All 24 of the performances that took place last month as part of the Istanbul Music Festival were events not to miss, and several of them were extra special for me including the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra at İş Sanat Concert Hall. The concert featured Gülsin Onay on the piano and Gabor Boldoczki on the trumpet. In addition to hosting a European chamber orchestra of the highest caliber, two international stars and world- heralded virtuosi, the evening featured a program that put it on my “can’t-miss” list of performances.
The opening piece of the evening was Grieg’s Holberg Suite Op. 40. Of the five movements of this 20-minute piece, Sarabande, Gavotte and Rigaudon were ones that I had also performed years ago as a ninth-grader in an international youth orchestra. I remember clearly how impressive and difficult they were to play! The piece is a composition of violin and viola solos with allegro staccatos set against a pizzicato backdrop of second violins. Playing it was one of the highlights of my high school years, and seeing it on the festival program had me in great anticipation.
Onay and Boldoczki made their debut in the second piece Shostakovich’s Concerto for Piano, Trumpet and String Orchestra in C Minor, No. 1. The moderato-allegro vivace started with violins performing magical tremolos that sounded like drum rolls. Onay’s notes then cascaded like crystal clear water, transforming into waltzes and marches. Boldoczki’s trumpet echoed and complimented the motifs of the piano. The lento movement bore signs of the Shostakovich trademarks of drone and lament, but were to transform into a Moderato transition before a fiery and vivacious ending in allegro con brio-presto tempo. We bid Onay adieu, but called her back for a Chopin encore.
The second half of the program began with Donizetti’s Concertino in G Major for Trumpet and Strings, a composition of 10 minutes that was pleasant not only for the listener but also seemed a very enjoyable piece to play. As the piece ended, we bid farewell to Boldoczki, but, of course, not without a spirited encore.
Béla Bartók followed, in a Divertimento for Strings Orchestra, Sz. 113, a piece composed just before the onset of World War II. Each movement of the piece carried omens of the doom ahead. The allegro non troppo start was heavy, tense and rife with lament. However, the allegro rhythm saved it from becoming a sleep-inducing drone. In fact, we could even say it added touches of delicacy and refreshment. The molto adagiomolto-adagio movement foreshadowed war and impending darkness. At times, the cellos were delicate and gentle, with a sonority of hope and humility. At other times, they morphed into the background and joined in the ominous hymn. The solo violin climbed higher and higher on the E-string. The cellos echoed and the violas joined in for a duet, painting for us a subtly approaching, distant fog in the horizon. The allegro assai movement provided optimistic relief. While it couldn’t be said to be joyful, it was vibrant and energetic. The ending had a busy feel to it that reminded me of bees in a hive. A very brief pizzicato interlude came, the bees returned for another minute or so, and an abrupt end brought a halted feel to the piece.
Liszt came to the rescue with his all-time favorite Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2. An interesting fact is that Liszt, the godfather of the piano, has not a composition for strings. And the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra took on that name just to show their appreciation for the composer. The Hungarian Rhapsody is also originally composed for the piano. The Chamber Orchestra played an arrangement by Peter Wolf. The 10-minute composition provided the most entertaining moments of the evening for me. I not only enjoyed this ever-popular piece as a work of classical music but was also amused by a sudden flashback. It was a piece forever etched into my memories of ages four and five, through the “Cat Concerto” episode of
Tom and Jerry! Music is truly timeless and knows no boundaries.
İş Sanat Concert Hall Levent Mh., Büyükdere Cd, 34330 Beşiktaş/Istanbul
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