(William
Charlton-Perkins. Pic by Clinton Marius)
Seasonal treasure trove
Frontline KZN pianists and a feast of
symphonic classics feature in the weeks ahead.
The UKZN School of Arts, Discipline of
Music presents a red letter event at Howard College Theatre on Friday August 24.
Durban’s star pianist Andrew Warburton gives his long-awaited PHD recital,
performing an epic programme of concert show-stoppers. This includes a group of
late Beethoven masterworks, the Bagatelles Op 126 and the profoundly beautiful
Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Opus 109.
(Andrew
Warburton)
This will be followed by Ravel’s Sonatine
and Alborado del gracioso, the fourth movement from his powerfully poetic and
vividly descriptive five-movement piano suite, Miroirs. The evening climaxes with the barn-storming Allegro de concierto
by Enrique Granados, the bravura showpiece the Spanish composer submitted for a
composition competition of the Royal Conservatory in Madrid in 1903. Admission
is free to this not-to-be-missed event, which starts at 19h30. Enquiries to
Thulile Zama on 031 260 3385 or email zamat1@ukzn.ac.za
Also on the solo piano front, KZN audiences
can enjoy Christopher Duigan performing a programme of music by the ultimate
piano virtuoso, Franz Liszt. Duigan’s programme includes a stellar selection of
celebrated compositions, including the popular Liebestraum, La campanella, Hungarian Rhapsody No 2, and Un sospiro, in an engaging introduction
to the life and music of the great Hungarian composer. Duigan’s recital
itinerary includes performances in a number of venues, among them Grace Hall,
Ashton International College, Albertina Way in Ballito on Wednesday August 22 at 19h00; the Tatham Art Gallery in
Pietermaritzburg on Sunday August 26 at 15h00; and St Agnes Church in Kloof on
Tuesday August 28 at 19h30. Book at
booking@musicrevival.co.za or 083 417
4473 (SMS or WhatsApp preferred).
(Perry
So)
The KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra’s
Early Spring Season runs in the Durban City Hall each Thursday between August 23
and September 13, starting at 19h30. The young Hong Kong-born conductor Perry
So opens the season with a programme that includes Mozart’s colourful Il Seraglio Overture and his iconic Symphony No 40 in G minor. The Italian
virtuoso Alessandro Taverna is the soloist in Chopin’s Piano Concerto No 1 in E
minor in the second half of the programme.
Perry So returns for the second programme
on August 30. This opens with the delightfully off-beat L’ile de Tulipatan Overture by Jacques Offenbach. The prizewinning
young German violinist Alissa Margulis is the soloist in Mendelssohn’s
much-loved E-minor Violin Concerto and the evening ends with Brahms’s
monumental Symphony No 1.
Acclaimed Russian maestro Daniel Raiskin
makes a welcome return to the podium on September 6 to conduct a richly
eclectic programme. This includes Richard Strauss’s early concert masterpiece, Don Juan; Liszt’s dazzling Piano
Concerto No 2 (spotlighting Vitaly Pisarenko a soloist); and Smetana’s
evocative The Moldau.
The programme rounds off with the
fascinating inclusion of Warren Bessey’s Symphonic Fantasy, Inkosazane Mkabayi. This 25-minute work
focuses on one of the most powerful figures in 19th Century Zulu history – King
Shaka’s formidable aunt, the Princess Mkabayi Kajama – whose dramatic entrance
into life foreshadowed not only the shape of her own destiny but also that of
the Zulu nation. She is remembered as a
highly intelligent leader and fierce defender of the Royal Household.
The KZNPO’s early spring season ends in
traditional style on September 13 with Lykele Temmingh on the podium for the
annual National Youth Concerto Festival. As ever, this showcases the cream of
young South African talent performing with seasoned professionals. This year’s
event is dedicated to the memory of the Orchestra’s founding conductor, Dr
David Tidboald, who died recently at the grand old age of 92, having spent a
lifetime dedicated to fostering the careers of young musicians.
Season tickets and bookings for individual
KZNPO concerts are through Computicket. For more information call 031-369 9438,
email bookings@kznphil.org.za or visit www.kznphil.org.za
- William Charlton-Perkins
Posts
