Week Three: Ode to peasant dances, a failed law degree and
an ill-fated marriage.
This Thursday is the penultimate concert in the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2024 Summer symphony season taking place in The Playhouse Opera Theatre on March 14, 2024, starting at 19h00.
Leon Bosch, South African born bassist-turned conductor - one of South Africa’s most distinguished musical ‘exports’ – takes the podium for the third concert of the season on March 14. He launches his programme with Grieg’s lyrical Holberg Suite Op. 40, honouring Dano-Norwegian humanist playwright Ludvig Holberg - more properly known as: From Holberg's Time, subtitled "Suite in olden style", is a suite of five movements based on 18th-century dance forms, written by Edvard Grieg in 1884 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Holberg’s birth.
This will be followed by Frantz Schubert’s Symphony No. 5, which is often described as his tribute to Mozart. This comparative rarity is sure to send the audience home in a euphoric mood. Schubert began both a law degree and his Symphony No. 5 in the same year. This time, it was the law degree rather than the music, that would remain unfinished.
South Korean violinist Hyeyoon Park makes a triumphant return to perform Tchaikovsky’s crowd-pleasing Violin Concerto. Composed in 1878, it is one of the best-known violin concertos. The concerto was composed in Clarens, Switzerland, where Tchaikovsky was recovering from the fall-out of his ill-fated marriage.
The KZN Philharmonic Orchestra wants to make their audiences’ concert experience as comfortable as possible. Many audience members would prefer not to self-drive to the Playhouse to attend KZN Philharmonic concerts in the evening, so the Orchestra is providing a FREE bus service which allows people to park in the suburbs and hop on a bespoke bus into town.
Various routes are on offer for this season: for North of Durban residents - from Grace Family Church in Umhlanga departing at18h10; for Upper Highway residents - a bus departs from St Agnes Church at 17h45; Westville residents can park at Westville Senior Primary, with a bus departing at 18h00. A bus stops at the Caister Lodge in Durban’s Berea for Durbanites, departing 18h20. Secure, free parking is available at all departure points. The bus is free, but booking is essential.
Bus bookings close on Tuesday at 16h00. Bookings may be made by emailing info@kznphil.org.za or by calling 031 369 9438.
Bongani Tembe, KZN Philharmonic’s Chief Executive and Artistic Director says: ‘It is our great pleasure and privilege to welcome back our unique community of music lovers for our Summer Symphony Season of 2024. Now as ever, we are set to uphold the grand traditions of our long-running World Symphony Series, as we bring the music lovers we serve, a roster of superbly accomplished guest stars. They will join our dedicated orchestral musicians in creating many hours of musical enchantment. The season dovetails with our continued commitment to community engagement and skills transfer among new-generation artists and learners.’
Single tickets to the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra’s Symphony Concerts are available at Quicket or through KZN Philharmonic Office on 031 369 9438 or info@kznphil.org.za .
The public are welcome to sit in on the final rehearsal of the Symphony Concert every Thursday morning at 10h00 in the Playhouse Opera Theatre. Tickets R50 throughout and seating is unreserved in the downstairs stalls only.
Whilst the Playhouse Coffee Shop is not fully operational at the moment, Tea and Coffee is available for sale at the Playhouse Coffee Shop and the Playhouse Bar is once more operational for pre-concert and interval drinks. One can pre-order interval drinks on arrival.
For more information call 031 369 9438, email info@kznphil.org.za or visit www.kznphil.org.za
To link direct to the orchestra’s website, click on the
KZNPO advert at the top right-hand side of this article.