The Marvellous World of George Dreyfus, Vol. 2

The second volume of marvellous music from one of Australia’s favourite composers, George Dreyfus. The programme ranges across folk ballads, choral suites, film and television themes, chamber works and solo showpieces, and gives a clear view of his many-sided craft.

Alex Grieve french horn
Kevin Edwardes french horn
Kate Peart french horn
John Ferguson french horn
Jochen Schubert acoustic guitar
Shannon Birchall double bass
Ben Smart drums
Broderick Smith vocals
Senior Madrigal Group methodist ladies’ college, melbourne
Band of the 5th Military District ensemble
David Thomas clarinet
Robert Chamberlain piano
Marianne Collet-Stier flute
Almut Riemenschneider soprano
Rolf Kuhlmann bassoon
Paul Williams bassoon
Ian Mansell bassoon
George Dreyfus bassoon
Christopher Cook organ
Joanna Cole soprano
Len Vorster piano
Australian Chinese Music Ensemble ensemble
Tom Paulin cornet
Prism Wind Quintet ensemble
Matthew Wilkie bassoon
The Melbourne Musicians ensemble
Jane Elton-Brown choir master
Captain Colin A Harper conductor
Frank Pam conductor
Wang Zheng-Ting sheng (chinese mouth organ)
Dong Qin-Ming di zi (chinese bamboo flute)
Shen Pan-Geng er hu (chinese violin)
Zheng Ning-Na yang qin (dulcimer)
Wang Yu-Hua zheng (table harp)
Clare Nicholson flute
Michael Pisani oboe
Doug Leutchford clarinet
Elise Millman bassoon
Cate Waugh french horn

George Dreyfus composer
Tim Burstall songwriter
Roslyn Otzen songwriter

Opening with a spirited and moving account of the Ned Kelly Ballads by folk singer Broderick Smith, backed by four French horns and rhythm section, the disc gathers a wide span of Dreyfus’ styles.

The Four Italian Songs, written for the television series Waterfront and sung here by soprano Joanna Cole with pianist Len Vorster, show his easy command of Italian verismo colour. The Methodist Ladies’ College Senior Madrigal Group, directed by Jane Elton-Brown, give the unaccompanied choral suite Lifestyle, set to Roslyn Otzen’s texts on youthful ambition and dream.

In Homage à Victor Bruns three Melbourne Symphony Orchestra bassoonists are joined by a fourth, the composer himself, once a bassoonist in that orchestra, for a short neoclassical essay. By sharp contrast the Prism Wind Quintet play the Quintet for Wind Instruments, a pocket survey of 1960s Darmstadt technique.

Solo and duo works are no less vivid: Matthew Wilkie in Odyssey for a Lone Bassoon, Christopher Cook at the organ of St Peter’s Eastern Hill in Stant Litore Puppes, David Thomas and Robert Chamberlain in In Memoriam Raoul Wallenberg, and Marianne Collet-Stier with Almut Riemenschneider in the flute-and-soprano suite Heidelberg 1890.

Among the closing classics, the Australian Chinese Music Ensemble bring a Shanghai tea-house air to New Gold Mountain; the Melbourne Musicians under Frank Pam offer the RSPCA commission Love Your Animal; and the Band of the 5th Military District revive, yet again, the evergreen television theme Rush.

Reviews

full of the customary Dreyfus panache and is a tribute to the composer’s extraordinary ability

— Tony Way, The Age - Green Guide

the whole disc is a timely tribute to this tireless, greatly gifted musician.

— Clive O’Connell, The Age

Artist

George Dreyfus

One of Australia's best-known composers, especially for the theme from the television series Rush, George Dreyfus was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany at Victorian Parliament House for services to music.

Audio preview

0:00 / 0:00

Tracks

Ned Kelly Ballads George Dreyfus Tim Burstall

Man in Iron 1:44
Greta Lovesong 3:16
The Kellys, Byrne and Hart 2:32

Lifestyle George Dreyfus Roslyn Otzen

Telephone 1:45
Beach 1:31
Chocolate 2:09
Friendship 1:06
Rush George Dreyfus 2:12
In Memoriam Raoul Wallenberg George Dreyfus 7:40

Heidelberg 1890 George Dreyfus

Golden Summer; North Wind 2:08
Feeding the Chickens 1:37
The Departure of the SS Orient; Redfern Station 1:38
The Flower Sellers 1:17
Homage à Victor Bruns George Dreyfus 2:38
Stant Litore Puppes George Dreyfus 3:54

Four Italian Songs George Dreyfus

Rondinella 2:29
Ogni speranza 1:02
Rimprovero 3:02
Non m’aje da 1:34
New Gold Mountain George Dreyfus 3:06
Nullabor Hideout George Dreyfus 1:59
Quintet for Wind Instruments George Dreyfus 7:46
Odyssey for a Lone Bassoon George Dreyfus 8:44
Love Your Animal George Dreyfus 5:55

Performers

Alex Grieve · tracks 1–3
Kevin Edwardes · tracks 1–3
Kate Peart · tracks 1–3
John Ferguson · tracks 1–3
Jochen Schubert · tracks 1–3
Shannon Birchall · tracks 1–3
Ben Smart · tracks 1–3
Broderick Smith · tracks 1–3
Senior Madrigal Group · methodist ladies’ college, melbourne · tracks 4–7
Band of the 5th Military District · track 8
David Thomas · track 9
Robert Chamberlain · tracks 9 and 21
Marianne Collet-Stier · tracks 10–13
Almut Riemenschneider · tracks 10–13
Rolf Kuhlmann · track 14
Paul Williams · track 14
Ian Mansell · track 14
George Dreyfus · track 14
Christopher Cook · track 15
Joanna Cole · tracks 16–19
Len Vorster · tracks 16–19
Australian Chinese Music Ensemble · track 20
Tom Paulin · cornet · track 21
Prism Wind Quintet · track 22
Matthew Wilkie · track 23
The Melbourne Musicians · track 24
Jane Elton-Brown · tracks 4–7
Captain Colin A Harper · track 8
Frank Pam · track 24
Wang Zheng-Ting · sheng (chinese mouth organ) · track 20
Dong Qin-Ming · di zi (chinese bamboo flute) · track 20
Shen Pan-Geng · er hu (chinese violin) · track 20
Zheng Ning-Na · yang qin (dulcimer) · track 20
Wang Yu-Hua · zheng (table harp) · track 20
Clare Nicholson · track 22
Michael Pisani · track 22
Doug Leutchford · track 22
Elise Millman · track 22
Cate Waugh · track 22

Composers

Tim Burstall

Tim Burstall (1927–2004) was an English-born Australian film director, writer and producer. He also wrote the words for the ABC children’s puppet series The Adventures of Sebastian the Fox.

Roslyn Otzen

Where to listen

The Marvellous World of George Dreyfus, Vol. 2 is available for streaming through Spotify and Apple Music. It can also be purchased through the iTunes Music Store.

The Marvellous World of George Dreyfus, Vol. 2 is available as a CD. It can be purchased online through Buywell Music or the Australian Music Centre which both offer online ordering.