Astra

After many commemorations for the centenary of World War I, this program focusses on the parallel seismic event of the Russian Revolution, with music from Germany, Russia and Australia. Themes reach back to the Paris Commune of the 19th century, the Russian Revolution 1905 and the aftermath in 1930s Germany. The  politically-engaged theatre of Bertolt Brecht finds  musical voices in works of his contemporary Hanns Eisler and the present-day Australian Martin Friedel. Also heard is some  remarkable music of Russian Futurist composers of the revolutionary era.