Programme Notes

Nautilus (2011, orchestrated 2021)

Anna Meredith

Our CSO Season 2025 starts with a bang— quite literally. Anna Meredith’s Nautilus is not the kind of piece that eases you gently into a concert; it grabs you by the collar and pulls you straight into its electrifying energy. This is orchestral music at its most visceral—driven, relentless, and unapologetically bold.

Meredith is a composer who thrives at the intersection of classical, electronic and experimental music, creating works that pulse with rhythmic vitality and defy easy categorisation. Meredith says: “Nautilus was written as sort of call to arms (for myself!) and was one of the first tracks I wrote when I started to work in electronics alongside my acoustic or orchestral writing. This shift was my way to reclaim some power over my writing, making albums where I would be in complete control. It’s a lovely full circle for this piece to now be rearranged back to an orchestral form. I came up with the rising line whilst stomping along a beach in Scotland and experimenting with placing my steps across different parts of the material to create the shift in feel you hear roughly two thirds in.”

At its core, Nautilus is built on a simple but irresistibly powerful idea: a repeating motif that gathers intensity with each wave. The brass section leads the charge with unrelenting force, while the rest of the orchestra layers in textures that add weight and momentum. The result is music that feels like it’s constantly on the verge of bursting through its own constraints—a thrilling, kinetic energy that refuses to be ignored.

As an opener, Nautilus reinforces that we’re diving into this season with fearless, high-voltage music-making.

Nautilus is supported by CSO Library Supporters Susan Henson and Thomas Young.

Papatūānuku (2023)

Salina Fisher & Jerome Kavanagh Poutama

From the raw power of Nautilus, we move into something just as intense, but in a profoundly different way. Papatūānuku, a collaboration between Salina Fisher and Grammy award winning taonga puoro practitioner and composer Jerome Kavanagh Poutama, is music that breathes, listens, and connects deeply to the land.

Fisher, one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most distinctive contemporary composers, has a remarkable ability to create sound worlds that feel organic and immersive. Her music often explores water, light, and natural landscapes, and in Papatūānuku, she turns her focus to the earth itself—our mother, our foundation, our source of life. Jerome Kavanagh Poutama, a master of taonga puoro (traditional Māori instruments), brings the voice of the whenua (land) into the orchestra, shaping an evocative musical conversation between past and present, tradition and innovation.

The taonga puoro instruments—including pūtātara (conch shell trumpet), kōauau (small flute), and pūrerehua (bullroarer)—bring an elemental, human presence to the music. These instruments don’t just produce sound; they tell stories, evoke landscapes, and embody ancestral voices. In Papatūānuku, their call blends seamlessly with the orchestral textures, creating music that feels as though it is rising from the earth itself.

This is a piece to experience with all the senses—to feel its vibrations, to hear its whispers, and to be drawn into its deep sense of connection.

Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27 (1908)

Rachmaninov

Rachmaninov’s second symphony is one of the most sweeping and emotionally generous symphonies in the repertoire. Lush, brooding, and full of soaring melodies, it stands as a testament to the composer’s ability to translate raw emotion into orchestral colour.

I. Largo – Allegro moderato

The symphony opens in a brooding, mysterious atmosphere, with a slow introduction that establishes a sense of weight and grandeur. The first theme—heard in the low strings— begins as a solemn, chant-like motif, hinting at Russian Orthodox choral music. This theme gradually gains momentum, evolving into the movement’s main subject: a restless, searching melody in the violins. Rachmaninov’s signature harmonic progressions, full of yearning and tension, propel the music forward, while the orchestration builds to powerful climaxes.

II. Allegro molto

A dazzling scherzo, this movement brims with energy and rhythmic drive. The central theme is fleet and nimble, often passed between sections in playful exchanges. The brass introduce a forceful, almost militaristic secondary theme, contrasting with the lighter textures of the strings and woodwinds. Rachmaninov’s command of orchestration is on full display here—glittering winds, muscular brass, and galloping rhythms create a sense of both elegance and urgency.

III. Adagio

Perhaps the emotional core of the symphony, the Adagio is one of Rachmaninov’s most famous slow movements. It begins with a sighing motif in the violins, soon taken up by the clarinet in an unforgettable, long-arching melody. This theme is pure Romanticism— achingly beautiful, unfolding with effortless grace over shimmering strings and delicate harp arpeggios. The orchestration is masterful, with muted strings, warm woodwind solos, and a hushed intensity that makes every phrase feel deeply personal.

IV. Allegro vivace

The finale is a jubilant celebration, bursting with energy and confidence. The movement’s main theme is a bold, leaping melody introduced by the strings, full of rhythmic swagger and triumphant momentum. Throughout the movement, Rachmaninov revisits and transforms earlier themes, creating a sense of unity and resolution. As the symphony rushes towards its thrilling conclusion, the full orchestra erupts in a blaze of colour, affirming a sense of victory and joy.

Premiered in 1908 under Rachmaninov’s own baton, his second symphony was an immediate success and remains a cornerstone of the orchestral repertoire. It embodies everything that makes Rachmaninov’s music so beloved: sweeping melodies, rich harmonies, and an emotional depth that resonates deeply with audiences.

As Christchurch Symphony Orchestra launches its season, Rachmaninov’s Symphony No. 2 provides the perfect musical counterpart—an expression of resilience, passion, and grandeur. It is music that embraces both struggle and triumph, making it an ideal way to embark on the musical journey ahead.

Symphony No. 2 in E minor is supported by CSO Library Supporter David Lovell.