After a break of nearly 15 years, Jan Gottlieb Jiracek von Arnim (pictured left) is back to perform with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra on 11 April 2024 – he will perform the Piano Concerto no 21 in A, K 488, by Mozart, with Bernhard Gueller on the podium, at the Cape Town City Hall. On the programme are also two works by Schumann – the Manfred Overture and his Spring Symphony, says PETA STEWART:
Jan Gottlieb Jiracek von Arnim will also give a recital for the Cape Town Concert Series on Saturday, 13 April with works from Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata to Liszt and Chopin, all pieces that are close to his heart.
But, he adds, Mozart is, to him, a true miracle. “No other music touches me so deeply! And he achieves this with an incredible reduction to the essentials. By this, I mean that Mozart only writes relatively few notes, however these develop an incredible magic. For example, the second movement of this 21st piano concerto, the slow movement in the unusual key of F sharp minor and the soloist plays only very few notes. To me, this may be one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written. At the same time, it is so melancholic yet so full of hope. It feels to me that Mozart tells me through his music: ‘I feel your pain. But here is some sunshine to help you through this’.”
Von Arnim’s parents were his greatest role models early on. His mother is a church organist who conducted choirs for children and adults, his father a trumpet player.
“They performed concerts together, trumpet and organ, and I always admired them, watching them and seeing the joy that performing music gave them. This feeling of great joy and gratitude for being a musician has stayed with me, especially when sensing the joy that audience members get when they listen to music that I perform,” he says.
Arrau and Rubinstein
The two biggest influences on his life were Claudio Arrau and Arthur Rubinstein. “Rubinstein gave me the quote that is my motto: ‘I have found that if you love life, life will love you back’.”
He first came to South Africa some 25 years ago, brought out by the legendary agent and concerts organizer Schalk Visser.
“My first tour took in large and small cities and towns, even in a small hall of a hotel, the Coach House Hotel close to Kruger Park. I returned many times before Schalk’s death, and then my career kept me busy elsewhere. Just days before lockdown in March 2020 I performed the Beethoven Emperor Concerto in Durban and Johannesburg and then had to return to Vienna.”
Power of Mozart’s music
You may remember Von Arnim’s earlier performances with the CPO – he performed several times under the name Jan Gottlieb Jiracek, most notably the Mozart Concerto in C minor on the day the world celebrated the birth of Mozart 250 years before his January 2006 date in Cape Town.
“Table Mountain was in flames and we had to be evacuated from the private home where I was staying. On stage that night I know I smelled of fire! It was scary and at the same time so powerful: on the one hand the destructive force of the fire, on the other hand, the power of Mozart’s music, which brings us together as a community and gives us new energy through its beauty.”
The past few years have been intensely busy, as he divides his time between teaching in Japan, at Yale in the US and in China. He is based in Vienna where he is professor at the University of Music and Performing Arts, one of the leading universities in the world and when he was appointed 25 years ago as its youngest professor.
When he was a student, he played a great deal of chamber music, and worked with great singers in the art song like Dietrich Fischer-Diskau.
“However, I feel especially happy being on stage alone in recital, or as a soloist with orchestra… That is why I divide my time between being a soloist and teacher, with only occasional chamber music performances, mostly with string quartets.”
Leading Beethoven expert
Von Arnim, who is one of the leading Beethoven experts in Vienna, is also in charge of the International Beethoven Piano Competition Vienna, one of the most respected competitions in the world. And with the next competition taking place a year from now, he has much on his plate, including preparing students for competitions. He was delighted when one of them, Evgeny Konnov, won 1st Prize at the Unisa Piano Competition in 2020.
“I take my work as a teacher very seriously, “ he says, “passing on the flame to younger generations.”
I caught up with Jan when he was teaching in Vienna between his concerts in Durban and Johannesburg and shortly before the rest of his tour which includes performances at the Piano Symposium in Stellenbosch from 3 to 7 April and in Knysna on 8 April and at the Johannesburg Music Society on 14 April.
What also keeps him busy is writing and he recently wrote a book on Franz Liszt, “who has always been one of the most fascinating composers and human beings to me. Writing a biography means to dig deep, trying to understand better the life paths of a human being. By reading as many of Franz Liszt’s letters as possible and trying to put myself in his shoes, I feel particularly close to him. And I believe that this is also reflected in my Liszt interpretations. A new book is planned, perhaps this time about musical walks in Vienna.”
What: Pianist Jan Gottlieb Jiracek von Arnim – Autumn Symphonie at the City Hall with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra | Cape Town Concert Series
Where and when: Thursday, 11 April at the City Hall | Saturday 13 April at the Baxter Concert Hall
Tickets: City Hall: Webtickets | Baxter: Webtickets
WS
