CDThe prospect and bower of bliss / song settings by Johanna Selleck to poetry by Aphra Behn and Graeme Ellis.
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Featured Australian works
Work | Composer | Performers | Duration | |
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The Prospect and Bower of Bliss for soprano voice with piano Recorded/performed at: Monash University, Melbourne, on 15 Dec 15. |
Johanna Selleck | Merlyn Quaife, Caroline Almonte | 16 mins, 13 sec. |
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Seven tanka (2009) for soprano with ensemble Recorded/performed at: Monash University, Melbourne, on 15 Dec 15. |
Johanna Selleck | Merlyn Quaife, Judith Dodsworth, Arwen Johnston, Anne Norman | 29 mins, 38 sec. |
Product details
The Prospect and Bower of Bliss presents two song
settings by Australian composer Johanna Selleck of poetry by the
English poet and dramatist Aphra Behn (1640-1689) and
Melbourne-born poet Graeme Ellis (1944-). Although separated by
time and geography, the different styles of Behn's and Ellis's
poetry are nevertheless linked by the vividness with which they
both portray matters closest to the heart and create a sense of
immediacy, emotional depth, and connection with nature. These
themes are integral to Selleck's personal compositional style and
are reflected in her settings of the poems.
Aphra Behn is recognised as one of the most influential
dramatists of the seventeenth century and is also known as the
first professional female writer, who was able to make her living
entirely from writing. She was considered scandalous in her own
time, with no topic off-limits, whether religious, political or
sexual. 'The Prospect and Bower of Bliss' explores ideas about
love and sexuality in an idyllic pastoral setting.
In contrast, Graeme Ellis's 'Seven Tanka' borrows from the
ancient Japanese art of haiku. Tanka is a related poetic form
with 5 lines as compared to 3 lines for haiku and similarly built
upon lines of 5 and 7 syllables. Ellis was inspired to compose
his Seven Tanka when he heard Merlyn Quaife sing Selleck's Songs
of the Earth and Sky for soprano and percussion. Hence, a
circular pattern of influence between poet and composer
emerges.
Selleck (1959-) is a composer, flautist and musicologist. Her
compositions have been performed by some of the most renowned
performers in Australia and internationally, including the
performers featured on this CD: Merlyn Quaife and Judith
Dodsworth (sopranos), Caroline Almonte (piano), Arwen Johnston
(percussion), and Anne Norman (shakuhachi), each of whom excels
in both technique and artistry in their interpretations of the
music and poetry on this unique CD.
Duration: 47 min.
Liner notes include program notes.
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