Marcus Aurelius “Meditations” by Rupert Guenther
- Friday 11 July 2025 from 6pm to 7pm
Listen to violinist Rupert Guenther’s piece inspired by Roman emperor and stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius in the environment of the Chau Chak Wing Museum surrounded by Roman antiquities.
International violinist Rupert Guenther presents Marcus Aurelius Meditations – Violin Sketches in Sound as the world-premiere performance this year of his fascinating new original work for violin based on the life and work of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius (102-180 AD) drawing particularly from his book of writings Meditations in the highly atmospheric Chau Chak Wing Museum at University of Sydney.
The Marcus Aurelius work illustrates through music the great contrast in psychological maturity which a statesman of Aurelius’ integrity and humanitarian vision would bring to the world stage if suddenly appearing now, as a leader in the modern world, standing in stark contrast among our current rather psychologically unbalanced world leadership.
In a series of 7 extended improvisations, Guenther brings these themes to life as musical meditations on Aurelius’ philosophy of “good-spiritedness” (the Greek eudaimonia): the path of a life spent practicing virtue and living in accordance with nature, and to be in self-control enough to live free from anger, envy, and jealousy, and how a world leader like this would help us achieve a future of security through wisdom, collaboration and cooperation, instead of seeking security through perpetual suppression, domination and wars.
This performance takes place on a specially designed electric baroque violin, custom made for the work and created in collaboration with Australian master luthier Paul Davies in regional Victoria.
“Guenther’s seamless, mood-shifting, jaw-drop-inspiring improvisations communicated beyond chronological time, outside cultures and stock sounds for particular instruments. His unique painting of sentiment, concerns and cultural contrasts from our time reach us with a much needed freshness in the concert format.” – Sydney Arts Guide