A fresh breeze graced the Lütfi Kırdar International Convention and Exhibition Center last week as BIFO took stage for its November program, this time under the baton of Turkey’s renowned maestro Gürer Aykal. The theme of the evening was “Fresh Sounds in Music,” and the Borusan Philharmonic Orchestra featured two young, yet prominent, names in the field of classical music.
The first was Veriko Tchumberidze, no stranger to anyone who follows the classical music scene closely. Of Georgian origin, but born and raised in the city of Adana in Turkey, Tchumberidze had drawn particular attention in October 2016 as the recipient of 1st Place in the prestigious Wieniawski Violin Competition for young artists under the age of 30, held every five years in the city of Poznan in Poland. The jury of twelve was chaired by the great Maxim Vengerov, with avant-garde classical music’s godfather, legendary Krystof Pendereci as the Honorary Chair. So, the competition is a big deal. And as it is held only once every several years, Tchumberidze will be holding the title for some more time to come.
A few months later, in April 2017, I had the chance to meet her in person during the annual Beethoven Easter Festival held in Warsaw, under the auspices of the Beethoven Foundation chaired by the gracious, and ever-influential, Elizabeta Penderecki. She later also appeard in the Gstaad Menuhin and Festival Academy, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, and the Musica Mundi Festival, among others.
Last week, on November 16th, she was the featured violin soloist of BIFO in their performance of Shostakovich’s’ 1st Violin Concerto. Now, any piece of Shostakovich is a phenomena of its own, and this concerto was no exception. The four movements Nocturne, Scherzo, Passacaglia, and Burlesque were the four movements, and Tchumberidze took on each with equal control and artistry. The Scherzo movement is to die for, and Burlesque leaves you in utter awe and wonder.
The Magma Philharmonic Choir came on stage next. Not only were they youthful in age, but it was their stage debut. They were established just two months ago by Masis Aram Gozbek, renowned for his success and world championships with the Boğaziçi Jazz Choir, from which the Magma Philharmonic has been derived. 130 voices accompanied sopranos Jacquelina Livieri and Ceren Aydın Akkoç and tenor Edgardo Rocha in the solo parts in the two pieces performed: The 16-minute Misa Criolla of Argentinian composer and pianist Ariel Ramirez.
The piece, renowned in its genre, draws attention with its Spanish lyrics: It is the first Missa ever to have been written in a language other than Latin (but only following the permission of the 2nd Vatican Council for such!). Its various recordings throughout decades include a 1988 recording with Jose Carreras as the soloist. And, it will embed itself in your soul with the story of how it came to be: it is an homage to the imprint that the atrocities of WWII had left on the heart and soul of Ramirez. It is an imploration to the Deity in times of strife, with a libretto mentioningfaith, heaven, and a saviour in the quest for an escapade to better worlds.
The second Missa performed was Gloria, a work of Karl Kenkins. This piece draws attention as a potpouri of musical styls and sacred texts. It is a fusion of sacred texts from various cultures and civilications. Lyrics are in Latin, Hebrew and English, and they fuse sacred texts from various religions. This, he says, was done to “unite all religions of the world” and is a “presentation of the immortal truth ruling the universe and the love of god” common to all. Musically, each unique section comes with its own set of unique sounds pertinent to that particular culture. This phenomenon draws attention especially in sections featuring the percussion. Irrespective of your religious belief, or lack thereof, the piece is a winner. And I think was an excellent choice for originality and musical calibre.
Youthful ages, mature talent, great masterpieces. Another night to remember by BIFO. Looking forward to what BIFO has in store for December, and when and where next I will encounter Tchumburidze and the young Magma Philharmonic.
Images courtesy of Borusan Sanat.
