Pribaoutki is a cycle of four songs composed by Igor Stravinsky in 1914 to Russian texts by Alexander Afanasyev. Its Russian title has no direct English equivalent, although Richard Taruskin suggests "nonsense rhymes" or "jingles."

Pribaoutki is set for low voice and instrumental ensemble. Stravinsky is said to have preferred a male singer, although the work is commonly performed by mezzo-soprano or contralto. The eight-member ensemble consists of: flute, oboe (doubling English horn), clarinet, bassoon, violin, viola, violoncello, and double bass.

Andrew O'Connor - Bass-Baritone
ANAM Strings & Wind
Roland Peelman - Conductor

This performance was recorded on May 4, 2015, in the Fitters Workshop in Canberra. The recording engineer was Kimmo Vennonen.

Pribaoutki - Polkovnik (The Colonel) [LIVE]

Recorded in a live performance in 2016 of Handel's Oratorio 'Saul' this Recitative and Arioso scene between Saul (Chris Richardson) and Samuel (yours truly) is one of the final scenes of the oratorio.

Conductor: Michelle Leonard OAM
Venue: St James Church, King Street, Sydney

Handel - Why hast thou brought me from the realms of peace?

A movement from Margaret Smith's Song Cycle 'White Shadows' specially commissioned in 2015 by Hourglass Ensemble for baritone, flute, clarinet(s), piano, and violin. It is a great privilege to perform new Australian Music - especially when it has been written for you.

Performed in the Utzon Room of Sydney Opera House.

Without a Friend - Margaret Smith

The groundbreaking and four-time-Tony-award-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen has been a favourite of mine since I was first introduced to the incredible score. Ben Platt, in the title role of Evan Hansen, is simply extraordinary and I've drawn a lot of inspiration from his performance.

I had a couple of hours free this evening, and I felt like belting out one of the most heartbreaking songs in the piece to let off some steam. It's an iPhone Voice Memo job so the quality is not great - but this is a taste of the secret musical-loving Andrew O'Connor that most of my colleagues in the classical and choral realm don't get to see. 

Hope you enjoy!

Dear Evan Hansen

Words Fail - Dear Evan Hansen

Durufle - Messe Cum Jubilo - Baritone Solo

In September I had the privilege of joining the Queensland Symphony Orchestra for their Sing with QSO 2017 event, singing the bass solos in the Faure Requiem -
 the beautiful Hostias and Libera Me. Recorded live in the QSO Studio.

Queensland Symphony Orchestra
Andrew O'Connor, Bass
Gordon Hamilton, Conductor

Faure - Requiem Bass Solos - QSO (LIVE)

A live performance recording of 'Quia Fecit Mihi Magna' from JS Bach's Magnificat, recorded in the City Recital Hall, Sydney as part of St Mary's Cathedral Choir's 'Bach, Britten & Bernstein' program.

June 30, 2017
Andrew O'Connor, Baritone
Thomas Wilson, Conductor

[LIVE] Bach Magnificat - Quia Fecit Mihi Magna - City Recital Hall

Eric Whitacre’s beautiful setting of ‘Goodnight Moon’ (Margaret Wise Brown) has long been a favourite of mine – and I jumped at the chance to include it as a final encore (with some ossia borrowed from the choral version) in my ‘Songs Before Sleep’ recital program in Sydney, Australia. 

Andrew O’Connor, Bass-Baritone
Anna Rutkowska-Schock, Piano

Recorded live on 14 July 2019
Part of ‘Songs Before Sleep’ for The Song Company

Posted with kind permission from the Composer and Publisher

[LIVE] Goodnight Moon (Eric Whitacre) performed by Andrew O'Connor

‘Sleep’ from Five Elizabethan Songs
Ivor Gurney (1890 – 1937)

Andrew O’Connor, Bass-Baritone
Anna Rutkowska-Schock, Piano
The Independent Theatre, Sydney

Performed as part of ‘Songs Before Sleep’ for The Song Company

www.andrewoconnor.com.au

[LIVE] Sleep (Ivor Gurney)performed by Andrew O'Connor

One man, a choral score, and his microphone.

This setting of 'Ubi Caritas' by my good friend and colleague, Perry Joyce, is one of my favourite pieces of music to sing -- and an essay in modern, yet accessible, choral composition. Being a singer himself, Perry (very obviously) understands the way the voice works, and offers gifts of harmony and melody throughout the work, for all parts. The harmony has glimpses of Lauridsen, but develops much of it's own unique, static, and identifiably Australian quality.

Recorded on a Blue Yeti microphone, processed with Garageband. No edits. No tuning. Just straight vocal takes. If you want to hear more of my REAL singing voice please follow the links to andrewoconnor.com.au and discover some of the material I (a budding bass-baritone / counter-tenor) normally sing.

Ubi Caritas et Amor - Joyce - Andrew O'Connor (Multi-Track)

For Behold... Darkness Shall Cover the Earth
Recitative + Aria 
from Handel’s Messiah

Recorded live in performance in Newcastle, Australia in December 2019

Andrew O’Connor, Bass-Baritone
Choirs of Christ Church Cathedral, Newcastle
Peter Guy, Conductor

For Behold... The People That Walked in Darkness | Andrew O'Connor | G.F. Handel | Messiah [Live]

Mache Dich, Mein Herze, Rein
from St Matthew Passion
Johann Sebastian Bach

Recorded in February 2020 as part of a project for the ABC and a feature on the ‘Hope Organ’ a house organ in Mullumbimby, NSW which features on the track.

Andrew O’Connor, Bass-Baritone
Thomas Wilson, Organ
Jan Muths, Recording Engineer

andrewpoconnor

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