30 September 2024
Instruments made by Australia’s most renowned violin maker given new voices
A remarkable collection of stringed instruments made by Australia’s preeminent violin maker Arthur Edward Smith will be played for the first time in decades at a one-off performance by musicians from the Canberra Symphony Orchestra (CSO) at the National Museum of Australia.
The instruments, two violins, a viola and a cello (last played by David Pereira in 2008), were made by Smith during his ‘golden period’, spanning the 1940s to the mid-1950s, and were acquired for the National Historical Collection just before his death in 1978.
National Museum Director Katherine McMahon said: ‘AE Smith and his instruments had, and continue to have, a profound impact on the Australian musical landscape.
‘We're thrilled to collaborate with CSO on this project. The CSO musicians have worked with us to ‘wake up’ the instruments and will be playing a program of classical and contemporary music that celebrates Smith’s legacy.’
CSO chief executive officer Rachel Thomas said: ‘Canberra Symphony Orchestra is a national leader in championing Australian music, commissioning new works and bringing diverse Australian voices into mainstream programming.
‘We are equally committed to preserving and promoting the rich history of Australian music, and this collaboration with the National Museum of Australia is a wonderful opportunity for our musicians to blend past and present and deliver a unique experience for visitors.
‘We already have a strong partnership with the National Museum to stage our popular Australian Series concerts in the Museum’s Gandel Atrium. The AE Smith collection performance is another exciting way to bring live music to the public within the surrounds of one of Australia’s most significant cultural institutions.’
National Museum head of programs Jessi England said the one-off performance would be ‘an extraordinary musical experience for audiences’.
‘More than a concert, this event combines music, storytelling and conversation, and will be a unique opportunity to hear the National Museum’s AE Smith quartet brought to life,’ Ms England said.
‘Audiences will also hear from the National Museum’s curators and conservators, discovering the remarkable stories behind these instruments and their maker.’
National Museum objects conservator, Jennifer Brian, said the AE Smith collection represented a ‘remarkable piece of Australia’s musical heritage and history’.
‘As a musician and instrument conservator my passion is to celebrate the sonority and other intangible aspects of musical instruments in collections,’ Ms Brian said.
‘It is a privilege to be able to allow these instruments to sing again. By playing this quartet we can preserve their sound as well as their intangible meanings with our audiences.
‘Looking at a musical instrument sitting in silence is like looking at a ballet dancer standing still. You can imagine their movement, but you are not transported into the world of ballet.
‘Allowing these instruments to sing again and recording those sounds, alongside the musicians’ experiences of playing them, gives us a much richer understanding of just what makes these instruments so extraordinary.
‘This performance not only brings the skill of AE Smith into the spotlight, but also illuminates the unbelievable talent that Australia has produced at the top echelons of musical instrument making.’
Resonances: Performing the AE Smith Collection takes place in the Gandel Atrium, National Museum of Australia in Canberra on Wednesday 9 October, 6–7.30 pm. Bookings essential.
The Program
Featuring musicians from the Canberra Symphony Orchestra and insights from the National Museum’s curators and conservators, this special event weaves together music, storytelling and conversation.
This rare opportunity allows you to hear these historic instruments in action, gain insights into their history and the craft of AE Smith, and learn about the process of ‘waking’ the instruments for performance.
The program includes Mozart’s String Quartet No 17, ‘The Hunt’, Borodin’s String Quartet No 2 and Australian composer Sally Greenaway’s ‘The Murray and the Mountain’.
Reviving the instruments will be CSO musicians Douglas Macnicol (violin), Pip Thompson (violin), Lucy Carrigy-Ryan (viola) and Samuel Payne (cello).
Background
Arthur Edward Smith (1880–1978), widely regarded as Australia’s most important violin maker, crafted instruments that have had a far-reaching impact on the musical landscape, both in Australia and beyond.
Prized for their craftsmanship, tonal quality and beauty, Smith’s instruments have been played by some of the world’s greatest musicians.
In Australia, the instruments and their maker have profoundly influenced musical careers and music making for over 80 years, and their influence continues to resonate across the cultural landscape.
Media contact: Diana Streak, 0409 888 976 or media@nma.gov.au
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