Brisbane
Concert Hall, QPAC
8 May 2025, 7pm
$65 - $125*
The Signum Saxophone Quartet, having captured hearts during their debut tour across Australia, returns with the talented Ali McGregor, known for her transition from opera star to cabaret queen. Together, they embark on an exciting musical journey that spans from Berlin to Hollywood, featuring stops at a shadowy nightclub, a Shakespearean tragedy, a Broadway musical, and even a Wild West rodeo, concluding somewhere over the rainbow.
The early 20th century was a period marked by significant social, political, and artistic transformations. While history presents one narrative, the experiences of artists, composers, writers, and performers offer a different perspective. Musica Viva Australia celebrates 80 years of illuminating these voices, taking audiences on a journey from moody tones to vibrant colors, and from introspective darkness to blazing hope.
As noted by Paul Kildean, “Hanns Eisler wrote his Hollywood Songbook in the early 1940s, holed up in Los Angeles, a lucky émigré escaping the dark clouds over Europe. Eisler’s title serves as a tribute to the founders of Musica Viva Australia and the profound impact they have had on Australian culture. Here, the nervous brilliance of 1930s Europe transitions into the bold and optimistic music of Broadway and Hollywood in the 1940s.” Special thanks to Ian Dickson AM and Reg Holloway for their support of Izidor Leitinger’s musical arrangements.
The musicians of theSignum Saxophone Quartet, who won hearts all over Australia on their debut tour, return with a brilliant new collaborator,Ali McGregor, the opera star turned cabaret queen. Together, they trip the light fantastic on a journey from Berlin to Hollywood, taking detours through a shadowy nightclub, a Shakespearean tragedy, a Broadway musical, and even a Wild West rodeo, before finally arriving somewhere over the rainbow. The first half of the 20th century was a time of radical change across many dimensions: socially, politically, and artistically. While history books tell one version of the story, the voices of artists, composers, writers, and performers tell another.Musica Viva Australiacelebrates 80 years of bringing these voices to life, embarking on a musical journey from moody monochrome to vibrant technicolour, and from introspective darkness to blazing hope. AsPaul Kildeanotes, “Hanns Eisler wrote his Hollywood Songbook in the early 1940s, holed up in Los Angeles, a lucky émigré escaping the dark clouds over Europe. Eisler’s title is a peg for a celebration of Musica Viva Australia’s founders, and the transformational impact they have had on Australian culture. Here, the nervous brilliance of Europe in the 1930s gives way to the brash and optimistic music of Broadway and Hollywood in the 1940s.” With thanks toIan Dickson AMandReg Hollowayfor supportingIzidor Leitinger’s musical arrangements.
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