(Ralitza Macheva, Ralitsa Pechoux, Annamaria
D’Andrea & Stephan Pechoux. Pic by Harry Lock)
Jubilant concert
filled with upbeat, tuneful and exhilarating music. (Review by Keith Millar)
It was extremely
cold and rather damp at midday on Sunday at the Hilton Arts Festival. The small
audience at the Hilton College Chapel were well bundled-up against the
prevailing weather conditions.
So it was of great
credit to the three lady members of the Gypsy
Quartet that they dressed in voluminous gypsy skirts and low-cut sleeveless
blouses for their concert of Balkan Classical Folk tunes. Their costumes
certainly added a theatrical feel to the concert, but I could not help
shivering on their behalf.
The ladies in
question were all accomplished players from the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic
Orchestra. They were Ralitza Macheva (Bulgaria) on violin, Annamaria D’Andrea
(Italy) on viola and Ralitsa Pechoux (Bulgaria) on cello. Joining them was
master percussionist, also from the KZNPO, Stephan Pechoux from France.
This new quartet
played colourful and exciting selection of music from Balkan composers such as
Bartok, Martinu and Vladigerov. It was a jubilant concert filled with upbeat,
tuneful and exhilarating music. The musicians showed their skill and talent
with an exceptional performance which went a long way to warm up the chilly
venue.
Of particular note
was the contribution by Stephan Pechoux on a variety of percussive instruments
and devices. He used everything from an African drum to rattles, bells, chimes
and an instrument which looked a bit like a Weber kettle braai. At one point he
even used what seemed to be a Tupperware container filled with water and a
kitchen pot – thereby validating the drumming aspirations of generations of
toddlers in their mother’s kitchens.
It was a fascinating
and quite brilliant performance as he created wonderfully intricate beats and
rhythms to go along with the scintillating sounds of the string instruments.
The advantage of
having an orchestra in the province is the number of off-shoots there are in the
form of smaller groups and solo artists who contribute to the rich tapestry of
music available to local audiences. The Gypsy
Quartet is a welcome addition to our music scene and it is hoped we will
hear a lot more from them. – Keith Millar
For more information on the annual Hilton Arts Festival
visit https://www.hiltonfestival.co.za
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