I   Elegy: Larghetto supplicando
II  Scherzo and Trio: Presto con brio – Adagio nobilmente
III Sicilienne: Andante teneramente
IV Reverie: Allegro grazioso ma assai ritmico con moto – L'istesso tempo con brio – Larghetto supplicando

Watch TV program of this event on YouTube at https://youtu.be/VJVFMV1sG90

Queensland Symphony Orchestra conducted by Benjamin Northey
QSO Studio, Southbank, Brisbane
Friday October 25, 2013

Commissioned by Kim Williams AM



ACCLAIM for Mark Isaacs's first symphony (2013):

"Your gift is so unusual. I enjoyed your symphony very much - a masterful piece, logical in the use of the material and very well orchestrated" VLADIMIR ASHKENAZY

“What a feast for the ears. So much nuance, so much feeling, such elegance, instrumental detail, and his ability to spin out gorgeous music is rare indeed. This is what symphony writing is all about”
JAMES GAVIN – Music Writer, NEW YORK TIMES, VANITY FAIR

“It’s a genuinely great work and will outlive us all”
MARTIN BUZACOTT – Music Critic THE AUSTRALIAN

“Mark Isaacs’ First Symphony is indeed a consummate contribution to the genre. It may be his first symphony, but like those of Brahms and Walton, it comes when Mark is at the height of his powers as a composer”
Dr NICHOLAS ROUTLEY – Associate Professor of Music, University of Sydney

"I’m extremely pleased with the work and it showcases Mark’s composing talent and sound world. He writes so comfortably for a large orchestra and I hope he continues to write more large symphonic works, perhaps a Symphony No.2?"
RICHARD WENN, Director of Artistic Planning, Queensland Symphony Orchestra

Symphony No. 1 premiere

Peter Edge, flute
Max Cooke, piano
ABC recording for broadcast, 1975

Mark Isaacs: Interlude for Flute and Piano (composed age 16)

MARK ISAACS piano
From album: Mark Isaacs "Intimacies" (CD Gracemusic/MGM GR006 and major digital music platforms)
Recording producer: Lachlan Bramble
Recording engineer: Tom Henry
Piano adjusted & tuned by Geoff & Andrew Smith
Recorded at ABC Studio 520, Adelaide, South Australia, July 15-17, 2019
Cover illustration: Jewel Isaacs
Executive recording producer: Mark Isaacs
Recording production funded with donations by kind supporters to Creative Partnerships Australia through the Australian Cultural Fund and directly to the artist.

REVIEWS:

"Few would dare reinvent such icons of the Western canon. But for Mark Isaacs, to perform is to reinvent...he not only remakes the wheel, but sends it spinning merrily down the road less travelled...even the most familiar of phrases seem to be at Isaacs’ beck and call, their cautious new identities almost convincing us that Isaacs is the composer, making it up as he goes along....just tender admiration and a striking vision" SYDNEY MORNING HERALD (4½ stars)

“Exquisitely judged by Isaacs....perfectly ornamented thirds and sixths....The sonic trajectory is also perfectly calibrated.....transfigured beauty....a melody which, in Isaacs’ hands soars.....the feeling conjured is broad uncomplicated lyricism....sensitive contours, charm and affection.... the gem of this thoughtful and elegant compilation was the Poulenc Intermezzo No 2, which seemed like the distillation of his music" LIMELIGHT Magazine

“His debut solo classical release comes with all the warmth than one would expect of his jazz performances, inviting the listener into a meditative journey through music of Chopin, Rachmaninov and Scriabin. Isaacs' deeply personal take on these beloved works makes them shine anew, asking that the modern focus on technical brilliance step aside for pianistic sparkle and intimacy.”
ABC CLASSIC “Feature of the Week”

CHOPIN Nocturne in D-flat major, Op. 27 No. 2

Released through Gracemusic/MGM, May 29, 2020, on major download & streaming platforms
MARK ISAACS piano
Music composed by Mark Isaacs 
Recording producer: Lachlan Bramble
Recording engineer: Tom Henry
Piano adjusted & tuned by Geoff & Andrew Smith
Recorded at ABC Studio 520, Adelaide, South Australia, July 17, 2019
Illustration: Jewel Isaacs
Executive recording producer: Mark Isaacs
Recording production funded with donations by kind supporters to Creative Partnerships Australia through the Australian Cultural Fund and directly to the artist.

REVIEWS:

"[Isaacs has] produced an album of solo piano pieces possessed of such beauty, simplicity, and clarity, it feels like the product of a lifetime’s mastery..... these pieces can be likened to jewel-like miniatures, polished to perfection" RHYTHMS Magazine
https://rhythms.com.au/marc-isaacs-forgotten-fields/ 

"Mark Isaacs is an Australian master composer and improviser....On this latest recording, he displays sublime subtlety.....this pianist-composer produces music that’s as much about respecting a moment as it is about developing it....these gorgeous cameos provide comfort and inspiration to listeners with a depth and beauty to spare."  FINE MUSIC SYDNEY

Forgotten Fields

From "Duende" (Gracemusic/MGM GR004)
Music composed, arranged & produced by Mark Isaacs. Lyrics by Mark Isaacs.
YouTube video of the recording of the song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij1FsAsUVk4

Briana Cowlishaw – vocal  Mark Isaacs – piano  James Muller – electric guitar 
Matt Keegan – tenor saxophone Brett Hirst – bass  Tim Firth – drums  

Recorded  and mixed by Richard Lush at Studios 301, Sydney, December 18, 2012 
Assistant recording engineer (Studios 301): Jordan Power
Piano technician (Steinway Model D concert grand): Ara Vartoukian

You Never Forget Love
Words & music by Mark Isaacs

You never forget Love
All of our lives, we carry on
Just time and place
You never forget Love
Once in your life
Just keep it strong 
Let Love belong
In the darkest night, there is your song

Don’t wait
Now’s the only time that’s real
Will you throw it all away?
Would you lose another day?

You never forget Love
You’ll break someone’s heart, you go to ground
The way of life
You never forget Love
And understand this
You’re nothing else
Love is your name
Be the child that knows no other game

Don’t wait
Now’s the only time that’s real
Will you throw it all away?
Would you lose another day?

Don’t ever forget Love
You’ll soar in the sky, you fall in love
So many ways
You never forget Love
‘coz the Love that is real can never lie
Needs no disguise
Only minds will change, Love never dies

Don’t wait
Now’s the only time that’s real
Will you throw it all away?
Would you lose another day?

You Never Forget Love

Mark Isaacs, piano
Ben Waples, bass
James Hauptmann, drums

From Mark Isaacs album "Visions"
Recorded by Yossi Gabbay in ABC Eugene Goossens Hall, Sydney, 2005

The Fool on the Hill

Hailed by the Los Angeles Times as “a splendid musical mind”, Mark Isaacs has achieved widespread international recognition as a composer and pianist working in both classical music and jazz.

Mark Isaacs

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