A Manoel Theatre concert presents works to mark the 70th anniversary of the composer’s death
On October 26, the Manoel Theatre presents Strauss for Two Pianos, a magical night of music commemorating works by Richard Strauss, a leading composer of the late romantic and early modern eras.
A concert that is being held on the 70th anniversary of his death is a unique opportunity to listen to his magnificent orchestral pieces arranged for Two Pianos.
Being the prodigy that he was, Richard Strauss began composing at the tender age of only six years old back in 1870 and continued to compose until his death, almost 80 years later.
His works will be played by no other than Premju għall-Arti International Achievement Award winner (2018) Charlene Farrugia and international Greek pianist Vassilis Varvaresos. Farrugia has been described “as one of the most prominent performers of the younger generation”, making her debut with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra at the age of 13, the youngest soloist to ever accompany the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra.
Since then, she has worked all over the world, in various countries including the UK, the US, Russia, Italy, France and Monaco just to name a few.
Vassilis Varvaresos, on the other hand, was the First Prize winner of the YCA International Audition at the age of 14, with his recitals debuting in New York and Washington with the headline from The Washington Post referring to Vassilis as a “Young Master on the Rise”.
Vassilis, a versatile musician, has composed for 10 films and several television series. He is also an accomplished author with his book Departure from the Functionality of Syntax and was awarded the Scholastic Distinction Award at the Julliard School.
The mastery of Strauss’s work promises to make Richard Strauss for Two Pianos a truly unforgettable night of musical brilliance
The recital will explore Richard Strauss’ symphonic works also referred to as tone poems. A tone poem is an orchestral piece that illustrates the content of a poem, short story, novel, painting, landscape or other written works of a non-musical nature. A symphonic poem differs from a symphonic movement as they are written with the intent to inspire listeners to picture images, specific ideas, moods or scenes in their minds. The two celebrated pianists will be playing several Strauss’ work of this nature.
Vassilis and Farrugia will be taking on Strauss’ first symphonic poem based on Shakespeare’s Macbeth which he had described as “a completely new path”. The piece, written to resemble sonata form, went through many revisions till it got to its final version, reflecting the struggle he faced at the time which was balancing narrative content with musical form.
Another featured piece will be the iconic Also Sprach Zarathustra, one of the most recognisable musical excerpts in history, which Strauss wrote at the age of (only) 28! Inspired by philosopher Fredrich Nietzsche, who was still alive at the time, the infamous composition comes to life based on Nietzche’s novel Thus Spoke Zarathustra: A Book for All and None. In true tone poem fashion, this free-form symphonic piece either tells a story or suggests the mood of the literary text. The piece was further popularised when it was used in Stanley Kubrick’s 2968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The misadventures and pranks of a German peasant come into play in Farrugia and Vassilis’ interpretation of Till Eulenspiegel. The music portrays the protagonist, Till, as he rides through the market on a horse upsetting the goods while flirting with girls, mocking serious academics and poking fun at the strict clergy. The music then takes a serious turn when the piece segues into a funeral march that depicts Till being captured by the authorities, sentenced to death for his blasphemous behaviour.
The Waltz from Der Rosenkavalier, from one of Strauss’ more (unusually) political pieces will also be featured on the night. Der Rosenkavalier, which translates to The Knight of the Rose, is a comic opera in three acts that follows the story of Marschallin The Aristocrat, Count Octavian Rofrano – her young lover, her brutish cousin Baron Ochs and Och’s prospective fiancée Sophie von Faninal the daughter of a rich bourgeois.
The mastery of Strauss’s work, combined with the perfectionism and heart that Farrugia and Vassilis bring as performers, promises to make Richard Strauss for Two Pianos a truly unforgettable night of musical brilliance.
The concert will be held on October 26 at the Manoel Theatre on the Main Stage, starting at 8pm. Tickets are available online, by calling 2124 6389, or by sending an e-mail on bookings@teatrumanoel.com.mt.