Australian Heritage Series
Piano Music of Meta Overman, The CD
By Jeanell Carrigan
Regular price
$25.00

Described as Koningin van de Klankkleur en Fantasie [Queen of tone colour and fantasy], Dutch born composer, Meta Overman (1907-1993) spent most of her adult life in Perth, Western Australia. Her musical output was extensive and captured here on this CD is much of her piano works. The composer from an early age had the ability to transform pictures into sounds and this is evident in all her compositions. Jeanell Carrigan spent many months researching her piano works which resulted in four volumes scripted from Overman's manuscripts, and each with their own CD recording, and this stand-alone disc. The four volumes of scores are available online.
Wirr 060
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Sonata 1 (1939) (1-4)
1 Allegro ma non troppo vivo
2 Scherzando
3 Andante con Variatone
4 Allegro
5 Sonatina (1940)
Three Impressions (6-8)
6 Schutterhof (Court of the Guard) (1941)
7 De Koperen Ko (The Street Jester) (1941)
8 Stad in Opbouw (The Reconstructed City) (1942)
9 Variations on a Baltic Folksong (1941)
10 Dance of the Char Woman (1943)
11 Ritsel (Rattle) (1943)
12 De Nar (The Jester) (1946)
Three "Luchtige" (Light Hearted) Dances (1946) (13-15)
13 Visschersmeisje (Fisher Girl)
14 Matrozendans (Sailor's Dance)
15 En Toen ... (And Then...)
Sonata II (1953) (16-18)
16 Allegro, poco maestosco
17 Andante
18 Allegro giocoso
19 Charivari Variations (1954)
20 Lullaby (1955)
The Nature's Suite (1955) (21-24)
21 Earth - 22 Fire - 23 Water - 24 Air
Three Dances (1955) (25-27)
25 Allegro - 26 Poco Lento
27 Vivo e Risoulto
Piano Quintet
By Raymond Hanson
Regular price
$70.00
Prelude and Formula Series
By Hooper Brewster-Jones
Regular price
$23.00

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Procrastination
By Raymond Hanson
Regular price
$12.00
Piano solo.
Composition date unknown
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ISMN 9790720166537
Psyche - Opera
By Meta Overman
Regular price
$375.00
Opera in three acts, c.105'00
Based on the novel of the same name by Louis Couperus.
Characters:
The King of the Kingdom of the Past and his three daughters: Psyche, Emeralda and Astra
Prince Eros of the Kingdom of the Present
The Chimera
A Satyr
A Hermit
Synopsis:
Act 1: In the Kingdom of the Past the King has three daughters. A prince (Eros) from the Kingdom of the Present arrives with the intention of finding taking a bride from one of the three daughters.
The king presents each daughter to Eros in turn. Emeralda, is only interested in Eros’ potentiality to procure for her a coveted jewel and if he is successful agrees to marry him. The second daughter Astra, speaks only with her harp and Eros is daunted by her talent.
The third daughter, Psyche, is the favourite of the King and very young but Eros falls in love and chooses to marry Psyche. A Chimera, who can see the future, appears and Psyche begs him to reveal what is beyond the horizon but he refuses to tell her. The King dies and Emeralda gleefully takes over the kingdom. Eros and Psyche marry and leave for the Kingdom of the Present.
Act 2: All is well in the Kingdom of the Present. Psyche and Eros are in love and enjoy the benefits of living in peace and harmony. However without Eros knowing it, there is a lascivious Satyr lurking who desires Psyche. Although she tries desperately to keep him at bay the Satyr eventually manages to seduce Psyche. Eros returns and is dismayed to find the flowers and birds colourless and dying and no one able to tell him where Psyche has gone. He eventually realises what Psyche has done and completely in despair, dies. A hermit comes on stage and tells how he has always resisted the temptation that beckoned. When Psyche appears in a panther skin without her wings the hermit firstly chastises her for being a sinner but then relents and tells Psyche how she can redeem herself. She must go back to the castle of the Kingdom of the Past, to Emeralda and beg for mercy.
Act 3: Emeralda and Astra sit in the castle. When Psyche appears Emeralda firstly assumes she must be a beggar bringing jewels to earn Emeralda’s favour. When she realises it is her sister Psyche she is overcome with rage. She sends Psyche off to the underworld to search for the jewel of mystery.
Psyche wanders through the underworld and is first frightened by bats, spiders and sea monsters. A voice calls out Idleness! Idleness! and Psyche suddenly receives the courage she needs to go on. She is led back to the Kingdom of the Past and arrives there with the knowledge that the jewel that Emeralda seeks does not, and never has, existed.
When Psyche brings this news to Emeralda she is so overcome with rage that she lashes out and strangles Psyche. The Chimera returns and brings back Psyche’s wings and binds them on again. He shows Psyche the light which will lead her to the Kingdom of the Future where the King and Eros await her arrival. All is forgiven and Psyche, the King and Eros are reunited.
Emeralda continues to live in bitterness and hate, continuously seeking that which does not exist.
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Parts:
Orchestral: flute, oboe, bassoon, harp, piano, violin I, II, viola, cello, double bass
Vocal: tenor, baritone mezzo-soprano
Available on disc in digital format only with PDF of full score, orchestral and vocal parts and includes full length film of the premiere performance.
Or instant download now:
$200.00 for eScore
$150.00 for all eParts
ISMN9790720226392
Purim
By Linda Phillips
Regular price
$35.00
Quizzic
By Raymond Hanson
Regular price
$15.00

Composition date unknown
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Reverie - CD
By Jeanell Carrigan
Regular price
$25.00

The painting on the front cover is a work called “Daydream” which was painted in 1895 by Australian artist Jane Sutherland. Jane Sutherland (1853-1928) was part of the Heidelberg school.
Jane Sutherland was also the aunt of Margaret Sutherland who has rightly earned the title “The Matriarch” of Australian composition. It is therefore completely appropriate that the artistry of this wonderful Australian woman painter should grace the recording which highlights the wonderful musical artistry of these four Australian women composers of piano music. Iris de Cairos-Rego, Una Bourne, Kitty Parker and Marjorie Hesse all had a great deal in common. Firstly, they were all born in Australia between 1880 and 1911. Iris de Cairos-Rego was born in Sydney in 1894, Una Bourne in Mudgee in 1882, Kitty Parker in 1886 in Parknook, Cressy, Tasmania and Marjorie Hesse in Brisbane in 1911.
All four women were dubbed as child prodigies due to their prodigious musical talent showing itself very early in life. As well as these factors all the women trained initially as pianists and later worked as teachers to earn the bulk of their living, passing on their incredible musicality and skills to many up and coming musicians. Iris de Cairos-Rego taught for many years at Frensham school in Mittagong, from 1935 until 1951, remaining as part of the school community until her death in 1987. Marjorie Hesse was a long-term member of the piano staff at the NSW Conservatorium of Music. Una Bourne was associated with the University of Melbourne, even providing a scholarship for women pianists and Kitty Parker had many private students.
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[1] Nocturne (1925) Kitty Parker
[2] Happy Morning (c.1941) Iris de Cairos-Rego
[3] All Suddenly the Wind Comes Soft (1932) Marjorie Hesse
[4] Graneen Vale (1944) Iris de Cairos-Rego
[5] Petite Valse-Caprice Una Bourne
Four Musical Sketches (1928) Kitty Parker
[6] A Patchwork of Shadows
[7] Down Longford Way
[8] One Summer’s Day
[9] Red Admiral
[10] Albatross (1933) Iris de Cairos-Rego
[11] Papillons Una Bourne
[12] Romance (1947) Marjorie Hesse
[13] Two Impressions no. 1 (c.1927) Una Bourne
[14] Two Impressions no. 2 (c.1927) Una Bourne
[15] La Pastourelle (c.1961) Marjorie Hesse
[16] English June (1941) Iris de Cairos-Rego
[17] Firelight (1933) Iris de Cairos-Rego
[18] Humoresque (c.1927) Una Bourne
[19] Waltz in E (1933) Iris de Cairos-Rego
[20] Nocturne (c.1926) Una Bourne
[21] Twilight (1937) Marjorie Hesse
[22] Reverie (1957) Iris de Cairos-Rego
Sheet music and samples are available for all these works visit:
Iris de Carios-Rego
Kitty Parker
Una Bourne
Marjorie Hesse
Reverie, A
By Percy Brier
Regular price
$18.00
Organ solo c.5'00.
This organ work was possibly heard for the first time at a Sunday evening service at St Paul’s Presbyterian Church on 8 September 1912, but a more public debut occurred within the ‘Brisbane Composers’ Concert’ at the Exhibition Hall on 31 July 1913. This critical edition is in all likelihood the first publication of one of the more significant larger works composed by the Queenslander Percy Brier (1885-1970). Composed 1912.
Researched and edited by Peter Roennfeldt, Griffith University, Queensland 2015.
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Rhapsody Sonata in G
By Linda Phillips
Regular price
$50.00

Composition date unknown
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ISMN9790720166520
Sad Music for Thursday
By James Penberthy
Regular price
$10.00

Date of composition unknown.
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