(Margrit
Deppe, Ralitza Macheva & Refiloe Olifant)
A treasure chest of five short, but
energetic pieces (Review by Keith Millar)
Durban’s celebrated Baroque 2000 ensemble
delivered a treasure chest of five short, but energetic pieces at their concert
at the Church of the Monastery at Mariannhill last Sunday.
As the title of the recital suggests the
highpoints of the event were two double concertos which featured some fine
performances by the soloists.
Johan Sebastian Bach’s Concerto for Oboe
and Violin BWV 1060 in D Minor showcased the combined talents of Margrit Deppe
on the oboe, and Baroque 2000 Concertmaster, Ralitza Matcheva on the violin.
Deppe, a tall, elegant young woman, is a
KZNPO stalwart and a frequent guest player with Baroque 2000. She revelled in
her solo role and, adeptly supported by the effervescent Macheva, produced a
performance filled with flair and delicacy which earned both women a
much-deserved standing ovation.
Deppe also had the opportunity to show off
the capabilities of the oboe in Tomaso Albinoni’s Oboe Concerto Op 9 No 2 in D
Minor. Albinoni was particularly fond of the oboe, a relatively new
introduction in Italy in his time, and he is credited with being the first
Italian to compose oboe concertos. He treated the oboe as a lyrical and melodic
instrument, much as the voice would have been handled.
His Op.9 No. 2 in D minor is possibly his
best-known oboe concerto with its sublime Adagio Second Movement. Deppe
performed it with great credit to the work and her instrument.
The second Double Concerto on the programme
was the Concerto for Two Violins in E Minor TWV52:e4 by the prolific and
influential German baroque composer, Georg Philipp Telemann. The soloists for
this piece where Ralitza Matcheva and Refiloe Olifant. These two animated,
vibrant and vivacious artists showed fine synergy and delivered an excellent
display of virtuoso playing
Also on the programme where the Concerto
Grosso in F Minor by Alessandro Scarlatti, and the Trio Sonata No. 5 in E Minor
by Nicola Antonio Porpora.
I had not heard any of Popora’s music
before and this flamboyant piece is particularly interesting in that it is
performed by only two violins, a cello and harpsichord. Porpora was an Italian
composer of Baroque opera works and a singing teacher. Despite his success and
international fame during his lifetime, his life ended in poverty.
The next Baroque 2000 Concert at the
Monastery will be on May 6at 15h00. This will be soon after their return from
Zimbabwe where they will be the resident orchestra at the Harare International
Festival of the Arts (HIFA) for the third time.
Tickets for the Baroque 2000 concerts are
R150 pp and available at the door. There is ample and safe parking available at
the venue.
For more information, contact Michel at
sursouth@iafrica.com or call 082 3035241.
The project sponsored by Die Rupert Musiekstigting.
– Keith Millar
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