On the late afternoon of November 9, 2024, the Chapel Theatre in Glen Innes was graced with a unique and immersive experience, courtesy of internationally celebrated piano soloist, Alex Raineri. The Glen Innes concert concluded Alex’s tour of Northeastern New South Wales with a performance that was anything but conventional. Organised by Music in the Regions in conjunction with the Glen Innes Arts Council, this was the town’s first concert under this initiative, and it set a striking precedent for future events.
Raineri’s program, aptly titled Fairytales, was a curated journey through contemporary classical piano works by five eminent Australian composers. Opening with the exhilarating Sonata No. 1 by John Rotar, Raineri displayed his renowned virtuosity, bringing the dynamic piece to life in a flurry of movement. Before each piece, Raineri provided thoughtful insights into the composers and the origins of the works, offering a welcome guide to the unfamiliar territory, for the writer, of contemporary classical music.
Following Rotar’s intense sonata, the mood shifted to a more introspective landscape, with the gentle, contemplative works of Michael Bakrncev, Katy Abbott, and Ian Whitney. Each composition had a story, each phrase a soul, and Raineri’s playing embodied this spirit with his characteristic passion and skill. His control was palpable; thundering chords softened into glimmers of light, evoking elegance with a French-inspired translucency.
The program concluded with Piano Sonata No. 2 by Melody Eötvös, an evocative interpretation of Hans Christian Andersen’s tale, A Story from the Sand Dunes. Eötvös’s piece, which chronicles the hardships and growth of Jørgen, the orphaned son of Spanish nobility, captured the audience in a narrative that was both uplifting and introspective. Raineri conveyed the trials and resilience of the piece with great sensitivity, inviting listeners to reflect deeply on each motif.
Perhaps what made this concert so unusual was its unfamiliarity. With no recognizable familiar melodies, no pre-existing connections, and nothing to hum along to, each piece required the audience to create meaning in real-time. This was not a concert for passive listening; it was an encounter. Raineri’s performance was not only a technical feat but an invitation to venture into new musical forms and textures. He offered not just a recital but a journey through sound, where the mind was encouraged to transform the unexpected into something beautiful.
Alex Raineri’s Fairytales has undoubtedly left its mark on Glen Innes, setting a high bar for Music in the Regions and proving that even in a small town, contemporary classical music can resonate profoundly.
