Finding radical newness in tradition with Neal Peres Da Costa's harpsichord

Neal Peres Da Costa’s most recent recordings include a Mozart piano concerto and a Robert Schumann song cycle, each using a model of piano its composer would have recognised. But as he explains, there’s much more to this music than getting the instrument right – there’s also the matter of historical style. Mozart would have expected his soloists to embellish their music and Schumann’s singers would have been more melodramatic than their modern counterparts. Can modern ears adjust to this? 

Andrew Ford, The Music Show, ABC Radio National
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Review: Heavenly Mozart

Heavenly Mozart is delightful, challenging, thoughtful and engaging. If listeners feel they know these two ‘war horses’ backwards, ARCO’s interpretation sheds new light. Equally, if Mozart is not your cup of tea, this is as good an album as any to make his acquaintance.”

Philip Pogson, Loudmouth
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CD Review: Heavenly Mozart

[Heavenly Mozart] is a wonderful rendition to introduce students to historically informed performance….

The beauty of the melodic lines and the clarity of the orchestral and piano parts are obvious, and the recording is definitely worth studying for the interpretive differences from other performances on modern instruments.

[…]

This is a very poignant and well-articulated performance. The overall effect of the ensemble is very fine, and the recording is of a high level…a very worthy addition to any teacher or student’s library and comes with the highest recommendation.

John McKinnon, The Studio magazine, Music Teachers’ Association of NSW
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CD Reviews: Heavenly Mozart

Mozart is one of the world’s favourite classical composers. His Piano Concerto No.23 K.488 and ’Jupiter’ Symphony No.41 K.551 are two of his most popular compositions….So why listen to this album? It could be that these works have lost…their freshness and capacity to surprise.

This performance sees Neal Peres Da Costa playing fortepiano rather than the more usual piano. It is influenced by interpretations…by 19th-century pianists…and notable for the beauty and originality of its orchestration….The symphony also benefits from its historically informed performance, with conductor Rachael Beesley suggesting theatrical or operatic influences.

Paul Cooke, 2MBSFM

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Young Mannheim Symphonists in search of musical history

By using historical instruments (or replicas) and imitating historical playing styles as closely as possible, contemporary musicians can help audiences appreciate musical masterpieces as they were intended to be played and heard.

That’s the premise behind the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra and its Young Mannheim Symphonists education program, which provides an opportunity for young classical musicians to learn historically informed performance and to develop a deeper appreciation for their craft.

Anna Cheung, Burwood Bulletin

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Review: Heavenly Mozart

This is music as pleasant as it is learned. Turns are executed on the strings with finesse and dynamic contrasts abound. As with Mozart so we see with the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra, that attention to technique and form is but a starting point, albeit an important one, for the exploration of the sublime.

Aryan Mohseni, State of the Art

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Heavenly Mozart

If “heavenly” is also meant to confirm cosy notions about how Mozart is performed, listeners will be certainly surprised by the thought-provoking account of the concerto featuring Sydney pianist and academic Neal Peres Da Costa, who brings his wealth of knowledge about early performance styles to the task.

[…]

Presented as a study in contrasts, the symphony opens with bristling Sturm und Drang elements well realised by the orchestra that give way to poised dance-like traits in the second and third movements before the players unleash a vigorous attack on the fugal finale. This triumphant conclusion with its incisive rhythmic bite may well signal that Mozart is in heaven and all will be well with the world below.

Tony Way, Limelight

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CD Review: 'Heavenly Mozart'

Mozart’s Piano Concerto No 23 K.488 and his Symphony No 41 (‘Jupiter’) have been recorded thousands of times globally over time and with musicological and performance practices various depending on the era. They contain some of the most familiar and treasured sounds in the listening profiles of the general public.

This is all about to change. On just the first listening to this pair of powerhouse works we are supplied with a fantastically fresh new normal of expression. The well-known concerto and symphony are enhanced with new freedoms, a spectacularly new sheen and bristle with the bounce of bold, confident performance practice.

[…]

Don’t miss the chance to listen and relisten to it and to Mozart in a new heavenly light.

Paul Nolan, Sydney Arts Guide

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Local Band Draws on Past to Give Mozart Works a Fresh Coat of Paint

An album featuring two of Mozart’s best-loved works, stripped of the rigid performance practices imposed by a Romantic tradition born in the middle of the 19th century and carried on into recordings and recitals of today, has been released by the excellent Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra (ARCO) through the ABC Classic label.

[…]

This is the second album they have released…and it should open up plenty of ears to a refreshing take on familiar works.

[…[

All in all, this album is a revelation.

Steve Moffatt, Daily Telegraph

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Blue Mountains Gazette: Katoomba trumpeter Jude Macarthur learns from experts at YMS

Katoomba trumpeter Jude Macarthur recently spent five days learning from the experts in in the Young Mannheim Symphonists (YMS), a course for youth run by the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra.

The youth orchestra course brought together 32 music students aged 12 to 23 along with 11 specialist tutors at the Conservatorium High School in Sydney.

It was his first experience with YMS that led him to the valve-less Baroque trumpet.

"I fell in love with it very quickly. You only have your lips and you change the sound by how fast your air is moving."

Jennie Curtin, Blue Mountains Gazette, 11 January 2024

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Australian Book Review: 2023 Arts Highlights

I heard both the Alma Moody Quartet and the Australian Romantic and Classical Orchestra live for the first time (ABR Arts, 8/23). The former played Ligeti, the latter Mendelssohn, and both delivered revelations. Mendelssohn’s Scottish symphony seemed more a masterpiece than ever.

Andrew Ford, Australian Book Review (Jan-Feb 2024)

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To Have and To Hold ('Heavenly Mozart' CD)

A vast array of music is available on most people’s phones — there’s no more waiting — and the musical object under the Christmas tree is increasingly a thing of the past. It all adds up to the possibility that music is mattering less.

[…]

For those who still value musical objects (you can also download them if you must) and who have yet to complete their Christmas shopping, allow me a few recommendations…

• The Australian Romantic and Classical Orchestra’s pairing of Mozart’s Jupiter symphony and his A major piano concerto K. 488 is similarly revelatory, not least for Neal Peres da Costa’s endlessly thoughtful traversing of the solo part. I know this music very well but found myself hanging on every note.

Andrew Ford, Inside Story (15 December 2023)

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Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra | Heavenly Mozart

This is not just another Mozart CD.

‘Heavenly’ is a title well-merited, and I encourage listening with good quality equipment and scores to hand for an enhanced experience. The Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra’s considered analysis of Mozart’s scores and detailed attention to late C18th playing techniques results in bold, enterprising and singularly meaningful readings, encapsulating the music’s power, spirit, refinement and sheer beauty.

The collective playing is a revelation, exhibiting exemplary ensemble and ravishing sonorities, capturing the essence of Mozart’s intentions most convincingly. Performances such as these put Australia at the very forefront of the HIP movement. 

Jane Downer, ClassikON, (19 November 2023)

Image: Robert Catto

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Sounds Like Sydney: 'Heavenly Mozart' Review

Whether for pure enjoyment or to discover two of Mozart’s masterpieces at deeper levels, Heavenly Mozart is a winner. The performances of ensemble and soloist are informed, exhilarating and bold but never excessive.

[…]

Beesley, as concertmaster, conducts a cohesive and exciting instrumental ensemble of 29 musicians playing period and replica instruments which date from 1753 to the present. Peres Da Costa, with all the skills of a specialist, plays a distinctive 2022 Viennese-action fortepiano made by Paul McNulty in the Czech Republic, modelled on a Viennese instrument by Walter and Sohn c 1805.

[…]

Joyful listening apart, this performance is an erudite look retrospective to the salons of Mozart’s lifetime.

Shamistha da Soysa, Sounds Like Sydney (14 November 2023)

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Torch: Clarinettist, 12, learns maestro secrets

Young musicians aged 12 to 23, including Belfield resident and clarinetist Dan-Que Nguyen, have gathered at the Conservatorium High School for the Young Mannheim Symphonists 2023 NSW Intensive with a spectacular concert as the finale.
The Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra held its latest youth orchestra course as part of its popular Young Mannheim Symphonists, co-directed by Rachael Beesley and Nicole van Bruggen, which gives gives students a chance to experience first-hand the excitement of discovering music through the lens of historical performance style (HIP).

The Torch (3 November 2023)

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Image: Robert Catto

Hawkesbury Phoenix: Emerging Musicians Meet for Inspiration, Education and Fun

The Australian Romantic and Classical Orchestra held its latest youth orchestra course as part of its popular Young Mannheim Symphonists.

This five-day music fest – held at the Conservatorium High School in Sydney – culminated in a splendid celebratory concert.

There were 32 music students aged between 12 and 23 years of age, from conservatoriums and universities in Adelaide, Canberra and Melbourne, as well as metropolitan and regional NSW schools, in attendance, along with 11 professional specialist tutors, and the final public concert featured repertoire they had prepared throughout the week.

Hawkesbury Phoenix (1 November 2023)

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Image: Robert Catto

Centenary Today: Young Musicians Conclude Inspiring Music Intensive in Melbourne

The Young Mannheim Symphonists 2023 Intensives brought together 32 music students between the ages of 12 and 23, hailing from various corners of the country, including Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra, and many more. The participants were joined by 11 professional specialist tutors, all eager to share their expertise and passion for classical and romantic music.

These young musicians are not only dedicated to their craft but are also pursuing their education at institutions such as the ANU, TAFE Queensland, University of Queensland, Elder Conservatorium, and Prince Alfred College Adelaide.

Centenary Today (26 October 2023)

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Image: Robert Catto

Canberra City News: Intensive Learning for Young Musicians

Gifted Canberrans were among the young musicians who gathered recently at the Conservatorium High School in Sydney for the Young Mannheim Symphonists 2023 NSW Intensive.

Among those participating in the course and a public concert finale conducted by Rachael Beesley were violinist Rove Leske, from Florey, and trumpeter Jess Hill, studying at the ANU.

Helen Musa, Canberra City News (26 October 2023)

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Image: Ken Nakanishi