Stefan Bradley
Melbourne pianist/composer Nat Bartsch has been performing her ARIA-nominated ABC Classic album Hope across Gippsland this month. She has been sharing the stage with local string quartets Simply Classical, featuring musicians and educators from Sale; and Traq Quartet, featuring young adult performers from the regional string quartet program Itet in Traralgon.
Hope is an album for piano, strings and electronics built around Nat’s distinctive blend of gentle melodic improvisation, jazz harmony and cinematic neoclassical composition.
It was composed in 2020 with the smell of bushfire smoke in Ms Bartsch’s home from the Black Summer fires, and during Melbourne’s long COVID lockdowns. The title is an abbreviation of hopefulness and hopelessness, with Ms Bartsch’s lyrical, beautiful music exploring the space between.
Ultimately, however, the listener is left with a feeling of catharsis– the album is a mindful acknowledgement of all we have been through, enabling the listener to look towards the future with a sense of hope.
Recorded as soon as restrictions allowed, it went on to reach #1 on the iTunes Classical Australia charts, and #3 on the ARIA classical charts.
It received ARIA and AIR nominations for Best Classical Album, and received a standing ovation at its premiere in Melbourne in May 2021. Ms Bartsch has been rehearsing the show in Sale and is excited for locals to experience it.
“I’ve been lucky to bring my album Hope to life with many string players across the country. But this tour is the first time I’ve travelled to regional areas, to work with string players in their own hometown,” she said.
“This community connection is so meaningful, and feels especially important in Gippsland, where I am touring to communities substantially impacted by the Black Summer fire season, and pandemic lockdowns.
“I’m so excited to share this music in Gippsland with new collaborators and friends, both onstage and off.”
Ms Bartsch described the music she makes as “meditative, soothing and beautiful”.
“It’s not classical music that’s designed to be only appreciated by people who know classical music. It’s music that’s like really welcoming of all types of people from all walks of life,” she told the Gippsland Times.
“And it’s hopefully creating an opportunity for people to really just sit and feel like have a chance to kind of feel emotions and connect with other people in the community and feel a sense of calm and because part of hope.”
Ms Bartsch’s show with Simply Classical at The Wedge starts at 8pm on Thursday, July 18 and runs for one hour with no interval. For further information go to: www.natbartsch.com
