Dr Scott Davie
Areas of expertise
- Music 3603
- Music Performance 360304
- Musicology And Ethnomusicology 360306
- Performing Arts 3604
Research interests
My research interests include Rachmaninoff Studies, Russian Music History, Pianists and Piano Repertory, Philosophy, the Philosophy of Music.
Biography
Scott Davie is known to audiences as both a soloist and chamber musician. He has given concerts throughout Australia, and his performances and recordings have been broadcast on radio and television.
In 2012, Scott gave the first Australian performances of the original version of Rachmaninoff’s Fourth Piano Concerto (1926) to capacity audiences at the Sydney Opera House with Vladimir Ashkenazy and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
In 2005, Scott collaborated with Graeme Murphy and the Sydney Dance Company in their production of Grand, giving highly acclaimed performances throughout Australia. In 2007, the production made an extensive tour of the United States of America, and segments of the work were revived in Murphy with The Australian Ballet.
His first solo CD, Lilacs, was released by ABC Classics in 2002. A CD of the music from Grand was released on the Melba label in 2005, and Pictures from an Exhibition, featuring the First Piano Sonata of Rachmaninoff was released by ABC Classics in 2006.
More recently, songs and Lieder performed with the late Australian soprano Taryn Fiebig have appeared on the Toccata Classics and ABC Classic labels, and broadcast by ABC Classic FM, as have recordings of Australian music with clarinettist Jason Noble. A CD of Australian violin and piano music, with Asmira Woodward-Page, was re-released by ABC Classics in 2019.
A research project utilising the School of Music's 1770 Henrion in collaboration with Ngarra-Burria Indigenous composers resulted in an album released by ABC Classic in 2021, along with a New Waves podcast and extensive radio interviews and broadcasts. An article on the project appeared in The Conversation in 2020, and in 2021 articles on Beethoven, Ravel, Chopin and Stavinsky have appeared in the same publication.
Researcher's projects
I am currently working on the complete compilation of all performances and recordings given by Sergei Rachmaninoff, drawing together previously published research by other autors, unpublished research by other authors, and original research. The framework for the publication of the performance data is housed on the Rachmaninoff Performance Diary (https://www.rachmaninoffdiary.com). It is envisaged that this research will generate two books.
Available student projects
I welcome applications from potential research students interested in topics aligned with my research and performance interests.
Publications
- Davie, S 2021, If I Could Go Anywhere: searching for music in the places Chopin lived and died., pp. Online.
- Davie, S 2021, Decoding the Music Masterpieces - Ravel's Bolero - a sinuous and sexy composition with 'no music in it', pp. Online.
- Sainsbury, C & Davie, S 2021, Ngarra-Burria Piyanna: Indigenous Composers Make An Old Piano Sing.
- Davie, S 2020, Performing Beethoven - what it feels like to embody a master on today's stage, pp. online.
- Davie, S 2020, Women of Note, Vol. 2: A Century of Australian Composers.
- Davie, S 2019, Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto no. 2 and Symphonic Dances .
- Davie, S 2019, Rachmaninov 1873-1943: Piano Concerto no. 2 in C minor Op.18 and Symphonic Dances Op.45 arr. Rachmaninov for 2 pianos.
- Davie, S 2019, Lully to Messiaen - Observations on French Art-Music.
- Davie, S 2018, 'Murphy' - The Australian Ballet.
- Davie, S 2018, How Beethoven's 'mistake' became one of our most famous tunes, pp. online.
- Davie, S 2018, How Kendrick Lamar's Pulitzer Prize win blurs lines between classical music and pop, pp. online.
- Davie, S 2018, Spotify removing R. Kelly’s songs is a sign of a worrying trend towards censorship, pp. online.
- Davie, S 2017, Decoding the music masterpieces: Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances, pp. online.
- Davie, S 2017, Chi's Cakewalk - Jason Noble - New Works for Clarinets.
- Davie, S 2014, SERGEY RACHMANINOV: Piano Concertos 1-4 Paganini Rhapsody.
- Davie, S 2013, Rachmaninov: Rarities.
- Davie, S 2013, Rachmaninov: Piano Trios.
- Davie, S 2009, Rare Rachmaninoff: Rachmaninoff Chamber Music.