Sitsky’s music the star of his birthday concert

Larry and Magda Sitsky last night. Photo: Peter Hislop

The Music of Larry Sitsky - 90th birthday concert

Larry Sitsky Recital Room

ANU School of Music

August 25, 2024

Reviewed by Ron Kennedy.

Canberra’s most famous composer, Larry Sitsky, the original head of keyboard studies at the ANU’s School of Music, had a 90th birthday celebration concert in the room named in his honour.

Pianist Edward “Teddy” Neeman organised the concert, held, naturally, in the Larry Sitsky Recital Room at the School of Music, included many notable performers from across Australia.

Prof Adrian Walter, head of the School of Music, gave the opening address to the full house. He mentioned the joke Sitsky once made to an overly enthusiastic fan who kept questioning him about the origin of his surname. An annoyed Sitsky had replied that he was named after a room in the School of Music.

The first pieces performed were two of Sitsky’s Fantasias, the No. 4, “Arch”, with Joy Lee on piano and the No. 8 with pianist Alistair Noble.

The intertwining nature of Sitsky’s music is a voice of specific character and nature.

It crosses tonalities, clusters abound, and huge ranges in dynamics are his signatures. Also, deeply personal, complex and thick textures layers his music. Both Fantasias reflected these qualities.

On oboe David Nuttall and piano, Edward Neeman. Photo: Peter Hislop

Then, two movements from his Sonata No. 3, with Aaron Chew on piano. Mystery and speculation are woven into many Sitsky pieces. It’s almost like there’s a code in his music. He makes use of all the keyboard. Pieces sparkle in the highest register, and growl when at the bottom. The piano becomes more than an instrument. It is a sound world telling a fascinating story.

An arrangement of Sitsky’s famous Russian Miniature followed. On oboe David Nuttall and piano, Edward Neeman. Arranged by Sitsky himself, a jumpy dancing tune emanated. Then a Petite Valse by Ukrainian composer Leff Pouishnoff, a work that Sitsky had collected over his long musical career.

During the interval, a book on Sitsky, titled A National Treasure, was launched by Jeanell Carrigan and Rita Crews. Sitsky also spoke. He told a story from his past about his training as a sound engineer and applying for a job at the ABC. He thought he was going to be working with orchestras and string quartets, but instead found himself on the Six O’Clock Rock TV program with hundreds of screaming teenagers. He also spoke about working with The Wild One, Johnny O’Keefe and others.

Bassoonist Ben Hoadley, clarinettist Jason Noble, Vivienne Tran and Aaron Chew on piano performed a mixed repertoire of Sitsky’s works.

 

There was even an amazing video recorded performance of his The Witch of Endor, performed by an enthusiastic Michael Kieran Harvey on piano.

Sitsky’s Fantasia No. 6, for solo bassoon performed by Hoadley, was a sliding musical soundscape. Zuqerq, with Nobel on clarinet and Neeman playing the piano lid like a set of bongos, concluded a night of electric music.

Following an Armenian tradition, the entire audience rose and erupted in applause as Larry and his wife Magda exited the room.

First published at Canberra City News, August 27, 2024

ONE RESPONSE TO SITSKY’S MUSIC THE STAR OF HIS BIRTHDAY CONCERT

Tony Magee says: 30 August 2024 at 6:06 pm

Rob Kennedy mentions in his review that when Larry Sitsky spoke at this event, he recounted that his first foray into employment in Australia was working for ABC television in a technical capacity during the mid 1950's. 

I'd like to expand a little on that. 

The year was 1956. Prime Minister Robert Menzies was in discussions with both the ABC and Channel Nine. His mandate was simple. "Gentlemen - television must be ready in time so we can broadcast the Melbourne Olympics." Menzies was firm and resolute about that. No ifs or buts or maybes. TV must be ready. And it was.

Not only were the '56 Melbourne Olympics broadcast around Australia on television, but it meant that all the overseas networks could link up with us and the games were broadcast around the world. 

But something else special happened later that year involving ABC Television and Larry Sitsky. 

The American pianist Liberace made his first concert tour of Australia. Besides the main live concerts, it was decided that Liberace would include a live television broadcast for the ABC. 

Larry was appointed to oversea all that and make sure all the camera angles were correct - one for his hands only, another camera for his always smiling face, one for inside the piano showing strings and hammers and a fourth further away, showing Liberace and piano together. Plus, the correct placement of various microphones to capture the sound in maximum resolution. 

The day came when Liberace arrived at the Gore Hill studios where Sitsky worked and the two met for the first time. It didn't take long for them to discover, during conversation, that they had both learned piano from the same teacher - Egon Petri.

An instant friendship developed. 

Some years ago, I remember asking Larry Sitsky about Liberace. I just wanted to know what he was like as a person and also Larry's opinion of him as a pianist.

"Tony, Liberace was an absolutely delightful person to work with. Very friendly, kind and sincere." said Larry. "And you know, he was actually a highly skilled pianist, although this was often vastly overshadowed by his increasing penchant for wearing lavish, sometimes outrageous costumes on stage and also his Las Vegas style showmanship and stage persona." 

Rob's review is an excellent summation of what the audience experienced last Monday night at Larry Sitsky's 90th birthday celebration concert - an evening of magic. 

May Larry and Magda Sitsky enjoy good health and happiness for many years to come.

Scott Thorson dead at 65: Liberace's controversial ex-lover who penned tell-all memoir Behind the Candelabra passes away after health battle

By Adam S. Levy

Liberace's former lover Scott Thorson has died at the age of 65.

Thorson - who was portrayed by Matt Damon in the 2013 HBO movie Behind the Candelabra, based off his 1988 book - died at a medical facility in Los Angeles August 16 following a battle with a heart ailment and cancer, TMZ reported.

Thorson's affiliation with Liberace (whose full name was Władziu Valentino Liberace) started when he was 18 and Liberace was 57, according to the outlet.

Liberace fired Thorson from his employment after five years in 1982, five years before the entertainer's death from HIV/AIDS-related complications in 1987.

Thorson filed a $113 million palimony lawsuit against Liberace following his termination from the entertainer's employ - noted by TMZ as 'the first same-sex palimony suit ever filed' in the U.S. - which was settled out of court in 1986.

Liberace's former lover Scott Thorson has died at the age of 65. Pictured 2013 in Reno, Nevada (Getty Images)

Scott Thorson and Liberace pictured at the Coconut Grove in LA in April of 1979 (Photo: Ron Gelella Collection via Getty)

Liberace said that he wasn't gay and told the court that he and Thorson had never been intimate with one another, according to Variety,

In the settlement, Thorson got a total of $75,000 cash, three vehicles and three dogs, which had a value of $20,000, Variety reported.

Thorson put out his book Behind the Candelabra: My Life with Liberace in 1988.

Among the claims Thorson raised was that Liberace had funded numerous plastic surgery procedures so that Thorson would resemble a younger Liberace, such as a a chin implant and nose job.

Liberace had Thorson involved in his Las Vegas stage show, as he donned a rhinestone-laden outfit while chauffeuring the entertainer onto the stage.

Thorson had past said that problems with drugs were in part due to the multiple surgeries he had at Liberace's asking, as he was taking drugs such as quaaludes, amphetamine, cocaine and Demerol in the wake of the medical procedures, Variety reported.

Steven Soderbergh directed the 2013 HBO film based on Thorson's novel, with Damon playing Thorson while Michael Douglas played Liberace. The film also featured Scott Bakula, Rob Lowe, Dan Aykroyd and the late Debbie Reynolds.

The motion picture was a huge hit with critics, garnering Douglas a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television and nominations for Damon and Lowe.

Scott Thorson and Liberace were pictured with one another in 1982, the year Liberace terminated Thorson's
employment with him (Alarmy Stock Photo)

The film also captured 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for Douglas, and Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special for Soderbergh.

Thorson was also involved in another violent event in Hollywood's past, the Laurel Canyon Murders in 1981, which involved late porn star John Holmes.

Thorson in 1989 testified in the trial of nightclub owner Eddie Nash, who had been accused of ordering the murders of four people - Ron Launius, William 'Billy' Deverell, Joy Miller and Barbara Richardson - in response to a home robbery Holmes had been linked to.

Thorson said in testimony that he had been at Nash's home buying drugs and saw Holmes being beaten and questioned about the robbery, two days before the July 1, 1981 murders. 

The trial resulted in a hung jury and Nash died in 2014, never convicted in connection with the killings.

Thorson said he would change his name to Jess Marlow and enter the federal witness protection after taking the stand.

The grisly killings inspired a scene in the 1997 film, Boogie Nights as well as the 2003 film Wonderland in which Val Kilmer played Holmes. 

It is also set to be reexamined in the upcoming docuseries The Wonderland Massacre & The Secret History of Hollywood, which is set to stream on MGM+ starting September 8. 

Thorson was portrayed by Matt Damon in 2013 HBO movie Behind the Candelabra, based off
Thorson's 1988 book. (Photo: HBO Films / Kobal / Shutterstock)

Michael Douglas played Liberace in the 2013 HBO film from Steven Soderbergh. 

(Photo: HBO Films / Kobal / Shutterstock)

It is adapted off a 2022 podcast Thorson did with author Michael Connelly titled The Wonderland Murders and the Secret History of Hollywood.

Thorson had problems with drug and alcohol abuse over the years, as he was sentenced to four years in prison in 2008 after entering a guilty plea to felony drug and burglary charges.

In 2014, he was sentenced to 8 to 20 years in custody in Nevada after he failed multiple drug tests while on probation for the aforementioned violation.

First published at The Daily Mail Australia, August 27, 2024

 

Peter Garrett to conduct review into cancelled concert

Former Labor politician Peter Garrett will lead a review of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
(James Ross/AAP PHOTOS)

By Rachael Ward in Melbourne

Former arts minister and musician Peter Garrett will lead an investigation into the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s removal of a pianist from a concert as the organisation’s managing director departs.

Acclaimed pianist Jayson Gillham was due to participate in a concert at the Melbourne Town Hall earlier in August but was asked to step aside after performing a solo “dedicated to the journalists of Gaza” at a different event.

The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) said removing the Australian-British performer was an error and it had cancelled the entire performance over safety concerns.

Musicians requested an independent investigation into the incident and the orchestra’s leadership as they submitted a vote of no confidence to the board.

The orchestra on Monday announced managing director Sophie Galaise had left the organisation after eight years.

Orchestral leader Richard Wigley will immediately step in as a strategic advisor leading the management team in the wake of Ms Galaise’s departure.

“We recognise the recent pressures on our people and management and are comforted that a person of Richard’s capability can step in immediately to help ensure the MSO functions effectively through this review,” the board said in a statement.

Mr Wigley said he had previously been involved in rebuilding orchestras “after precarious phases in their histories”.

“A period of careful listening, considered discussion, sound judgement and implementation of appropriate changes is what comes next,” he said.

“I am confident that from difficult times comes fresh creative energies and sustained resilience.”

Pianist Jayson Gillham. Photo courtesy The Age

The orchestra also revealed Midnight Oil frontman Peter Garrett would lead an external, independent review with the assistance of KPMG Australia consultants.

The review will examine MSO’s policies, procedures and protocols including freedom of speech and artistic expression on stage.

The orchestra’s board said Mr Garrett’s review was needed to restore confidence in the organisation, adding the past few weeks had been a difficult experience for many people.

“There is a clear understanding that we need to learn from these events to ensure the MSO is best positioned to continue offering world-class cultural experiences for our valued audiences,” the board said.

“The appointment of Peter, supported by KPMG, will provide confidence to our musicians, our people and wider community that we are serious about the process.”

Mr Garrett said his review could serve a broader purpose for others who would inevitably face similar challenges.

“Performing arts organisations are facing complex issues around freedom of expression whilst maintaining long-term sustainability in a dynamic and increasingly highly charged environment,” he said.

The board said it was committed to sharing details about the review when they were finalised.

First published by Australian Associated Press at Canberra City News website, August 26, 2024

ONE RESPONSE TO PETER GARRETT TO CONDUCT REVIEW INTO CANCELLED CONCERT

Tony Magee says: 27 August 2024 at 12:09 pm

A spokesperson for the MSO has announced: “We maintain that a concert platform is not an appropriate stage for political comment, but we acknowledge Jayson's concerns for those in the Middle East and elsewhere." Well, here are 8 notable examples over the years, where music and performance were effectively used for political comment in astounding ways. 

In 1803, Beethoven dedicated his Symphony No. 3 to Napoleon. After his friend Ferdinand Ries told Beethoven that Napoleon had declared himself Emperor, Beethoven flew into a rage and tore up the first page of the Symphony, which included the written dedication, exclaiming “Now Napoleon will tread under foot all the rights of man, indulge only his ambition, think himself superior to us all, and become a tyrant!" Beethoven re-wrote the first page, leaving out the Napoleonic dedication and simply entitled it “Symphony Eroica”. 

In 1940, English pianist Dame Myra Hess devised a daily weekday lunchtime concert program to raise British moral during World War II. The evening concert venues were all blacked out at night and couldn’t be used. But, Winston Churchill had removed all artworks from the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, having them stored in underground safety bunkers for preservation. Hess set up the now vacant Gallery as a concert hall and engaged world class musicians to perform. Each artist was paid five guineas no matter who they were. Hess insisted that the concert programs must include music by German composers, particularly Bach, Beethoven and Brahms. The concerts, numbering 1,968, proceeded Monday to Friday without fail for the duration of the war. Hess personally played in 150 of them. 

In Berlin during 1944, German pianist Walter Gieseking recorded Beethoven’s Emperor piano concerto (No. 5) with the Radio Orchestra of Berlin conducted by Artur Rother. It was a live broadcast. 16 minutes into the performance came a British bombing raid. On the CD reissue, one can clearly hear the sound of German anti-aircraft fire. The option was obviously there to abandon the broadcast and flee. Instead, the musicians defiantly proceeded to completion and in my view, this is the finest version, interpretively, of that concerto. 

In 1962, The Soviet Union and the American recording company Mercury collaborated on a major recording project, at the invitation of the Ministry of Culture in the USSR. The Russians wanted to capture their outstanding Osipov State Balalaika Orchestra in the best possible fidelity available, also with the relatively new concept of stereophonic sound reproduction. Mercury could provide all that and later that year the Mercury team arrived in Moscow with four tons of recording equipment and expert technicians. The resulting LP record was issued as “Balalaika Favourites” on the Mercury label both is the US and the USSR. A few years later it was released on the Dutch Philips label which made it more accessible to the international market. It remains an outstanding example of artistic collaboration between two unlikely compatriots, and is one of the finest recordings, both in performance and sound quality, of the 20th century. 

In 1970, Louis Armstrong added a spoken introduction to his song What a Wonderful World. Criticism of the song had started to emerge, principally due to the Vietnam War, but also to the ever ongoing issues of hunger and pollution. The song was re-issued with the spoken introduction, and I quote Armstrong’s words, from just a small portion of it: “Seems to me it ain’t the world that’s so bad, but what we’re doin’ to it. All I’m saying, is see what a wonderful world it would be if only we’d give it a chance. Love baby love! That’s the secret. If lots more of us loved each other, this world would be a better place.” 

In 1988, The Canberra School of Music performed Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem at Llewellyn Hall. Peace messages of support for this Canberra event arrived from Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, Li Peng (Premier of China), Dr Perez de Cueller (United Nations) Jacques Delors (Commission of the European Communities) and our own leader, Bob Hawke. These were all printed in the program. In addition, ambassadors from the USSR, USA, UK and China all delivered speeches of support on stage at the event. In all, there were 281 musicians and singers performing that night. The musical director and conductor was Marie van Hove. 

In 2019, Canberra Strings, led by Barbara Jane Gilby, performed Metamorphoses by Richard Strauss at Wesley Church. The piece expresses Strauss’ despair at the effects of World War Two on Europe. I heard occasional nods to the British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams during the performance - just fleeting glimpses in some of the chord structures. His “Symphony No. 6” also reflects themes of war. It serves as a gentle gesture of reconciliation from Germany to England. Most importantly however, this music and the performance of it, attempts to solidify a common goal of all peoples - to live in peace, harmony and tolerance. 

Perhaps most powerfully of all however, is the 1989 performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 conducted by Leonard Bernstein, at the Brandenburg Gate, marking the demolition of the Berlin Wall and the re-unification of Germany and through that, the beginning of the end for communist dictatorships in Europe. Introduced with a long spoken introduction by British music broadcaster Humphrey Burton, the event was televised live to 21 nations around the world. The orchestra was made up of members of the Bavarian Radio Orchestra, the Staatskapelle Dresden, the Kirov-Theatre Orchestra of Leningrad, the London Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic and Orchestra de Paris. The massed adult and children’s choirs were joined by soloists American soprano June Anderson, British mezzo-soprano Sarah Walker, German tenor Klaus König and German bass Jan-Hendrik Rootering. The passion, feeling and absolute dedication of the devoted musicians and singers to the purpose and importance of this Berlin Freedom Concert, with its international cast, epitomised the possibilities of human artistic achievement in uniting in a cause - in this case, a celebration of peace, freedom and unification.

Eulogy for Stephen Pike’s Celebration of Life event, Erindale Theatre, Canberra, August 25, 2024

Stephen Pike. 1955 - 2024

by Tony Magee

In July 1994 and again in January 1996, Canberra Philharmonic Society produced two stunning seasons of Boublil and Schonberg’s Les Misérables, the story based on Victor Hugo’s novel of the same name.

The amateur rights had just been released in Australia, for the very first time, and Philo jumped on it immediately. Those productions, at the time, put Philo on the National Map.

And right there as the centrepiece of it all, was Stephen Pike, in his unique and outstanding portrayal of the lead role - Jean Valjean.

Now, being in the orchestra pit at the Canberra Theatre, we were all privy to comments from audience members after the curtain came down. Scores of people would come down to the pit, leaning over the rail and say to one or a number of us “I’ve seen this in Sydney, I’ve seen it in London, I’ve seen it in New York - yours was better.” It happened multiple times every night.

I certainly knew we had a seriously excellent production - everyone in it knew that - cast, crew, orchestra, production team - we all knew that were were performing something really, really special, to a standard that eventually way exceeded anyone’s initial expectations.

My parents also told me on the nights they came - both in ’94 and ’96, that comments like that were frequently overheard both in the foyer at interval and also walking back to the carpark afterwards.

In addition, both seasons were totally sold out and we received a standing ovation every single night.

Director Colin Anderson certainly considered those two seasons as one of his greatest achievements - and he really did nail it and extracted everything possible from the cast. In addition, I think Musical Director Ian McLean and choreographer Michelle Heine also considered those productions to be one of the highlights of their long and distinguished careers in music theatre.

One further thing I should mention - is the late John Thompson’s set. It was so good - in fact a triumph of set design and construction, particularly the barricade, that multiple theatre companies around Australia wanted to hire it after we’d finished with it, which they did and it went all over Australia, being used countless times for future productions of Les Miserables.

The entrance of the barricade itself in our performances would always receive a thunderous round of applause.

Advertisement from the Canberra Times for the January 1996 season

But back so Stephen and his portrayal of Jean Valjean. I think he definitively considered it the high-point of his long career in music theatre as a performer, and there’s no question that he pulled off the role in a way that was equal to many international portrayals of that character, both vocally and as an actor.

I visited Stephen on several occasions during his admission to Nat Cap Private. He told me once when I was there, that he found it comforting that he could see my apartment from his hospital bedroom window!

We reminisced so much about our performing careers - there were so many shows where we shared the stage together in cabaret during the 80s and early 90s and then again in 2007 for his come-back show at Teatro Vivaldi, which BTW, included a 12 year old Billy Bourchier in the cast! But when we got to discussing Les Miserable - it was a more serious conversation.

Stephen recounted to me the day that he and director Colin Anderson, both saw, at exactly the same moment, during a rehearsal one day, that Stephen had “found” his character. “I remained seated on the stage in a sort of stunned manner,” he said, “slightly breathless actually. I looked over at Colin and he was running up onto the stage.

“Colin embraced me, hugged me, kissed me - and I started crying”.

“You’ve found your JeanValjean!” said Colin. “I know - I can feel it.” said Stephen. “As soon as I felt it, I looked over at you and you were looking at me, and I knew that you knew too.”

It was a big moment during the production run and one that I think every actor and director who experiences this would put down as a significant turning point in a show’s progression during the rehearsal process.

But more than that however, from that moment on, Stephen kept his JeanValjean character even off stage. That’s how seriously he took the role.

Shirley MacLaine described exactly the same thing referring to Peter Sellers characterisation of Chance the Gardiner in the 1979 movie Being There. She said in an interview many years later that it took him quite a while to find the character of Chance and that when Sellers and director Hal Ashby finally saw the moment on set on the day he’d nailed it, he didn’t let go of it - both on and off the set.

Stephen Pike did this with his JeanValjean.

I don’t think there have been very many examples of Canberra actors taking a role as seriously as that. But Stephen did, and it was because the process of finding JeanValjean was such a journey of discovery - a long journey of discovery - that he couldn’t let go.

Stephen Pike, long time Canberra actor, director, and arts administrator, with photographs of his early acting days. 

(Picture by Katherine Griffiths)

But there was a lot more to it than that. JeanValjean ages about 40 years during the story - from still a relatively young man with the prison number 24601 tattooed on his chest, to an old man on his death bed, with the ghost of Fantine by his side.

Stephen embraced the challenge of the ageing process with intense dedication and seriousness. It was one thing to have found his character as I previously outlined - but now that character had to age and change, not just in looks, but in personality, body language, stance, the way he walked and talked and, very importantly, in his singing voice.

We all know the ageing process - we’re all doing in incrementally day by day - but to have to do it to the extant Stephen did in a two and a half hour show, night after night, and so convincingly, was a stunning achievement on his part. 

It was truly a great honour to work with Stephen Pike during those shows, both in rehearsal and in performance and something that I too will remember with fondness and pride as a highlight of my own musical career.

My allotted time is almost up, so I’ll just finish with this: I have here an entry from the Catalogue of Minor Planets, published by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. There are 720,000 entries. Most of them are asteroids and one in particular catches my eye. Diameter: 2.6km, date of discovery October 26, 1971 - Stephen would have been 16. Designation - Permanent, Citation number and name: 24601 Valjean.