(Conductor: William Eddins)
The KZN Philharmonic Orchestra offers the
morning rehearsal for the forthcoming opening concert of the symphony season
with entry at just R35 for adults and teachers (R15 for scholars/children in
school uniform). The rehearsal takes place tomorrow (Thursday, November 1,
2018) at the Durban City Hall.
American maestro William Eddins, Music
Director Emeritus of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, returns to the KZN
Philharmonic podium to launch the season. The conductor makes his bow alongside
the evening’s soloist, violinist Rachel Lee Priday. Acclaimed for her beauty of
tone and riveting stage presence, Priday immediately transports the audience
into the heart of the evening’s programme, immersing herself in Brahms’
magnificent Violin Concerto in D Major. Brahms dedicated his three-movement
magnum opus to his friend, the violinist Joseph Joachim, whose advice during
its creation had been welcomed. Joachim famously declared the work one of four
great German violin concerti (sharing this iconic status with its sibling
masterpieces by Beethoven, Max Bruch and Mendelssohn). The reverence conferred
on it by posterity endorses its reputation as a work of sublime artistry.
The second half of the evening sees the
orchestra paying homage to one of the best loved works of Jean Sibelius, his
three-movement Fifth Symphony. Sibelius was commissioned to write this work by
the Finnish government in honour of his 50th birthday, which was declared a
national holiday. Originally composed in 1915, it was revised in 1916 and again
in 1919. During the composition phase, Sibelius wrote in his diary: “It is as
if God Almighty had thrown down pieces of a mosaic from heaven’s floor and
asked me to find out what was the original pattern.” While feeling compelled to
move with the times which saw radical changes in works being composed by
masters such as Ravel and Debussy, the composer knew he had to be true to
himself. He wrote, “I wished to give my symphony a more human form. More
down-to-earth, more vivid.” The success of the final outcome is reflected in
the Fifth Symphony’s popularity to the present day.
For
more information on the forthcoming symphony season link direct to the KZN
Philharmonic’s website by clicking on the orchestra’s banner advert on the top
of the page or visit kznphil.org.za
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