Classical music: American Rhythms
29 September at 19:00
Endler Hall
Classical music may not be the genre of choice for many in the modern age, but it is alive and well. This was demonstrated by the Winelands Philharmonic Orchestra who performed for a full crowd at the Endler Hall in Stellenbosch on Sunday 29 September.
The concert, titled American Rhythms, featured three modern period classical pieces by North American composers Arturo Márquez, George Gershwin and Aaron Copland, and finished with a fun rendition of Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York. The pieces selected showed a great range, including jazz elements and innovative compositions, typical of the modern classical period.
Conductor Reghardt Kühn stands before the crowd after the Winelands Philharmonic Orchestra’s concert at the Woordfees Arts Festival in Stellenbosch on Sunday 29 September. Kühn was the first student to earn his masters degree in orchestral conducting from Stellenbosch University. PHOTO: Mark Cloete/Woordfees
Origins of the Orchestra
Founded in 2022, the orchestra features non-professional musicians, providing them with a platform to express both their talent and love of classical music. Percussionist Louié Kühn implored the audience to look past any mistakes for this reason, which took away from the performance slightly, lowering expectations for what was to come.
Reghardt Kühn, the conductor and current teacher at both Paarl Boys High School and Stellenbosch University, displayed why he has led the Cape Town and KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic orchestras. Kühn conducted the orchestra with composure and did not distract from the orchestra itself.
A diverse display
The first piece performed, Danzón No. 2, composed by Arturo Márquez, displayed the versatility of the string section including plucking and strumming, the latter of which is uncommon for violin and viola players. The orchestra seamlessly navigated key modulations and time signature changes, ending with an epic climax.
Soloist Zining (Mike) Wang, a current matric student at Paarl Boys’ High School, stole the show in the second piece with his beautiful piano performance of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. Wang’s attentiveness and mastery of rubato shone through, earning him a standing ovation. This rendition of Gershwin’s most famous composition did justice to the difficult opening clarinet solo, with well-executed ornamentation.
Zining (Mike) Wang received a standing ovation for his masterful piano performance in the Winelands Philharmonic Orchestra’s rendition of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. Despite only being in matric, Wang has previously displayed his talents on SABC3’s The Insider and Carte Blanche. PHOTO: Mark Cloete/Woordfees
Appalachian Spring, composed by Copland, was a piece of contradictions and clashes. The work’s characteristic dissonance was balanced with grand-sounding brass, delicate woodwind sections, and a call and response between woodwinds and strings. The piece ended with a decrescendo that faded into nothingness, leaving the audience hanging onto the final note.
The Winelands Philharmonic Orchestra’s performance has put them on the map. These musicians performed with passion, not because it is their profession, but because they love it.
The Winelands Philharmonic Orchestra performed for a full house in their first appearance at the Toyota Woordfees arts festival in Stellenbosch on Sunday 29 September. PHOTO: Mark Cloete/Woordfees