Music Revival

Review : Celebrating Chopin II

How to get a well-deserved ovation
Jeff Brukman; Cue online
National Arts Festival, Grahamstown
26 June 2010

The Polish-born composer Frédéric Chopin is widely regarded as being the "father" of modern piano technique. In a wide-ranging programme, pianist Christopher Duigan explored this composer's inimitable oeuvre.

Chopin's harmonic inventiveness, structural originality, melodic creativity, and initiative in exploring thematic and textural expansion were to the fore in this programme of old war-horses.

However, Chopin, a stand-alone genius, had the innate ability to combine these elements so that each work realised and communicated the creation of a poignant, emotional conception. In some spellbinding playing, Duigan highlighted and interpreted Chopin's emotionalism.

Duigan uses his mature technique in the service of artistic communication, transcending digital accuracy into the projection of musical thoughts and paragraphs. Though I must sound a word of caution: a gigantic programme such as this requires the harnessing of mental and physical stamina right until the final note has sounded.

Piling one colossal work on top of the other, it is a pity that this fine pianist did not give himself any respite, as some cracks in the edifice became apparent towards the culmination of this mammoth undertaking.

Total immersion
With consummate technical artistry, clearly delineated and tenderly shaped phrases, skilfully projected inner voices and rhythms, and judiciously applied rubato, Christopher Duigan's first three works (Waltz in A flat Op 34/1, Mazurka in B flat Op 7/1 and Nocturne in F minor Op 55/1) revealed his total immersion and identification with Chopin's repertoire and compositional idiom.

In the Barcarolle Op 60 and the Fourth Ballade Op 52 Duigan's perfect blend of cognitive, physical and emotional aspects of performance showed his complete mastery over each crevice of the score.

His shimmering ornamentation, translucent tone, capacity for creating a transparent texture and projection of structural understanding coalesced in performances of sheer magic. Here, Duigan revealed Chopin's genius.

The phenomenal emergence of expressively carved cantabile lines from the rich homophonic tapestry of the third Etude Op 10/3 show that Duigan's pianism is from the top drawer. This is also true of his power during a stunningly fleet-fingered coda which concluded the Étude in C sharp minor Op 10/4.

Well deserved ovation
Duigan's phenomenal control in the middle section of the Scherzo in B flat minor allowed him to render with haunting beauty the exquisitely textured polyphonic thematic interplay.

Moments such as these and the elegantly refined cantabile control in the opening theme of the Nocturne in C sharp minor op posth will stay with me for some while.

Congratulations Christopher Duigan on a well-deserved ovation!

STEINWAY ARTIST

In March 2010  Christopher Duigan was invited by the world's premier piano manufacturers Steinway and Sons to join their International Steinway Artist Roster recognizing his calibre of performance, artistic commitment, profile as a musician and his contribution to music in South Africa.

The sixth pianist in South African history, as a registered Steinway artist he joins an exquisite circle of renowned musicians including Franz Liszt, Richard Wagner, Arthur Rubinstein, Vladimir Horowitz  as well as contemporary International Artists  Evgeny Kissin, Martha Argerich, Lang Lang, Keith Jarrett and Diana Krall.

CHRISTOPHER DUIGAN

Widely regarded as one of South Africa's most innovative concert pianists CHRISTOPHER DUIGAN has maintained an busy performing schedule since his professional debut with Cape Town Symphony Orchestra in 1991. He has performed extensively with all leading South African orchestras including the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic, Cape Philharmonic and Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestras in a repertoire of more than 25 concerti. In 2006 he was invited to appear with the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra in the opening concert of their World Symphony Series Winter Season. In recital he has achieved a popular following through his innovative presentation and programming featuring a broad and eclectic taste in music. 

International performances include those in London at St Martins in the Field, St James'- Piccadilly, South Africa House and at the Edinburgh Festival 2001 and 2003 where he was broadcast live on BBC Radio 3. Many of his live performances have been broadcast on SABC Radio and TV and his CD recordings are regularly aired on ClassicFM and Fine Music Radio.

In March 2007 he shared the stage with the cream of South African pianists for the return of Steinway and Sons to South Africa. Engagements for 2009 included recitals at the Baxter Theatre in Cape Town and Endler Hall in Stellenbosch and concerto performances with the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Based in KwaZulu-Natal he is committed to promoting classical music locally and further afield. As producer and impresario he is the director of the widely acclaimed MUSIC REVIVAL which he established in 1997and now includes the Concert Series at the Hilton Arts Festival, the Franschhoek La Motte Classic Music Festival and performances by the Kwa-Zulu Natal Philharmonic Orchestra' including the ' Concert in the Park' as annual events.  In addition Music Revival presents numerous recitals and chamber music performances throughout KZN, Johannesburg and the Cape Winelands. Through this groundbreaking work he has been able to attract new audiences, build an unusually large and loyal following and re-invent many of the norms of concert performance especially with regard to presentation and programming. His crossover presentations combining virtuoso and popular classical repertoire with jazz transcriptions, ragtime, tango and film music have been particularly enthusiastically received.  Music Revival has also offered numerous performance opportunities to some of South Africa's leading young artists including sopranos Angela Gilbert and Bronwen Forbay, baritone Federico Freschi, a number of musicians and ensembles from the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Christopher Duigan studied at the University of Natal with Isabella Stengel, the University of Cape Town with Lamar Crowson and Albie van Schalkwyk, leading to postgraduate study at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester with Brazilian virtuoso Arnaldo Cohen.  In Manchester he was awarded the Professional Performer's Diploma and won first prize in the prestigious RNCM Recital Prize for Pianists.  In addition he has received the UNISA Overseas Scholarship Competition (1994), Crossly/Kramer Scholarships for International Study from UCT, 1st prize in the Adolph Hallis Piano Competition (1996), awards for the best South African pianist in the UNISA International Piano Competition (1996) and the Cape Town Symphony's Joseph Lan Award for his performance of the Bartok Piano Concerto No 3 (1994). He has participated in master classes at Dartington Summer School with Stephen Kovacevich and at the Mozarteum, Salzburg.

Since february 2010 he has presented Celebrating Chopin,  recital programmes marking the 200th anniversary of Frederic Chopin's birth, in more than 35 performances including those in Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Franschhoek, Johannesburg,  the Memorial Concert Hall at Hilton College and ClassicFM Soirees in Pretoria.  This programme was presented in  four performances at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown in June. ( see review below)

Other major forthcoming performances include recitals in Durban at the Howard College Theatre in Durban and at the Franschhoek Literary Festival in May, concerto performances with the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra in the City Hall Pietermaritzburg (August) and in the World Symphony Series in the City Hall, Durban. 

In March 2010 Christopher Duigan was invited to join the Steinway Artists Roster joining an exquisite circle of renowned musicians including Artur Rubenstein, Vladimir Horowitz, Alfred Brendel and Lang Lang.

BRONWEN FORBAY

Durban born South African soprano BRONWEN FORBAY has performed numerous opera roles including critically acclaimed performances of the Queen of the Night with the Wolf Trap Opera Company, Eugene Opera, and Tulsa Opera, where she took over as Queen on short notice. Ms. Forbay was recently selected as one of 67 singers to participate in the 2010 Seoul International Voice Competition from an original pool of 191 applicants worldwide. Upcoming performances include the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor with the Cape Town Opera; and performances of Schubert's Mass in G and Mozart's Vesperae solemnes de Confessore K. 339 with the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra. Previous opera performances at Wolf Trap include the American Premier of Telemann's Orpheus where she received rave reviews in the Washington Post and Washington Times for her portrayal of the dramatic-coloratura role of Orasia, Queen of Thrace. Opera magazine complimented her "strong singing and vivid acting" in performances of the title role in Lucia (Act I), and Norina in Don Pasquale in Houston with Opera in the Heights. Other opera roles include Ginevra in Ariodante for which she received the award for most outstanding performance in a University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) production, First Niece in Peter Grimes, Mme. Herz in Der Schauspieldirektor, Donna Anna (Scene) and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, the title role in Susannah and Bess in Porgy and Bess. Ms. Forbay has performed with the Wolf Trap Opera Company, Santa Fe Opera, Cincinnati Opera, CCM Opera Studio, Southern Methodist University Opera Studio, Manhattan School of Music Opera Studio, Voce Ensemble (England) and Opera Africa.

Ms. Forbay's performances on the concert stage include appearances with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Baroque 2000 Orchestra (South Africa), Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, Johannesburg Festival Orchestra, KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra, Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, Cincinnati Baroque Orchestra, CCM Philharmonia, Dallas Chamber Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra, Manhattan School of Music Percussion Orchestra, Plano Symphony Orchestra, Santa Fe Pro Musica Orchestra, SMU Meadows Orchestra, Tulsa Philharmonic Orchestra and Turtle Creek Chorale.

In 2007 Ms. Forbay was awarded the prestigious Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Music; as well as the Catherine Filene Shouse Career Grant for Singers from the Wolf Trap Opera Company. In 2006 she won 3rd prize in the 5th UNISA International Voice Competition, the SAMRO Award for most promising South African opera singer; and 3rd prize in the Corbett Competition at CCM all in the same year. Ms. Forbay's other awards include: winner of the 1st UNISA Southern African Voice Competition in 2005, winner of the SMU concerto competition in 2004, 2nd prize and audience choice winner in the 2003 Opera Birmingham (Alabama) Voice Competition.

Ms. Forbay holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, a Master of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music earned while on a Fulbright scholarship, and an Artist Certificate from the Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. She is a Doctor of Musical Arts voice performance candidate at the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music; and is a Lecturer in Classical Voice at the University of KwaZulu-Natal Opera School and Choral Academy.

JOANNE ROZARIO

Joanne Rozario's  international career has taken her from her home town of London to numerous international destinations including Hong Kong, China, South Africa, Canada, America, Spain and Greece. Joanne studied clarinet and saxophone at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Whilst there, she founded a prize-winning saxophone quartet, receiving a scholarship to study at the Banff Centre for the Arts, Canada, and went on to perform in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and play live on Classic FM.  In her final year at the Royal Academy she joined the Hong Kong Philharmonic as Assistant Principal Clarinet where she performed concertos by Saint-Saëns  and Glazunov,  performed live on Hong Kong Radio and Television and took part in the Sunset Ceremony which marked Hong Kong's return from colonial Britain to China.

In 1998 Joanne moved to South Africa where she was appointed  Principal Clarinet with the Kwa-Zulu Natal Philharmonic Orchestra in Durban. During her time in South  Africa she played the Mozart concerto and the Debussy Rhapsodie with the orchestra. She performed regularly as a solo recitalist and also appeared in many chamber music concerts, including performances at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown. Joanne returned to England in 2000 to take  the post of Principal Clarinet with Northern Ballet Orchestra. She now tours extensively with the company alongside performing solo and chamber music concerts throughout  the UK .  Joanne lives in London and maintains strong links with South Africa, where she visits regularly to perform with pianist Christopher Duigan  in KwaZulu-Natal, at the  Hilton Festival and at the Franschhoek  Music Festival in the Cape Winelands.

FEDERICO FRESCHI

Baritone Federico Freschi studied opera at the University of Cape Town's College of Music, where he received a number of prestigious awards and bursaries, including the first prize in the Wendy Fine Singing Prize, and being placed as a finalist in both the Oude Meester Music Prize and the SABC Singing Competition.  He was subsequently invited to join the CAPAB Singers' Studio, and made his professional début singing Count Almaviva in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro.  Since relocating to Johannesburg, Federico has been a sought after opera soloist, and has sung the principle baritone role in various highly successful productions in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Windhoek, including Germont in La Traviata, Marcello in La Bohème, Dr Malatesta in Don Pasquale, Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, Dr Falke in Die Fledermaus, Sulpice in La Fille du Régiment, Count Danilo in Die Lustige Witwe, Escamillo in Carmen, Pappacoda in A Night in Venice and Zurga in Les Pêcheurs de Perles. Federico maintains a busy concert schedule, and is regularly invited to perform at festivals and concert venues throughout South Africa, including orchestral concerts with some of the country's leading orchestras.  Together with pianist Christopher Duigan he is pursuing an ongoing exploration of baritone concert repertoire – particularly in the genre of French song – with performances throughout the country.  Recent CD recordings include Salon Music's popular Boulevard Café.  Federico's multi-faceted career has seen engagements as director of Tom Johnson's The Four Note Opera for the New Music Indaba at the Grahamstown National Festival of the Arts (in which he also sang the role of The Baritone) and Strauss's Gypsy Baron for Salon Music, as well as writing a number of scripts for Salon Music operas.  Federico shares his talent for singing with a love of the visual arts and holds a Doctorate in History of Art, in which he lectures at the University of the Witwatersrand's School of Arts.