Karl Thomas
Arranger whose mandolin-orchestra work appears on Australian recordings of Italian repertoire, virtuoso showpieces, and Christmas carols.
His arrangements support Melbourne ensembles and solo mandolin programmes. They include a fantasy on Verdi’s La Traviata for the Melbourne Mandolin Orchestra on Mandolino Italiano (MCD 292), Paganini’s Le Streghe for the Concordia Mandolin and Guitar Ensemble on Flight (MCD 298), and carols such as Christmas Eve, Australian carols, Silent Night, Cantique de Noël, the Holly and the Ivy, Mary’s Boy Child and White Christmas on Kurt Jensen’s Mandolin Christmas (MD 3189).
Compositions by Karl Thomas appear on
Mandolin Christmas
Christmas songs for mandolin orchestra. Arguably Australia’s most acclaimed mandolinist, Kurt Jensen leads an international programme of sparkling carols, from mediaeval favourites to modern classics.
Flight
Concordia Mandolin and Guitar Ensemble gathers its more virtuosic, lively and passionate repertoire under the idea of flight. Flight of the Bumble Bee and Le Streghe (The Witches) lead the way; the remaining works answer with energy and vitality that suggest flights of fancy.
Mandolino Italiano
The Melbourne Mandolin Orchestra presents a programme built around Italian melody and the Neapolitan mandolin tradition. Bitelli, a Bellini fantasy, period arias with soprano, a Verdi La Traviata fantasy, Toselli’s Serenade, and well-loved popular songs.