Selby & Friends | Epic Diva

November 23, 2025, Turramurra Uniting Church, NSW

Johannes Brahms was not at the zenith of his career in 1862 when he composed his 2nd Piano Quartet. His first Piano Concerto had been so badly received that he had to leave the auditorium after the first movement while his ill-fated attempt to join in the, angry debate over the future of German music involving Liszt, Wagner and others left him determined never again to enter the tainted world of musical politics. He had broken off his engagement to Agatha von Siebold while five years after Robert Schumann’s death, nasty rumours about his relationship with Robert’s widow Clara abounded.

Coming soon after a very dramatic and poignant C minor piano quartet, it is perhaps surprising to find a lighter work which seems to show the influence of Franz Schubert, as violinist Elizabeth Layton explained to an attentive audience. A majestic Allegro is guided by the pianist while the cello introduces a new theme, partly pizzicato. The adagio that follows is a divine intertwining of strings with a piano accompaniment. Both the Trio and the Finale show a strong Hungarian influence which Brahms frequently followed – a warm and pleasant work which at 50 minutes plus never failed to excite the senses. This work was the first of the afternoon programme in the ever-popular series of Selby & Friends and apart from Kathryn Selby herself and the familiar face of Julian Smiles on cello, the quartet included – Elizabeth Layton – violin and Isabella Bignasca – viola. Elizabeth is head of Classical Performance at the University of Adelaide and has toured widely in Spain and Canada but particularly in the UK including a stint as concertmaster of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Born in Sydney, Isabella trained at the Juilliard school in NY and is a fellow at Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble Connect.

After tea and cake, we heard Fauré’s piano quartet in G minor. Known mostly for his solo piano music Fauré was revered in Paris as a natural successor to his bosom friend Saint-Saëns, although it took a long time for his music to be recognised internationally. Married with two children, he had a succession of extramarital affairs-the most prominent being with Emma Bardac – her daughter Dolly, for whom Fauré wrote his famous suite is widely believed to be fathered by Gabriel.

The quartet is quite enticing with beautiful harmonies and rhythms-the piano’s role is often as accompanist. Kathryn must have been practising her scales for the second movement, a Scherzo with flourishing arpeggios. With our knowledge of this composer, it’s no surprise that the focus is a dreamlike slow movement with tinkling notes that evoke visions of boating in a quiet lake.

Nothing quiet about Matthew Hindson’s “Epic Diva”, a quartet with three sections – jazzy and rhythmic, it included some native sounds reminiscent of Ross Edwards. The quartet clearly enjoyed this as we all enjoyed their superb craft and musicianship.