There’s something in the air

WORLDRENOWNED early music cornettist Bruce Dickey, Czech soprano Hana Blazikova and members of Van Diemen’s Band will present works spanning the 17th century at their Breathtaking concerts for Ten Days on the Island.

Dickey, who is based in Italy, said the program would reflect the close pairing of the cornetto and voice.

“I’ve performed with Hana before and felt that her voice was closer to the cornetto than any I had ever encountered,” he said. “That led to putting this program together.

“Hana is restrained in her use of vibrato and very responsive to the musical situation.

“Also the timbre of her voice is quite bright, which is a characteristic of the cornetto.”

The concert will begin with early 17th century works.

“At that time the cornetto and the voice were treated as equal elements in both sacred and secular music,” Dickey said.

“The concert finishes at the end of the century with arias from operas and oratorios where the cornetto no longer really has the same function as the voice but was still played at a very high level.”

He said voice and cornetto were paired in different ways.

“In some of the works there is a dialogue between us, in others they imitate each other,” Dickey said.

“Some are more solo pieces for Hana where I provide instrumental interludes.”

The program also includes a contemporary work, Melena Imi, which was composed specifically for Dickey and Blazikova by Greek composer Calliope Tsoupaki.

“It has been an audience favourite at our concerts,” Dickey said. “It appeals to all musical tastes and has the quality of intertwining the voices so you don’t know for sure which is the instrument and which is the voice.”

Breathtaking will be performed at St David’s Cathedral in Hobart at 6pm tomorrow, then at Spring Bay Mill at Triabunna at 2pm on Saturday. Tickets are from $50 for adults and $45 concession at St David’s, and $45 for adults and $35 concession at Spring Bay Mill, available from tendays.org.au

— PENNY THOW