Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra: First Light

First Light: Music Illuminated by the Sunrise.

A clarinet melody, rising like the sun from shimmering strings. Five of Australia’s most brilliant musicians. Works beloved and new from an age of discovery, emotion, and light.

ARCO’s First Light takes in a sweep of classical chamber music, including Schubert’s joyful String Quartet No.7 in D major D.74, Mozart’s Larghetto from Clarinet Quintet in A major K.581, and the brilliant new ocean-inspired Wavelength by Brisbane composer Nicole Murphy. At the pinnacle is Haydn’s Sunrise quartet in a sparkling 18th-century clarinet arrangement by Vincenzo Gambaro, an Italian clarinettist and entrepreneur who arranged pieces by his friends Beethoven, Haydn, and Mozart to highlight the clarinet’s lush tones. 

First Light brings five principals from the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra into the intimacy of chamber music, including co-artistic directors and long-time musical friends Rachael Beesley (violin) and Nicole van Bruggen (clarinet). They’re joined by Alison Rayner (violin), Stephen King (viola), and Natasha Kraemer (cello) – all nationally and internationally acclaimed experts in historically informed performance.

Repertoire/Program

Vincenzo GAMBARO (1772–1828)
Clarinet Quartet No. 1 in B-flat major
arranged from string quartets by Joseph Haydn

Franz SCHUBERT (1797–1828)
String Quartet No. 7 in D major, D.94 (1811)

Interval (20 mins)

Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756–1791)
Larghetto from Clarinet Quintet in A major, K.581

Nicole MURPHY (b. 1984) Wavelength
for historical basset clarinet and string quartet (2024)

Presented in association with Musica Viva Australia