Bizarre or baRock
Elizabeth Anderson explores harpsichord music across four centuries: ranging from Conceição's raw 17th century battle piece, through traditional Baroque repertoire, to Jazz, Blues, Gershwin and the Beatles accompanied by drums and bass. Weird, wild, wacky and wonderful - you've never heard the harpsichord like this!
'Barock' is a German word which originally meant 'bizarre'. It was not until early in the 20th century that the word 'Barock' was used in Germany to describe the music of Bach's time.
When Sir Charles Burney first used it in his German Tour diary (1733), he explained that it meant 'coarse and uncouth', much as writers then used the word 'Gothic'. In architecture, the word 'Barock' was applied from about 1867 to the highly-decorated style of the 17th and 18th centuries in Austria and Germany. Therefore, to apply the term Baroque (French/English spelling) with all its shades of meaning is to extend the boundaries of Baroque music far beyond the dates which have traditionally been set for it.
After the release of the highly acclaimed Goldberg Variations (Soundscapes Editor's Choice, November 1996) and highly successful European and Japanese tours, Anderson said: "I felt like doing something WILD!"
A second volume is now available, and it's even more bizarre: More Bizarre or baRock
Artist
Elizabeth Anderson
Elizabeth Anderson has performed in no less than eleven international concert tours to Europe, Japan and Singapore. She is a regular guest lecturer and performer at universities and music schools throughout Australia.
Press quotes
“Elizabeth Anderson's harpsichord extravaganza should be a candidate for best Australian CD of 1997 ... It all tastes delicious.”
— Bruce Gillespie, The Melburnian
“There is not a weak point on the disc.”
— Herald Sun
“Vivacious Melbourne keyboard virtuoso Elizabeth Anderson plays the hottest, hippest harpsichord in the world today.”
— Sunday Herald Sun
“I was very glad to make the acquaintance of harpsichordist Anderson, who has four previous CDs on the Move label to her credit, including a recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations. This is highly proficient, no-nonsense playing that is guaranteed to get your fingers a snappin’ and your toes a tappin’. She plays a terrific-sounding harpsichord (maker unknown) that manages to hold its own in the ensemble numbers with drums and bass...it certainly helps that she is one hell of a harpsichordist. The recorded sound is visceral and real – much of the delight in listening to this CD comes from the sheer impact of the sound. I never thought I’d use the word “visceral” to describe a harpsichord recording, but there it is. What fun-a candidate for this year’s Want List for sure.”
— Christopher Brodersen, Fanfare Magazine
Audio preview
Track Listing
- Ragtime Willard Palmer
- Blues for Harpsichord Willard Palmer
- Scarborough Fair (Traditional)
- Leyenda: Asturias Isaac Albéniz
- Small Prelude in C minor Johann Sebastian Bach
- The Lyre of Orpheus Jean-François Dandrieu
- The Cuckoo Louis-Claude Daquin
- Winter's Shadow Mary Mageau
- Cycles I Lawrence Whiffin
- Chocolate Bunnies Donald Angle
- Hungarian Rock György Ligeti
- A New Ground Henry Purcell
- The Harmonious Blacksmith George Frideric Handel
- Eleanor Rigby Paul McCartney John Lennon
- Danza Ostinata William Albright
- Batalha Diego da Conceição
- Nine Rarebits Earle Brown
- Sonata in D minor Domenico Scarlatti
- Sonata in A minor Domenico Scarlatti
- I Got Rhythm George Gershwin
Performers
- Elizabeth Anderson · harpsichord
- Kylie Davies · double bass · tracks 1—3, 10, 14 and 20
- Danny Fischer · drums, percussion · tracks 1, 2, 8, 10, 14 and 20
Composers
Isaac Albéniz
Isaac Albéniz was a Spanish Catalan pianist and composer best known for his piano works based on folk music idioms (many of which have been transcribed by others for guitar).
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity.
Jean-François Dandrieu
Jean-François Dandrieu was a French Baroque composer, harpsichordist and organist. Dandrieu's harpsichord oeuvre is, after those of François Couperin and Jean-Nicolas Geoffroy, the most important in terms of sheer quantity of pieces.
Mary Mageau
Composing in a large number of genres, Mary Mageau's catalogue includes works for symphony and string orchestra, chorus, ballet, theatre, solo instruments, various chamber ensembles and voice.
Lawrence Whiffin
Lawrence Whiffin was born in Melbourne in 1930, and passed away in November 2012. He spent much of his life abroad. In 1976 Whiffin was appointed Senior Tutor at the Music Department of La Trobe University. This position entailed the teaching of harmony, counterpoint, analysis, form and fugue, and gave him the chance to compose more concert music.
Donald Angle
Donald Angle's music comes from, or is influenced, most directly, by 20th Century Pop, Country, and Jazz, and is mostly geared to solo performance.
Henry Purcell
Henry Purcell was an English organist and Baroque composer of secular and sacred music. Although Purcell incorporated Italian and French stylistic elements into his compositions, his legacy was a uniquely English form of Baroque music.
George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, and concertos. Handel's music was well known to such later composers as Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven.
Domenico Scarlatti
Giuseppe Domenico Scarlatti (1685–1757) was an Italian composer who spent much of his life in the service of the Portuguese and Spanish royal families.
George Gershwin
George Gershwin (September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known.
Where to buy
Bizarre or baRock is available for download from the iTunes Music Store.
It's available for streaming through
Apple Music.
Bizarre or baRock is available as as CD. It can be purchased online through Buywell Music or the Australian Music Centre which both offer secure online ordering.
Move CDs can be ordered through music retailers across Australia including Readings.
