/ Sunday morning recital

An American reflection with Dieter Hendricks (violin) and Megan Geoffrey Prins (piano)

Join Megan Geoffrey Prins and Dieter Hendricks for a delightful concert for piano and violin with a somewhat American theme.  hey begin with the Dvorak Sonatina in G major, Op.100, which the composer considered to be a thoroughly "American" work, written during his stay in Spillville, Iowa and dedicated to his six children to celebrate his 100th composition.  While there are clear influences from American folklore and idealised Native American music, there is an undeniable Czech nature in Dvorak's music which is never quite obscured throughout the four movements.
 
Next is Beethoven's Sonata No.1 in D major, dedicated to Antonio Salieri and reflecting a distinctly classical style akin to that of Mozart and Haydn.  Even in this early work, we see the renegade breaking molds, giving the violin more independence and utilising interesting modulations to unrelated keys.  The second movement is particularly beautiful, written in a theme and variations style, followed by the playful and memorable third movement Rondo.
 
Prokofiev's Five Melodies were originally written as vocalises for Ukrainian soprano, Nina Koshetz, in 1920.  Sadly the debut was delayed, as the composer fled to the US following the October Revolution and tried to establish himself there as a composer and pianist.  In 1925, Prokofiev recomposed the Five Melodies for violin and piano with the assistance of violinist Pawel Kochanski, inspired by the natural beauty of California, where he had been touring at the time.  Enriched with octave transpositions, double stops, harmonics and pizzicati, the violin part of the five pieces gained an enormous variety of additional expressive possibilities, and this gem remains one of the composer's most popular chamber works.
 
The duo end with Kreisler's fiery transcription of Manuel de Falla's Danse Espagnole, from the two-act opera "La Vida Breve", about a gypsy girl, Salud, who falls in love with a wealthy and seductive suiter, Paco, but is ultimately heartbroken as he abandons her to marry another woman in his social class. The Danse Espangnole is taken from the second act, where Salud confronts Paco at his high-class wedding, causing much commotion.  He denies her existence, and a heartbroken Salud falls dead at his feet.
 
Date
Sunday 29 September 2024 at 11h30

Cost
R150,00 per person
 
Booking is essential (a maximum of 60 people can be accommodated)
 
RSVP before 28 September 2024
Click here to RSVP via email or phone Nandi on 012 346 3100 | 083 288 5117
 
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