For Audio samples
click on CD cover
Traditional Gypsy Music & Free Improvisations
Live Recordings of their Underground Concerts at Jenolan Caves
TRACKS (recording date)
1 Bessarabian Girl 26/6/2004
2 Your blue Eyes are stunning 28/4/2007
3 Underground Improvisation / Bilbao 24/2/2007
4 The old Gypsy 27/5/2006
5 The Basso 3/5/2007 *
6 Invitation to Dance 24/2/2007
7 If you love me, never leave me 3/5/2007 *
8 Ungaresca 27/5/2007
9 Two Guitars 28/5/2005
10 Underground Improvisation / Moldavian Nights 24/6/2006
11 Son of Puszta 25/1/2005
12 Abandoned 25/11/2006
13 Waves of the Danube - "Anniversary Valse" 26/2/2005
14 Underground Improvisation /Tundra 27/11/2004
15/16 Centone di Sonata I 24/3/2007
17 Czardas 23/9/2006
18 Rasposchol 24/2/2007
* private concert in the Cave, Thursday morning 3/5/2007
Top downloads:
1 Czardas (Monti)
2 Waves of the Danube - "Anniversary Valse" (Ivanovici)
3 Son of Puszta (Kela Bela)Our Favorites:
Gustaw: Abandoned
Georg: Underground Improvisation / Bilbao
For Audio samples
click on CD cover
TRACKS
1 Deep Sorrow (trad. Gypsy)
2 100 Kisses (trad.Hungarian)
3 Andante from Zigeunerweisen (Sarasate)
4 Black Eyes (trad. Gypsy)
5 Golden Earrings (Victor Young)
6 Lavota (trad.Hungarian)
7 River Maros (Georg Mertens)
8 Hungarian Fantasy (Russ Bovelino)
9 Sinai Hora (trad.Romanian)
10 Czardas (Monti)
11 My violin is broken (trad.Hungarian)
12 Ungaresca (Mainerio)
13 Rasposchol (trad.Russian)
14 Two Guitars (trad.Russian)Top downloads:
1 Czardas (Monti)
2 Black Eyes (trad. Gypsy)
3 Andante from Zigeunerweisen (Sarasate)Our Favorites:
Gustaw: 100 Kisses
Georg: Hungarian Fantasy
Georg Mertens - Guitar solos
(click on CD cover to listen)
Also Jenolan "Call Waiting Music"
Georg Mettens - cello solos
(click on CD cover to listen)
The Blue Mountains Trio
Muisc for Grand Dining
(click on CD cover to listen)
Welome to the Homepage of
THE PAGANINI DUO
and the
GYPSY CONCERTS IN THE CAVES
inside the
CATHEDRAL CHAMBER
at JENOLAN CAVES
A Blue Mountains World Heritage Venue
You find in the centre column
* Program and dates of the Concerts
Plus Information:
* about the compositions
* about the Paganini Duo
* about private bookings
In the left column you find:
* links to the other web pages
* info on CD's / audio links
In the right column you find:
* links to other websites
* Booking details
Concerts are held in 2008
on every fourth Saturday of the month in 2008 - 4pm
(dates below)
BOOKINGS 02 6359 3911 or 1300 76 3311
Tickets: $45 / children $25
Limit per concert are 75 visitors.
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Wine & Cheese
After the Concerts Jenolan Caves House offers generously at
6.30pm free Wine & Cheese
for all concert visitors.
A chance to chat with the artists
- all CD's are on display and for sale to a reduced price -
PROGRAM P1 - Gypsy Music from Hungary
(2008) Jan 26 / Mar 22 / May 24 / July 26 / Sept 27 / Nov 22
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* On our CD 'Blue Mountains Gypsies'
** On our CD 'An Hour in Heaven'
Georg Mertens - guitar
Gustaw plays a violin made by Tomasso Balestrieri, Cremona 1740
Georg plays a guitar made by Jayson Elazzi, Sydney 2008
For the Program of the Concert at Wellington Caves
Saturday 11th October 5pm
click here below
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* On our CD 'Blue Mountains Gypsies'
** On our CD 'An Hour in Heaven'
Gustaw Szelski - violin
Georg Mertens - guitar
Gustaw plays a violin made by Tomasso Balestrieri, Cremona 1740
Georg plays a guitar made by
Juan Lopez Aguilarte, Granada 1980
LOUMAX GALLERY CONCERT
(click here for LouMax Gallery webpage)
KATOOMBA - LEURA
Cnr Lovel& Govett St
Saturday 5 July 4.30 pm - Gypsy Music with the Paganini Duo
(Gustaw Szelski - violin / Georg Mertens - guitar)Australias foremost Gypsy Duo and probably Australia's most exciting classical Duo for violin and guitar as well. Before regularly performing at Jenolan Caves the Duo did several national tours and Interstate tours. Their CD's are selling internationally.
In the July concert they will focus on the songs of their last CD: "An Hour in Heaven" plus newly arranged works of music from Spain and South America.Venues include: The Sydney Opera House, the Hilton Hotel, Hotel Intercontinental,c 100 more venues around Sydney and Blue Mountains, Westin Phillipine Plaza (Manila), "The Stockman's Hall of Fame" (Longreach), Art Galleries of Armidale, Bathurst, Warwick, Townsville, Rockhampton; Opera in the Wineyards, Port Stphens; Mudgee and Hunter Wine festivals.
Tickets: $ 25 / $ 20 con / $ 15 child
BOOKINGS 02 4782 3490
About the compositions:
Our music are arrangements of popular Gypsy tunes and dances. Gypsy or Roma music is also known as Romani music or Zigeunermusik.
It includes tunes and dances from Hungary, Romania, Russia and Spain. The Romani people travelled throuth countries from India passing Eastern Europe, North Africa to Spain. Their music is influenced by the cultures they lived in and passed through. We found the most typical elements the frequent speed changes - from slow to fast - and their all over sense of melodies which speak directly to ones heart, and not seldom of a sad character.A comment should also be made to the "Underground Improvisations". These are free improvisations. We have a tradition that we agree upon, who starts and what will be the last note. Everything else is left to chance - luck and accident. For us it is an adrenalin journey into the unknown, enjoying total spontaneity. Every time it turns out completely different. People don't believe there is no preconceived structure, but there isn't. We know each other well and we never practice the improvisation; we hardly even talk about it - it would take the pepper and salt out of it. We need the audience as a stimulant to make it work.
ABOUT THE PAGANINI DUO
Gustaw Szelski - violin
Georg Mertens - guitar
The PAGANINI DUO was formed by chance in 1989 when Georg visited the Blue Mountains and filled in for an accompanier of Gustaw.
The fusion worked extremely well; Georg then joined Gustaw's Winbourne String Quartet, replacing the cellist being overseas and formed upon his return the Tarantella Trio, which played for more than a thousand functions and weddings in NSW.
Soon Gustaw and Georg started to play also as a Duo with a focus on Gypsy Music with a shift from entertainment to concert performances.
The Paganini Duo did several interstate tours and a South East Asia tour in 1999.
Their monthly concerts at Jenolan Caves commenced in January 2003.
In 1996 they recorded their first CD "BLUE MOUNTAINS GYPSIES".
In 1997 Gustaw and Georg formed the Blue Mountains Trio together with pianist Gavin Tipping. In 1998 they recorded their successful CD "MUSIC for GRAND DINING".
From 2004 - 2007 they recorded many of their concerts in the Cathedral Chamber. The most exciting of these Live recordings have been released on CD in 2007 on their album "An Hour in Heaven".
As a Duo or Trio they performed - to mention a few - at the Sydney Opera House, The Gulgong Opera House, The Stockman's Hall of Fame (Longreach), The Seymore Centre, Intercontinetal Hotel, Ritz Carlton Double Bay, Hilton, Ibis, Mercure, Fairmont, Hydro Majestic, Holiday Inn, played for Ford, Holden, Mazda, Hyundai, Jaguar, wine releases, medical conferences etc.
Broadcasts include 'The Great Outdoors', 'Sydney Weekender', 'Beyond 2000', 'Good Morning Australia' and many radio stations including the ABC.Violinist GUSTAW JOSEPH SZELSKI is of Polish/Hungarian background and was brought up on a diet of Gypsy music.
His early music education however was strictly that of a Classical musician. He studied at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music (DSCM performance) and subsequently became leader of the Lyric Quartet and the Sydney University String Quartet.
He then freelanced including backing artists like Shirley Bassey, Rita Hunter, John Denver and Frank Sinatra.
He later formed the Winbourne string quartett and was active in the 31 Note music movement working closely together with the founder Bill Coates.GEORG MERTENS studied guitar with Prof. Anton Stingl in Freiburg / Germany. He gave more than a 100 concerts in Europe. In 1983 he recorded a LP with Classical guitar solos (Luneburg).
In Australia he recorded the “Blue Cassette” (1990) and in 2001 the CD “Classical guitar – re issued”
In 2000 Georg recorded the cello solo album: "Music at Jenolan Caves" in the Cathedral Chamber. You can find more information on Georg Mertens as a cellist on his Homepage.
PRIVATE BOOKINGS
The PAGANINI DUO performs not only at Jenolan Caves
but has played light Classical and Gypsy entertainment at more than a thousand weddings and functions.The Paganini Duo is available for private concerts and entertainment in the Cathedral Chamber, at Jenolan Caves House and also at locations of your choice.
The Paganini Duo (Photo courtesy of Michael Small from Kumbaya Studios, Leura - Collage assembly by Jenny Reid from Berkojoey, Sydney)
CONTACT
( & joining our email list)
click here on:
georgcello@hotmail.comConcert Bookings:
ph. 1300 76 3311 or 02 6359 3911 then dial 2
(the music on call waiting is from the CD "re-issued" - see CD releases)
For other caves Tours visit the website: jenolancaves.org.auShuttle Bus options (also Concert bookings) with:
"Fantastic Aussie Tours"
(24 hrs) ph 02 4782 1866
www.fantastic-aussie-tours.com.au
&
BMGST Cultural Tours
(Door to door shuttle bus service on request) ph 02 4784 2881
www.bmgst.com
On site Accomodation:
Jenolan Caves House
ph 02 6359 3322
www.jenolancaveshouse.com.au
The Concert Venue at Jenolan Caves
( photo courtesy of Michael Small from Kumbaya Photos, Leura )
That's how it started.....
Relaxing on the old steps
(photo courtesy of Rob Whyte)
Tuning in the dark
( photo courtesy of Sam Mertens)
Gustaw: "You know, the lacker of my violin is starting to melt"
Georg: 'That's why I stepped back " -
Actually, the temperature in the cave is always 15 degrees,
cool in summer, warm in winter, for thousands of years - that's why early humans loved caves.
(photo courtesy of Rob Whyte)