It’s always a pleasure to welcome back South African artists who are established abroad but never forget their roots – so welcome home Maria du Toit (pictured left), back to perform two concertos and record three with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, says PETA STEWART:
Maria du Toit will give the world premiere of Conrad Asman’s Colour Concerto and the Cape Town premiere of David Earl’s Clarinet Concerto which she premiered in Durban 11 years ago, on Thursday, 26 September 2024. Over the following three days, she will record both, as well as Roelof Temmingh’s Clarinet Concerto. They will be released in the next year on the Channel Classics label. Arjan Tien conducts the CPO. They make a great team – not only have they recorded previous CDs and worked closely together, but they are married too!
What makes this special is that all three concertos were dedicated to Maria, and that Asman and Earl, both born in South Africa but now working in the UK, will be in Cape Town for the performance and the recordings.
Maria has been closely involved with both of them, and while excited about performing both, the world premiere of Asman’s piece is something special, because she has had a few sessions with the composer and “while I feel like I have had some input, it’s really is all Conrad’s genius!”
Colour Concerto was composed in 2017-8 and revised this year, and is in one movement exploring both the technical and sound possibilities of the solo clarinet and its orchestral counterpart. Asman, who is the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra’s inaugural composer in residence, says that Maria’s “pioneering technical and artistic skill have been invaluable, and have perfectly matched the spirit and rigour of this work”.
For Maria, “I am quite sure this has been the most challenging piece I have ever learnt. Asman pushes the boundaries of the instrument in every way I can think of, but the result is simply magnificent. The piece really deserves its title as it is so incredibly colourful and exciting. This goes not only for the solo part, but the orchestral score as well.”
Inventive and delightful
Earl’s piece, written in 2012 a year before its premiere, has been performed by Maria in Amsterdam, Eindhoven and Colorado to wide acclaim. It’s a work that moves between the melody, the melancholy of a nocturne and a set of spirited variations, inventive and delightful.
Maria has had a a long relationship with this piece, having performed the world premiere back in 2013 and recently also the American and European premieres. “The piece is utterly beautiful, even heart-wrenching at times, but also has a great fun element to it. The third movement is a set of variations on the most catchy medieval tune, L’ Homme Armè, which makes the piece linger in your head long after it’s over.”
About the Temmingh piece she is recording she has this to say: “I was fortunate enough to know Roelof quite well. He was one of my lecturers at Stellenbosch University. What fascinates me is how his personal character is so evident in the concerto. The first movement is melancholy, dark and brooding, the second (final) movement is full of humour, exactly like Roelof was. One can almost hear his particular sense of quirky, eccentric humour in the music.”
No other options but music!
While no one in Maria’s family was a musician, she was encouraged to take music lessons, and she played the piano from age of nine, or so. At high school, she was drawn to the clarinet as well and, says that while “I don’t think I ever had a moment of deciding or realising I wanted to pursue a career in music, it was something that was just so natural and organic for me, almost like there were no other options!”
She is looking forward to connecting with the audience through the music. “Even though I am less known as an artist in Europe than in South Africa, I am happy that I experience the same reception and warmth wherever I perform.”
It’s very special for her to be back here, for her family is here and she was principal clarinet of the CPO before moving to The Netherlands 10 years ago.
“Having had Cape Town and specifically the CPO as my home for 13 years does make it extremely special to be back. It always feels like coming home. I believe the orchestra has changed a lot since I worked here, many new players, and I am very excited to work with them.
“Does it make it harder to perform for a CT home audience? I wouldn’t say so. For me it really is about communicating, telling a story, taking the audience on this magical ride through whichever piece I am playing.”
Life in the Netherlands
Maria teaches at two music schools in the Netherlands, and conducts (“in the broadest sense of the word!”) two youth orchestras. She has a substantial amount of chamber music happening in her life, and is busy making not one but three albums for Channel Classics, one of which is with the CPO.
Music aside, she is about nature.
“I can lose myself in the beauty of a beach or forest, honestly spending time in nature is one of the most important things to me.”
In music, though, “working with people who are just as excited as I am about the music we are about to play is important. I love musicians who work with enthusiasm and energy.”
Having two weeks in Cape Town for the concert and recordings and to see her family isn’t enough, but her life is so busy that soon afterwards she is off on a concert tour of China.
What: Maria du Toit (Clarinet) with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra
Where and when: Cape Town City Hall, 26 September 2024
Tickets: Artscape Dial-A-Seat 021 421 7695 and Webtickets
WS
