Page Title

PLAYING:

A section from Betty's orchestral work,

LAGU-LAGU MANIS

Russe Philharmonic

Orchestra

conducted by

Tsanko Delibozov

Recorded VMM 3036

'Lament for Kosovo' opens

United Nations Concert

A report by Nancy Van de Vate for The International Alliance of Women in Music

'Betty Beath's beautiful "Lament for Kosovo" opened a stunning concert today at the United Nations headquarters in Vienna. The concert was in honor of the Declaration of Human Rights, signed exactly 60 years ago today and was held in the great rotunda of the Vienna UN complex.

Performing was the First Austrian Women's Chamber Orchestra, one of the finest (and now perhaps the oldest) women's chamber orchestras in the world. Concertmistress Elisabeth Kropfitsch led the ensemble, which performed without a conductor.

"Lament for Kosovo" (Adagio for Strings) has been performed on numerous occasions by the Vienna group and also by the Portland (Maine) Symphony Orchestra, as well as in the composer's native Australia. It was recorded several years ago by the Moravian Philharmonic of the Czech Republic for Vienna Modern Masters. Its most recent performance in Austria was in honor of the birthday of Nobel Peace Prize winner, Bertha von Suttner.

Today's remarkable concert featured readings of all 30 articles of the Declaration of Human Rights by 30 members of the UN staff in 30 different languages. Several readings were interspersed between each of the compositions on the program, all of which commemorated the event in a special way. Following the Beath work were 'Aufschrei der Kinder des Krieges (Outcry of the Children of War) by Nancy Van de Vate, four of the "Five Inraeli Dances" by Sylvia Sommer, Shostakovitch's "Chamber Symphony No. 110A (In Memory of the Victims of War) and a movement (grave et cantabile) of Haydn's "Seven Last Words of Jesus Christ."

Betty Beath was one of the earliest and most active members of the Board of the International League of Composers and for many years presented an outstanding series of radio broadcasts of music by women composers over public radio stations in Australia. She has received many commissions and honors in the past several decades, especially for her orchestral music.

The First Austrian Women's Chamber Orchestra was founded by the late Brigitte Ratz of Vienna; her daughter, Katharina Marothy Ratz, now continues that important work. '

Note: Betty's 'Lament for Kosovo' is a well traveled piece. It has been performed by orchestras in all of the continents, except for South America. Her work 'From a Lake of Honey' was performed at the United Nations headquarters, New York, by Basso Moderno Duo.

The Music of Betty Beath is the title of the newly released Wirripang CD Wirr 024 featuring a selection of Betty's music performed by Betty Beath, Margaret Schindler, Janet Delpratt, Susan Dunn, Patricia Pollett, Colin Spiers, the string orchestra Camerata of St. John's with Brendan Joyce, Queensland Symphony Orchestra with Richard Mills conducting.

Instrumental works for piano, viola, string orchestra and cycles for voice and piano and voice and orchestra are programmed on the CD.