Hans Werner Henze's Royal Winter Music

Join us for a special performance marking the 50th anniversary of the premiere of Hans Werner Henze's epic solo guitar sonata, Royal Winter Music: First Sonata on Shakespearean Characters, as well as the 100th year since Henze's birth.

The sonata emerged from an ambitious project by the legendary English guitarist Julian Bream - who, fresh from his successful commissions and performances of new works by Benjamin Britten, William Walton and Richard Rodney Bennett, approached Henze with the request for a work on the scale of Beethoven's Hammerklavier Sonata.

In the composer's words, the guitar 'possesses a richness of sound capable of embracing everything one finds in a gigantic contemporary orchestra, but one has to pause to notice this: one has to pause, and completely exclude noise.' The resulting six-movement work pushes the guitar to new limits as across thirty minutes, Shakespearean portraits are created in sound.

Performed alongside the sonata are the guitar works of György Kurtág and Morton Feldman: two other major figures in 20th-century music also celebrating their 100th birthdays.

Program

György Kurtág

"...lassan szállj és hosszan énekelj, Haldokló hattyúm, szép emlékezet!..." (1978-2007)

Morten Feldman

The Possibility of a New Work for Electric Guitar (1966)

Hans Werner Henze
Royal Winter Music: First Sonata on Shakespearean Characters (1976)
1. Gloucester (Majestically)
2. Romeo and Juliet (Singing slowly, with tenderness)
3. Ariel (Swiftly, gently, mysteriously)
4. Ophelia (Slowly)
5. Touchstone, Audrey and William (with humour)
6. Oberon (majestically)

Credits

Geoffrey Morris, guitar

Venue Information

This event takes place in Hanson Dyer Hall, located on the third floor of The Ian Potter Southbank Centre which is accessible via the stairs or lift. Please enter via the main entrance at 43 Sturt St, Southbank VIC 3006.

Image: Geoffrey Morris

• Please arrive at the venue at least 15 minutes before the scheduled start time to secure your seat. Due to high demand, if you have not arrived by the start of the event, your ticket may be released to any waiting patrons at the door. 

• Please stay home if you feel unwell, even with mild symptoms. Face masks are welcome in all settings for community and personal safety.    

• Admission to any of our concerts and events is strictly at the discretion of Front of House. We have zero tolerance for any disrespectful behaviour.  

PARKING 

The City of Melbourne has changed the parking restrictions around the Southbank Campus. Parking control hours are now expanded to 7am–10pm, seven days per week, and are capped at three hours. A $2-per-hour fee after 7pm is also now in place. There is no change to the $4-per-hour peak rate between 7am–7pm. Parking inspectors are regularly in the area fining drivers who overstay their meter, so we encourage everyone to be aware and avoid an expensive fine.  

ACCESSIBILITY 

We are committed to making our events accessible and will accommodate requirements wherever possible. All venues at the Southbank campus are wheelchair accessible. Please contact us at fineartsmusic-tickets@unimelb.edu.au if you have any questions. 

Read more about accessibility at our venues.