Bibeau and his Bass

Maxime Bibeau's bass was built in 1581 and glows from the stage

Yesterday bassist Maxime Bibeau celebrated 20 Years with the Australian Chamber Orchestra by playing the most wonderful commissioned work by Missy Mazzoli called Dark with Excessive Bright. The bass is seldom seen at the front of the stage, but that may change as this Mazzoli piece is such a pleasure to listen to and may well become an orchestral favorite.

Another future favorite might be Tognetti's arrangement of the Brahm's Sextet #2 in G Major for 30 instruments. Students from the Australian National Academy of Music joined the ACO to play this arrangement and it was inspiring to hear them galloping along with the ACO.

Mezzo soprano Deborah Humble

Stephen Mould on piano, Deborah Humble singing

On Wednesday Deborah Humble sang lieder by Brahms, Wagner (Wesendonck Lieder) and a long lost song by Mendelssohn for an appreciative audience at the Verbruggen Hall in Sydney.

Lieder (= songs in German) show off a voice or show the imperfections.  Deborah is a mezzo soprano but I prefer the old fashioned term contralto which seems to me more fitting for Deborah's deep and expressive voice, a voice and quite up to the task of a whole evening's continuous singing.

Her concert was a real pleasure. Now she is busy rehearsing for her concert in Melbourne.

After the concert (from Deborah's Facebook page)