Rhythm and Rachmaninov

Conductor: Misha Machlak

Piano soloist: Christopher Wong

Program:

• Koehne: Powerhouse

• Machlak: SN (Snow)

• Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor

About:

The Bluestone Ensemble and the Victorian Youth Symphony Orchestra join forces for an exhilarating program that pairs the rhythmic vitality of two Australian composers with the lush, emotional world of Rachmaninov’s iconic Second Piano Concerto.

The concert opens with Graeme Koehne’s Powerhouse, a sparkling homage to the Latin-American flair of Xavier Cugat and the inventive brilliance of Raymond Scott—best known for the music underscored many classic Bugs Bunny cartoons. Cast as a perpetuum mobile, the work propels the orchestra like a finely tuned rhythmic machine, grooving with unceasing momentum.

The program then takes a wintry turn with Misha Machlak’s SN (Snow), a vivid musical narrative inspired by snow sports and the emotions they conjure—freedom, exhilaration, and flashes of fear. Inspired by Misha’s work as a meteorologist, its rhythmic language draws on the mechanical sounds of chairlifts, including the distinctive tones heard at their checkpoints.

We conclude with Sergei Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2, featuring Christopher Wong as soloist. Written after the disastrous reception of his First Symphony and a subsequent period of deep depression and creative paralysis, the concerto is dedicated to neurologist Nikolai Dahl, whose treatment helped Rachmaninov recover both confidence and inspiration. Overflowing with sweeping melodies and emotional depth, the concerto has become one of the most beloved in the repertoire—and its themes have even found new life in popular music, most famously as the basis of the ballad All By Myself, popularized by Celine Dion.