Raymond Hanson Piano Works
Author Identifier (ORCID)
Research Statement
Research Background
Raymond Hanson was an influential Australian composer who taught composition at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia. During his lifetime, his works were performed by internationally renowned musicians but subsequently forgotten. His piano oeuvre is unique in 20th-century Australian piano repertoire. My recordings reveal new musical insights based on my research into Hanson, and make these works accessible to the public.
Research Contribution
This research unearthed a complete collection of this historically important Australian composer’s works. Most of the recordings are world premieres, as many piano works remained unrecorded, or unpublished. The music is highly sophisticated, often anticipating compositional trends in 20th century Australian composition. New knowledge was disseminated as the music was not previously recorded or available in any audio documentation as a complete set, so this research offered a chance for these works to be heard for the first time, where previously they had been mentioned only in written sources.
Research Significance
This recording received significant critical attention, with reviewers acknowledging the importance of Hanson’s oeuvre: “an illuminating recording: [Hanson’s] formidable and inventive output clearly deserves more attention” (American Record Guide)”. This demonstrates the international impact of this Australian composer. Steve Moffat, a leading music critic, states ” Hanson influenced a whole generation of Australian composers and performers” underlining the importance of this research in presenting the first published audio catalogue of his work. The recording was released by the international label Naxos, renowned for its support of previously undocumented material by significant composers. Their promotion of Hanson’s music is a testament to its artistic merit and cultural contribution to classical music at an international level.
Keywords
Raymond Hanson, Australian composer, Australian music, piano music, piano performance, musicology, Australian classical music, twentieth-century music, recorded music, music heritage, archival research, world premiere recordings, historical performance, piano repertoire, Australian composers, music preservation, creative practice research, music interpretation, cultural heritage, Naxos Records, composition history, music scholarship, recording project, performance research, classical piano, music dissemination, Australian cultural history
Non-Traditional Research Output
Recorded or Rendered Creative Work
Document Type
Non-Traditional Research Output
Date of Publication
2021
Medium
Audio/Visual Recording
Publisher
Bob Scott
School
Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA)
RAS ID
82722
Links and/or Documentation
https://www.australianmusiccentre.com.au/product/raymond-hanson-complete-piano-works
Event Venue
Newcastle Conservatorium of Music/ Janette Hamilton Studio, Sydney
Duration
112 mins
Recommended Citation
Lemoh, T. (2021). Raymond Hanson Piano Works [Audio/Visual Recording]. https://doi.org/10.25958/wx7h-kv22
Documentation Statement
This record presents a documented representation of the research output, including the research statement and associated contextual metadata. The creative work itself is not included. Where available, external links are provided to representations of the work.
Content Type
Documentation only
DOI Statement
The DOI refers to the repository metadata record only and serves as a documentation identifier.