Popular Amici Ensemble to open concert season
Waikanae Music Society opens its 2021 season with the Amici Ensemble who are a top-class line-up of NZSO musicians led by associate concertmaster Donald Armstrong. They will be joined this time by the brilliant pianist Jian Liu who is head of piano studies at the NZ School of Music. Their programme, filled with classical and romantic delights, opens with a Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody in the composer’s own version for Piano Trio. This is a flamboyant piece, filled with catchy tunes and dance-like rhythms. It is followed by one of Mozart’s String Quintets. Mozart’s quintets, which have an extra viola added to the usual string quartet ensemble, are among the greatest of all Mozart’s works, and the G minor Quintet to be heard at this concert is reputed to be the finest of all.
After the interval is the beautiful Concert by French Romantic composer Ernest Chausson. Chausson is not terribly well known, mainly because he wrote relatively few works. He came to music late, at 25, and just as his career was blossoming and his fame was growing he was tragically killed in a cycle accident. Concert is one of his greatest compositions, virtuosic and very romantic. It is written for violin and piano set as soloists against a background of string quartet, almost in the style of a concerto. The concert is in the Waikanae Memorial Hall starting at 2.30pm. Door sales will be available or tickets can
be purchased at Waikanae New World, Moby Dickens Books in Paraparaumu Beach or through the Society’s
website at www. waikanaemusic.org.nz Inquiries are welcome on 04 905 6070.