Concert Program

“ It is only those such as McIntyre, who have devoted a lifetime to consideration of these profound masterpieces, who are able to reveal their secrets. – The West Australian

Festival royalty Stephen McIntyre celebrates Ludwig van Beethoven’s 250th year with an exclusive performance of the master’s last three piano sonatas, which together form a uniquely monumental utterance rarely heard in sequence.

The works from this period of Beethoven’s life are characterised by intellectual depth, structural innovation, and an intense, highly personal expression. Here Beethoven has completely cast off the shackles of his compositional ancestors, and his dissolution of the rules of form, harmony and restraint manifest in bursts of passionate heroism, set in panoramic, organically flowing and reflective soundscapes.

“For over two decades Kathryn Ryan has been documenting the landscape of South West Victoria, most particularly the trees that mark the region’s farmlands. She has shrouded the landscape in a moody light evoking a sense of ethereal ambiguity. But even as she brings us the familiar, Ryan continues to bring something new. Her focus shifts, her techniques grow, and her themes continue to evolve. She gives us a reason to keep exploring this landscape with her, to know it even more intimately and ever more profoundly.”
Catalogue essay excerpt by Tracy Crisp 2018.

Kathryn Ryan writes – “My artwork is inspired by the quality of light, mood and atmosphere in the landscapes and environment around me. For many years I have painted the South West Victorian landscapes which are so familiar to me, capturing the wintery conditions and quality of light, evoking a calm and contemplative space. My oil paintings are built up in meticulous layers of paint & glazes over many months to achieve a depth and luminosity, harmony & balance.”