ASTANA – Astana Opera’s symphony orchestra will perform “Music for All Times” Nov. 8, featuring the best pieces of famous composers such as Max Bruch, Tles Kazhgaliyev and Pyotr Tchaikovsky.
Astana Opera’s Symphonic Orchestra.
The evening will open with a symphonic scherzo, the light and playful “Kyz Kuu” from Kazakh composer Kazhgaliyev’s “The Steppe Legend” suite. The suite has rightfully become a hallmark of Kazakh art on the international arena.
“The work was originally written for a ballet and it draws on Kazakh elements like the landscape of the steppes and traditional characters of the Kazakh culture. The piece is very powerful and vibrant, almost too powerful for a small concert hall like Cadogan. It is full of colour and energy, with beautiful, nearly graphical sounds which stimulate the mind, making one easily imagine a group of young people riding freely on horseback across the wind swept, immense steppes,” wrote reviewer Margarida Mota-Bull for Music Web International.
First violin Bagdat Abilkhanov.
Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, opus 26, another piece that has taken a rightful place in the repertoire of the world’s most famous orchestras, will be featured in a performance by the opera house’s orchestra soloist and first violin Bagdat Abilkhanov. It is among the most popular violin concertos and widely recognised as one of the greatest romantic masterpieces. The spectacular dialogue between the soloist and orchestra has been captivating audiences for more than 150 years. Its expressiveness, depth, rich imagery, beauty of the melodies and distinctiveness of the virtuoso solo fascinate from the start.
As its name suggests, the concert’s enduring compositions will include Tchaikovsky’s landmark work Symphony No. 4 in F minor, opus 36. Listeners can plunge into his world, feelings, thoughts about life in general, the fate of a person and the relationship of a human being to the surrounding world. The work summarises the composer’s early searches in various areas of symphonic music, while at the same time puts forward new tasks and a new understanding of the genre. Tchaikovsky’s symphonic compositions are distinguished by the romantic intensity of feelings, picturesque musical language, sharp expressive contrasts and perfection of the form.
The symphony orchestra will perform under the direction of Honoured Artist of Russia, maestro Alexander Titov of St. Petersburg, who will be performing at the Astana Opera Grand Hall for the first time. Titov has worked as a guest conductor at the Mariinsky Theatre, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Teatro alla Scala and Bolshoi Theatre of Russia. His awards include a victory at the Tokyo International Music Competition for Conducting, the highest theatre award of the St. Petersburg Golden Sofit.
