concert to start with a sneeze
Thursday 12 July 2007, 11:37AM
By APO
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Rogue & Rhapsody – APN News & Media Premier Series, Concert 9
Thursday 2 August, 8pm, Auckland Town Hall, THE EDGE
While the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra is resigned to audience members’ sniffs and snuffles during winter months, it will open its next concert with a loud sneeze of its own when it presents Rogue & Rhapsody in the Auckland Town Hall on Thursday 2 August.
The concert will open with the Hungarian tall-tale, Háry János Suite by Zoltan Kodály. The colourful work details the exploits of the lovable rogue Háry János who sits in the village inn regaling his listeners with fantastic tales of heroism. It is a Hungarian tradition that if you begin your story with a sneeze, you are telling the truth and thus the concert begins with one.
The suite also includes a prominent solo for a cimbalom. A Hungarian version of the dulcimer, the large cimbalom for this concert is comparable in pitch and weight to a small piano and is being specially shipped to Auckland from Sydney. It will be played by Rebecca Lagos, principal percussionist of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
The ‘rhapsody’ of the concert title will be provided by German pianist Markus Groh who will perform two works by Franz Liszt. Groh’s performances and recordings of Liszt have garnered him wide critical acclaim and he is regarded as a Liszt specialist. He will perform the Hungarian’s composer’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E flat and Totentanz at the Auckland concert.
The piano concerto showcases one of the most over-looked instruments in the orchestra – the triangle. Liszt opens the scherzo passage with a triangle solo which will be performed by APO principal percussionist, Lenny Sakofsky.
The concert will close with Sibelius’ Karelia Suite. This work may sound familiar to audiences as it was used as the theme for the 20-minute film documentary, This Is New Zealand, made in 1969 for the Expo 70 in Osaka Japan and widely screened throughout the country. This film recently screened as part of the Telecom 39th International Film Festival.
The Rogue & Rhapsody concert is the ninth concert in the APO’s 12-concert APN News & Media Premier Series and will be conducted by Ukrainian conductor, Kirill Karabits.
Tickets (from $12 to $110 plus booking fee) for Rogue & Rhapsody are available from Ticketek Ph 09 307 5139, www.ticketek.co.nz.
Media Contact: For more information, interview requests or photos please contact Jennifer Scott, Publicist, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Ph 09 638 7073 ext 203, Mob 027 324 8745, jennifers@aucklandphil.co.nz
Thursday 2 August, 8pm, Auckland Town Hall, THE EDGE
While the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra is resigned to audience members’ sniffs and snuffles during winter months, it will open its next concert with a loud sneeze of its own when it presents Rogue & Rhapsody in the Auckland Town Hall on Thursday 2 August.
The concert will open with the Hungarian tall-tale, Háry János Suite by Zoltan Kodály. The colourful work details the exploits of the lovable rogue Háry János who sits in the village inn regaling his listeners with fantastic tales of heroism. It is a Hungarian tradition that if you begin your story with a sneeze, you are telling the truth and thus the concert begins with one.
The suite also includes a prominent solo for a cimbalom. A Hungarian version of the dulcimer, the large cimbalom for this concert is comparable in pitch and weight to a small piano and is being specially shipped to Auckland from Sydney. It will be played by Rebecca Lagos, principal percussionist of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
The ‘rhapsody’ of the concert title will be provided by German pianist Markus Groh who will perform two works by Franz Liszt. Groh’s performances and recordings of Liszt have garnered him wide critical acclaim and he is regarded as a Liszt specialist. He will perform the Hungarian’s composer’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E flat and Totentanz at the Auckland concert.
The piano concerto showcases one of the most over-looked instruments in the orchestra – the triangle. Liszt opens the scherzo passage with a triangle solo which will be performed by APO principal percussionist, Lenny Sakofsky.
The concert will close with Sibelius’ Karelia Suite. This work may sound familiar to audiences as it was used as the theme for the 20-minute film documentary, This Is New Zealand, made in 1969 for the Expo 70 in Osaka Japan and widely screened throughout the country. This film recently screened as part of the Telecom 39th International Film Festival.
The Rogue & Rhapsody concert is the ninth concert in the APO’s 12-concert APN News & Media Premier Series and will be conducted by Ukrainian conductor, Kirill Karabits.
Tickets (from $12 to $110 plus booking fee) for Rogue & Rhapsody are available from Ticketek Ph 09 307 5139, www.ticketek.co.nz.
Media Contact: For more information, interview requests or photos please contact Jennifer Scott, Publicist, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Ph 09 638 7073 ext 203, Mob 027 324 8745, jennifers@aucklandphil.co.nz