Music / Larry Sitsky birthday concert. At ANU School of Music, August 26. Reviewed by ROB KENNEDY.

Canberra’s most famous composer, Larry Sitsky, the original head of keyboard studies at the ANU’s School of Music, had a 90^th birthday celebration concert in the room named in his honour.

Pianist Edward “Teddy” Neeman organised the concert, held, naturally, in the Larry Sitsky Recital Room at the School of Music, included many notable performers from across Australia.

Prof Adrian Walter, head of the School of Music, gave the opening address to the full house. He mentioned the joke Sitsky once made to an overly enthusiastic fan who kept questioning him about the origin of his surname. An annoyed Sitsky had replied that he was named after a room in the School of Music.

The first pieces performed were two of Sitsky’s Fantasias, the No. 4, “Arch”, with Joy Lee on piano and the No. 8 with pianist Alistair Noble.

The intertwining nature of Sitsky’s music is a voice of specific character and nature. It crosses tonalities, clusters abound, and huge ranges in dynamics are his signatures. Also, deeply personal, complex and thick textures layers his music. Both Fantasias reflected these qualities.

Then, two movements from his Sonata No. 3, with Aaron Chew on piano. Mystery and speculation are woven into many Sitsky pieces. It’s almost like there’s a code in his music. He makes use of all the keyboard. Pieces sparkle in the highest register, and growl when at the bottom. The piano becomes more than an instrument. It is a sound world telling a fascinating story.

An arrangement of Sitsky’s famous Russian Miniature followed. On oboe David Nuttall and piano, Edward Neeman. Arranged by Sitsky himself, a jumpy dancing tune emanated. Then a Petite Valse by Ukrainian composer Leff Pouishnoff, a work that Sitsky had collected over his long musical career.

During the interval, a book on Sitsky, titled A National Treasure, was launched by Jeanell Carrigan and Rita Crews. Sitsky also spoke. He told a story from his past about his training as a sound engineer and applying for a job at the ABC. He thought he was going to be working with orchestras and string quartets, but instead found himself on the Six O’Clock Rock TV program with hundreds of screaming teenagers. He also spoke about working with The Wild One, Johnny O’Keefe and others.

Bassoonist Ben Hoadley, clarinettist Jason Noble, Vivienne Tran and Aaron Chew on piano performed a mixed repertoire of Sitsky’s works. There was even an amazing video recorded performance of his The Witch of Endor, performed by an enthusiastic Michael Kieran Harvey on piano.

Sitsky’s Fantasia No. 6, for solo bassoon performed by Hoadley, was a sliding musical soundscape. Zuqerq, with Nobel on clarinet and Neeman playing the piano lid like a set of bongos, concluded a night of electric music.

Following an Armenian tradition, the entire audience rose and erupted in applause as Larry and his wife Magda exited the room.