It’s been a sensational year of music for shire-based composer, and music educator and performer Margaret Brandman.
Many musicians are happy to produce a new CD every few years but Margaret has released two CDs this year.
The first is called Sensations, which she describes as contemporary-classic music for orchestra and chamber music ensembles.
The other CD is Abrazo, which is a Spanish word for embrace, and was recorded in Cuba.
“I write music for full orchestra. I was contacted by a company called Parma Recordings a little over a year ago who were interested in recording my music,’’ Margaret said.
“We arranged to record my music in the Czech Republic with the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra which does a lot of film music.
“The company thought the type of music I write would suit their particular orchestra and their wonderful string section.’’
Margaret said she wants people to picture musical scenes when they listen to her Sensations CD.
“One of the pieces I wrote is the Firestorm Symphony which came out of living in the Blue Mountains and experiencing the bushfires of 1994 and 2001.
“These incidents inspired this music. My thoughts and feelings are in the music,” she said.
“The first movement is about the danger and the threat of the fire. The second part is the devastation of the fire. The third past is the regrowth of the bush and the hope that returns as the birds and animals come back and life returns to normal.
“Another piece, Undulations is about living next to the sea. I was a originally a Maroubra girl and now live at Cronulla, so the ocean plays a big part in my music.
“Spirit Visions was inspired by the tone and colours of playing the organ at Sydney Town Hall and also having a clairvoyant reading which told me I would be writing a lot of music which I have done since.’’
Music is a tradition in Margaret’s family.
Her grandfather Fritz Brandmann escaped Berlin in early 1939 and became the first cantor at the Temple Emmanuel in Woollahra.
Her parents, Frederick and Else ran the Brandman Music Studio at Princes Highway, Rockdale in 1960 and 70s.
Her brother John Brandman and wife Carol run Engadine Music.
The Sensations CD is being played ABC Classic FM and on 2MBFM - Fine Music. Eastside Radio 89.7 who will feature Sensations as CD of the week in August 8 to 14.
Since the Sensations CD has been out she has been getting international airplay in the United States, Canada, Indonesia and the UK.
Her other CD is Abrazo is a compilation of the work of eight composers including Margaret, the only Australia, for which she wrote Warm Winds in Havana, a four movement suite for saxaphones and percussion which is getting a lot of downloads on Itunes.
“I travelled to Cuba for the recording, which was very exciting,” she said..
Abrazo has been put forward for the Grammy Awards.
“It’s the culmination of 45 years of working in the music industry as a composer, music educator, author and performer,’’ Margaret said.
“I’m an overnight success in 45 years. I’ve worked for this for many years and it is fantastic to get a wonderful orchestra to perform my music really well and with the result of a high quality recording.“It makes you feel good when you listen to my music, which is what I’m after.”
Margaret will do a launch concert in Sydney featuring the music of both CDs and new songs , The Cosmic Wheel of the Zodiac, a song cycle of 12 new songs.composed especially for colleague baritone Martin Cooke, an ex-pat Australian singer and is a permanent member of the Bavarian State Opera Company.
The concert will be on September 3, Conservatorium of Music Sydney, Recital Hall East at 7.3opm.
Bookings can be made through her website http://www.margaretbrandman.com/ or through http://www.ticketebo.com.au/jazzem-music/the-music-of-margaret-brandman-celebratory-cd-launch-and-recital.html
