their hand across the keys in one movement. 

After the intermission, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the Melbourne Symphony Chorus, and 3 opera singers to the stage to perform Carl Orff's Carmina Burana. As expected, the opening song of O Fortuna was electric! I love the extensive ensemble, there were drums, cymbals, two pianos, the choir. 

Midway through the opera, I had to look up the lyrics to better enjoy the experience and I learnt that Carmina Burana is a cantata (separate pieces, not a continuous piece), the lyrics were in Latin and German, and sings about the theme of life - springtime, love, drinking and making merry. For instance, one song was about drinking wine in a tavern, another about a swan roasting on a fire and yet another about first love. 

Carl Orff composed Carmina Burana based on 24 poems by the same name from the medieval times. It starts and ends with O Fortuna, which is undoubtedly one of the most famous tunes. Another memorable song is The Roasted Swan, which is song by a falsetto (men with high voice) or counter tenor. It has the funniest lyrics: 

Olim lacus colueram,	Once I lived on lakes,
olim pulcher extiteram,	once I looked beautiful
dum cignus ego fueram.	when I was a swan.
(Male chorus)
Miser, miser!	Misery me!
modo niger	Now black
et ustus fortiter!	and roasting fiercely!
(Tenor)
Girat, regirat garcifer;	The servant is turning me on the spit;
me rogus urit fortiter;	I am burning fiercely on the pyre:
propinat me nunc dapifer,	the steward now serves me up.
(Male Chorus)
Miser, miser!	Misery me!
modo niger	Now black
et ustus fortiter!	and roasting fiercely!
(Tenor)
Nunc in scutella iaceo,	Now I lie on a plate,
et volitare nequeo	and cannot fly anymore,
dentes frendentes video:	I see bared teeth:
(Male Chorus)
Miser, miser!	Misery me!
modo niger	Now black
et ustus fortiter!	and roasting fiercely!

 

http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/works/orff-cb/carmlyr.php