Back with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra for four symphony concerts and the 6th SA Conductors’ Competition in September is Arjan Tien (pictured left), reports PETA STEWART:
Arjan Tien, who is professor of conducting at the Conservatoire of Amsterdam and Maastricht Conservatoire, is currently principal conductor of the VU orchestra in Amsterdam and has a busy international career.
For his first concert on 5 September 2024 at the Cape Town City Hall, he will conduct the Elgar Violin Concerto with British violinist Anthony Marwood and Gideon Fagan’s Karoo Symphony.
“My wish for this season is to juxtapose SA repertoire with more conventional repertoire. Over the years I have conducted quite some South African repertoire, both in South Africa and abroad, many works that seem to be rarely performed in South Africa, a pity since the repertoire is definitely a heritage to be proud of.
“Fagan’s music, much like Pierneef’s paintings ‘intend to convey the Afrikaner’s sense of being mystically linked to the land’, according to N.J. Coetzee. The Karoo Symphony is a fascinating work, mysterious, colourful, a scherzo – quick second movement, a slow funereal third movement of reflection with distress caused by the drought in the desert. And in the last movement, Storm begets a Dream Garden, severe storms, lightning, thunder and torrential rain bring new life, transforming the vast wilderness into a garden of beautiful gardens. But the barrenness of the Karoo returns and the lonely sound of the opening with its 11-tone motif used in various forms throughout the symphony gradually melt away into space, concluding the work. Although Fagan studied in England with Ralph Vaugan-Williams, and didn’t adopt his style of composing, there are definitely (harmonic) traces to be found in his Karoo Symphony.”
Having already conducted South Africa composers like Hendrik Hofmeyer, Princess Magogo kaDinizulu and David Earl (whose Clarinet Concerto he will conduct in the final concert on 26 September), he has chosen another South African piece to open the third concert on 12 September. For this programme, he has chosen Fatsĕ la Heso (My Country), by Michael Moerane, which he which he also performed last year with the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra in Germany. “Stravinsky’s The Firebird (1945 version) suite makes for an exciting comparison, if not a totally different musical language from the same era, he says. Indian-American pianist Pallavi Mahidhara will perform the 3rd Piano Concerto by Saint-Saȅns.
Larger forces on stage
His third concert on 19 September is devoted entirely to the Mahler Symphony No 7, which will see one of the larger forces on stage that Cape Town has seen recently.
“Mahler composed this monumental work in 1904-5. The manuscript was given to Mengelberg by Mahler’s widow Alma, and was kept in a safe in Amsterdam. Bernhard Haitink decided it needed to be made accessible to a wider audience and had it published. It has not been performed by the CPO before and I’m thrilled to work on this symphony with the orchestra and give its CPO premiere. “
Tien of course has the facsimile edition and also has an original photograph of Willem Mengelberg (signed by Mengelberg in April 1923 – New York).
“Mahler had already composed the second and 4th movements (‘Nachtmusiken’ or Nocturnes) and had a bit of a writer’s block, until he was being rowed back home across the lake from his composer’s cabin, and the oars of the rowing boat gave him the idea of the opening (and atmosphere) of the symphony. The first four movements basically have a nocturnal character. The finale, announced by Mahler during a rehearsal as: ‘Und jetzt der Tag’ (And now the Day) has many references; Wagner’s Meistersinger overture, and the famous Waltz (transformed into a March) from Léhar’s operetta The Merry Widow are just two of them,” he says.
His final concert includes Conrad Asman’s Concerto Colours for Clarinet and Orchestra and David Earl’s Concerto and will be performed by and dedicated to clarinettist Maria du Toit. Tien and Du Toit will record these concertos along with Roelof Temmingh’s Clarinet Concerto with the CPO in the days following, for release by Chandos Classics next year.
Conductors’ Competition
Tien begins his Cape Town stint by giving some guest lessons at the Stellenbosch University, then stepping into the 6th SA Conductors’ Competition. This is his second competition as artistic supervisor, having taken over from Victor Yampolsky. Four of the five previous winners have benefited from Tien’s expertise in The Netherlands – Brandon Phillips, Chad Hendricks, Schalk van der Merwe and Jacobus de Jager – have all studied with him, and the winner of the 6th competition will as well. The finals will be in 2025.
Tien returns to a busy schedule in The Netherlands.
He will conduct Mahler’s 9th Symphony with the VU Orchestra at the Concertgebouw, Stravinsky’s Symphony of Winds with the orchestra of the Conservatoire of Amsterdam, the beautiful but rarely performed Requiem by Dvorak with the Philips Philharmonic Choir and the Nieuw Nijmeegs Chamber Orchestra, and several concerts with the Royal Life Guards, the Danish orchestra, established in 1658.
“I feel really privileged and look forward to some challenging and exciting programmes in September with the wonderful Cape Town Philharmonic,” he says. “Classical music has the power to unite and educate people, to give meaning to our lives and enrich us; I am so happy to be part of this sector and we cannot emphasise and cherish this enough!”
What: Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra’s Spring Symphonies at the City Hall season with Arjan Tien
Where and when: Cape Town City Hall from 5 to 26 September 2024
Tickets: Artscape Dial-A-Seat 021 421 7695 and Webtickets
WS
