Dean: The Lost Art of Letter Writing

Featuring

Jonathan Nott
Frank Peter Zimmermann
Martyn Brabbins
David Robertson
Sydney Symphony Orchestra
BBC Symphony Orchestra

BBC Symphony Chorus
Gondwana Voices
Brett Dean

Did you know?

1/7

Instruments

Violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann plays a Stradivarius from 1711 that once belonged to the famous Austrian violinist and composer Fritz Kreisler.

Compositional Technique

Each of the four movements in The Lost Art of Letter Writing is prefaced by a quotation from a historical letter and labeled with the letter's place and year.

Compositional Technique

Testament, a piece for 12 violas, was inspired by Ludwig van Beethoven's Heiligenstadt Testament and attempts to imitate the sound of Beethoven's pen scribbling on paper.

Composition History

Brett Dean's violin concerto, The Lost Art of Letter Writing, was awarded the renowned Grawemeyer Award for Musical Composition in 2009.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Composer Brett Dean often uses music to address political and social themes of his era, such as media effects, ecological problems, or AIDS.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Vexations and Devotions, described by Brett Dean as a 'sociological cantata', addresses the dehumanization of society, the loss of language, and increasing alienation.

Compositional Technique

In Testament, Brett Dean uses bows without rosin to create a nervous, diffuse, and veiled sound image, which contrasts with the visible effort of the musicians.