The era of the Crystal Palace: Ciconia Consort and Alexandra Bidi in concert at the Nieuwe Kerk in The Hague.
This episode of Concertzender live, Leo A. De Bock brings us two concerts performed this year. The first concert took place October 26th 2024 at the ‘Nieuwe Kerk’ in The Hague, the second on February 25th 2024 at the cultural centre ‘De Paulus’ in Oegstgeest.
1.
‘The era of the Crystal Palace’ expresses the Belle Époque, the intriguing time of the major World Expo’s, and the unbridled belief in progress. We hear music from the period when modern architectural technology gave us the Eiffel Tower and London’s Crystal Palace. The first World Expo, held in 1851, was a big international exposition where participating countries could demonstrate their economic, social, cultural and technological development. It was a time overflowing with optimism and a belief in technological advancement.
The 1989 Paris Exhibition in particular had a major influence on Western music, where Debussy, among others, was inspired by Javanese dance and gamelan music. At the time, Paris also offered Vietnamese musical theatre and oriental and Egyptian dance and music. Music was so omnipresent at this expo, journalists called it ‘a musical orgy’.
The expo was also a start of music technology, with Edison’s gramophone and the ‘théatrophone’, which was a bit like the opera events in modern cinemas, where live performances from all over the world are brought to you.
Alexandra Bidi
Ciconia Consort invited French harpist Alexandra Bidi, an ambitious and musical personality, who won second prize as well as special prize for the best interpretation of a commissioned composition in the ARD International Music Competition 2023.
She gives a solo performance in Conte Fantastique après ‘Le Masque de la Mort rouge’ from André Caplet, who was a student of Claude Debussy. The concert ends with the beautiful Petite Symphonie à cordes from Maurice Ravel, where we hear innovative compositional techniques and exotic sounds, in an orchestration of his string quartet by Rudolf Barshai.
The Ciconia Consort is conducted by Dick van Gasteren.
2.
The ‘Sunday Matinees’ at De Paulus, Oegstgeest, is a series of international chamber music performances. There have been over 70 concerts here since 2014 with well-known vocalists and instrumentalists.
Mezzo-soprano Barbara Kozelj, born and raised in Slovenia.
Pianist Thomas Beijer, awarded the Dutch Music award in 2022.
Barbara Kozelj
Playlist
1.
Frederick Delius (1862-1934) –
Aquarelles for string orchestra (1917), arr. Eric Fenby
Constant van de Wall (1871-1945)
Wajanglegende (1925)
André Caplet (1878-1925)
Conte Fantastique après ‘Le Masque de la Mort rouge’ for harp & string orchestra (1919)
Guillaume Lekeu (1870-1894)
Adagio (1891)
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)
Petite Symphonie à cordes (1903), arr. Rudolf Barshai; allegro moderato- assez vif, très rhytmé – très lent – vite et agité
Performing: Ciconia Consort conducted by Dick van Gasteren and Alexandra Bidi, harp.
Recording technician: Wijnand de Groot
2.
Antonín Dvořák (1849-1901)
Four Songs opus 2
Leoš Janáček (1854-1928)
Selection from Moravian folk songs
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
Le promenoir de deux amants
Henri Duparc (1848-1933)
Le Manoir de Rosemonde, Soupir, Serenade Florentin
Performing: Barbara Kozelj, mezzo-soprano; Thomas Beijer, piano
Recording technician: Wijnand de Groot
In the photo: Constant van der Wall
