Julie Jong Eun Barber - The Breaking of the Drought (2022)

Robert (Roy) Ewing Agnew (1891-1944) was a man who dominated the musical scene in Sydney in the first half of the 20th century and his creative ability was admired by fellow musicians both in Australia and abroad. He is remembered as a brilliant, virtuosic, and flamboyant performer who graced the stage in England and Australia, and an important and influential teacher.

His musical output consists mostly of songs and piano works. The wonderful songs are recorded here as the complete collection for the first time. The songs by Roy Agnew are unique in compositional terms and in the context of English art songs of the early twentieth century. Although Agnew was a passionate Australian, the songs, like most of his piano music, do not always reflect Australian cultural yearnings and most are not based on the poetry of Australian writers.