(Aristide du Plessis)
Du Plessis never forgot to be melodious despite the emphatic nature of
the orchestral accompaniment. Notable was his willingness to work with Murray.
(Review by Dr. Martin Goldstein)
The final concert of the KZNPO Summer Season,
2020, which took place on March 5, served as a continuation of the Beethoven
celebration in the previous concert. Once again, to mark 250th anniversary of
the composer’s birth, much of the programme was devoted to his works.
The acclaimed Dutch conductor, Arjan Tien, has
established quite a following in South Africa and his return was greeted with
enthusiasm. The orchestra played two works by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827),
firstly the Leonore Overture No 1, Op
138 in C Major (1805); and then his Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello and
Piano, Op 56 in C Major (1803-1804). The concert ended with Symphony No 1 in C
Major (1855) by Georges Bizet (1838-1875). The key of this final work matched
that of the preceding two works by Beethoven and its character was a natural
continuation of their sentiments.
(Arjan Tien)
In January of 1804, Beethoven had begun to set J
–N. Bouilly’s libretto, Léonore, ou
L’amour conjugal, as an opera which Beethoven wanted to call Leonore but which was later titled Fidelio. The plot involves the rescue of a political prisoner from a
Spanish Bastille, orchestrated by his wife disguised as a man. It is believed
that the plot was based on a real incident during the French Revolution.
Beethoven must have identified with the plot on a personal level for, oppressed
and isolated by his unfair deafness, he could identify with the unjustly
imprisoned Florestan who seemed to have no hope of being rescued.
There were three versions of the Leonore Overtures. The second one was
the one used for the premiere of Fidelio. An overture, thought to have been written for
a planned production of the opera in Prague, was never performed in public and
only discovered after Beethoven’s death. It is now known as ‘Leonore n. 1’. The overtures assert C major
as the opera’s tonal centre. Both C major and C minor were keys reserved by
Beethoven for acts of struggle and heroism, as was seen in his Coriolan Overture last week, which
Beethoven composed around the same time.
In the orchestra’s performance of it, the
opening Andante con moto had an airy
feel. Later, in the Allegro con brio,
the playing became tight and crisp. Notable was Tien’s ability to induce
plasticity in the orchestra’s responsiveness. The orchestra exuded a dynamic
freshness which created much excitement.
(Tai Murray)
Beethoven’s Triple Concerto was born out of a
period which saw a focus on the afore-mentioned idea of heroism. Other “heroic”
works from this period include the ‘Eroica’ Symphony, the Waldstein Sonata (op
53), the ‘Appassionata’ Sonata (op 57) and the three string quartets of op 59,
dedicated to Count Rasumovsky.
In the orchestra’s performance of the Allegro, acclaimed local cellist
Aristide Du Plessis produced a magnificent vibrato with a beautiful tone and
excellent intonation. The celebrated violinist, Tai Murray, displayed
impressive agility in the tricky string-crossing passages. Highly accomplished
local pianist, Malcolm Nay, was focused on contributing to the overall quality
of sound. He was not assuming or flashy and produced a nice legato touch. Du
Plessis shaped the melody beautifully. Murray produced good strong chords and
merged well with Du Plessis. The orchestra was in sync with the sentiment of
the soloists. Murray never lost her fire and maintained a good clarity of sound.
Nay played with lovely mellowness and jolliness. There was great excitement in
the orchestra and an excellent tempo was maintained. In the Largo, Nay revealed his true character,
creating a suitable atmosphere. Murray displayed great agility in the scale
passages. Du Plessis had perfect autonomy over the timing. Tien demonstrated
his dignified style as a conductor. In the Rondo
alla Polacca, the soloists displayed jovial ebullience. Du Plessis never
forgot to be melodious despite the emphatic nature of the orchestral
accompaniment. Notable was his willingness to work with Murray.
(Malcolm Nay)
Bizet’s First Symphony may well have been
modelled on Gounod’s First Symphony, on which he was working as an arranger in
the same year of his First Symphony’s composition in 1855. It draws on other
earlier models too, such as Mozart. At the same time, it is also imbued with
the sort of lyricism and energy which would appear in his later operas.
In the orchestra’s performance of the Allegro vivo, there was great vitality.
The Acting Concert Master, Petya Koleva, set the tone for a vibrant attack in
the rest of the orchestra. In the Adagio,
the oboe shone with a sublime melody. In the fugato section, the orchestra maintained restraint and did not
allow it to become frenzied. In the Allegro
Vivace, there was a jovial hunting tune in triple meter. The great drive in
the orchestra was matched against melodies which conjured up the feel of a
playground fair. In the Finale. Allegro
Vivace, Tien once again displayed his sympathetic touch as a conductor.
Throughout the movement and the concert as a whole, there was a newfound
conviction amongst the orchestra as manifested in their vitality and sense of
discipline. – Dr. Martin Goldstein
The orchestra’s Winter Season 2020 will see
concerts on May 28, June 4, June 11 and June 18. Call 031 369 9438 to
subscribe, secure your tickets and save. Concerts take place in the Durban City
Hall at 19h30. Normal booking is at Computicket.
(To
link direct to the KZN Philharmonic’s website click on the orchestra’s banner
advert on the top of the page or visit kznphil.org.za)
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