Internationally acclaimed Australian classical guitarist and proud bisexual Claire Angel Bonner makes her first return visit in eleven years for four-State concert tour.
Since leaving her homeland in 2012 to undertake post-graduate study on her instrument in Italy, Claire has made her base there and become one of the world’s most acclaimed performers of late-18th and early-19th century guitar music: a time of the Napoleonic wars, when the six-string version of the instrument had only just been introduced and was still making its way as a concert instrument.
Claire was a long-time member of Equality Tasmania before moving overseas, working on issues as diverse as marriage equality and LGBTIQA+ inclusion in schools.
“It’s been eleven years since I’ve seen friends here. Of course I’m excited!” Claire says.
“I want people to hear how I’ve developed as a musician during that time, and I also want to introduce them to the sound of the 19th century guitar. It’s quite different to that of the modern versions of the instrument; smaller, more mellow, more delicate. It was surprisingly popular back then, too.
“Don’t forget it was (violin virtuoso) Paganini’s other performance instrument, as well as that of the non-piano playing French composer Hector Berlioz. Then as now, it’s always been the supreme instrument for the love song, the ultimate musical vehicle for romance!”
“I’m also keen to see how much Australia has changed since marriage equality in 2017. I worked alongside many committed activists to see that reform come into being. I’m looking forward to seeing the positive changes I’ve heard about, even though I know there’s lots more to do, especially for trans folk. The situation for LGBTIQA+ people in Italy has gone backwards and I’m hoping to draw inspiration from progress in Australia.”
Bonner points out that the music in the two different recital programs she’ll be presenting on tour – From Italy with Love and A Tale of Three Cities – reflect the repertoire of the time’s Italian origins.
“So much of it was either influenced by or directly sourced from the bel canto opera of the period,” Claire continues.
“This is some time before the peninsula’s unification, becoming the Italy we have today, and even longer before the Spanish got their fingers on those strings.”
Italian opera is at the heart of the From Italy with Love program, featuring fantasias (almost like a ‘greatest hits’ medley) based on the favourites of the time including Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Rossini’s The Barber of Seville (Il barbiere di Siviglia).
A Tale of Three Cities, described by Bonner as “…a musical journey through Napoleon’s Europe”, brings together the historical events and political figures of the first half of the 19th century with the great musical centres of London, Paris and Vienna, where the new 2 instrument flourished in the hands of composer-virtuosi such as Mauro Giuliani, Giulio Regondi and Napoleon Coste.
For Bonner, this is supremely beautiful music that should be better known. “My aim is to give historical context to the composers and their music in these programs”, she says.
“I want to show the development of the guitar repertoire from the turmoil of the French Revolution through to the Crimean war”.
Claire Angel Bonner is playing at St Andrew’s Anglican Church and UWA on 15 & 16 November. For more information, head to claireangelbonner.com
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