Flautist Liesl Stoltz will play the Ibert Flute Concerto – regarded as one of the most difficult flute concertos ever written – with the CPO. She speaks to PETA STEWART:
Flute or ballet, that was the question for Liesl Stoltz, the soloist in the final CPO concert in the 14th Summer Music Festival on 2 February 2020. It may have never reached that point, for the slightly built Liesl wasn’t able to begin flute lessons until she was 13 – because her arms were too short to hold the instrument. She persevered, along the way winning many competitions like the 12th Friedrich Kuhlau International Flute Competition in Germany and other national and international competitions and scholarships.
She will play the Ibert Flute Concerto at the City Hall with the CPO under the direction of Bernhard Gueller, who will also conduct the Pathetique Symphony by Tchaikovsky. The concert opens with Arvo Paert’s Fratres.
“My parents were not musicians but loved music, attending Sunday symphony concerts and later taking my sister and I to chamber concerts such as the 2 x 4 concerts with flautist Éva Tamássy and harpsichordist Shirley Gie, “ she recalls fondly.
Ms Tamássy, her first flute teacher and mentor, remained very supportive until her death in November 2018.
“I loved the way Éva played … she always enjoyed herself while playing. It was clear that she loved the music and it came from her heart. She played with such finesse and refinement and this made a lasting impression on me,” says Liesl.
“Her way of teaching was similar to the so-called French school … I always dreamt of studying in France and when I received a scholarship to study with Shigenori Kudo it was a relatively easy transition (this is not always the case when you change teachers).”
Music is central
Music is central to Liesl’s life (which also includes her gynaecologist husband and two children, Christian, 7, and Wilhelm, 15). She teaches at both UCT and Stellenbosch as well as at Paarl Girls’ High.
“When non-musicians ask me what I do for a living I say I am a musician. Being a flautist is secondary. It’s not about the instrument, but all about the music and interpretation. I know people who have preconceived ideas of the flute as solo or chamber instrument, but I think they miss the point. It’s about the musical experience and whether it makes you feel something inside or not.“
Keeping fit for flute playing is also central to her life, and she used to be quite a competitive runner but these days runs mainly because it is good for mental well-being. She also loves art and paints when time allows it. “I’ve always been drawn to challenges – the Ibert Concerto is definitely a challenge!
Technically demanding, very difficult
“It is technically demanding and regarded as one of the most difficult flute concertos ever written. The difficulty doesn’t only lie in the speed and vast amount of notes, but in intricate rhythmic structures and demanding breath control required to play long phrases. All this makes it exciting to play! It is also hauntingly beautiful at times with long soaring melodic lines especially in the middle, slow movement.
“The flute concerto repertoire is limited if one thinks about the Romantic and even the Classical era. The flute is a relatively gentle instrument and doesn’t always lend itself to performing solo with a big symphony orchestra. That’s why I prefer the more modern concertos (or even baroque concertos), because often the orchestration asks for a smaller group, almost a chamber ensemble with strings and just one instrument per part.
“The Ibert, however, has a smaller horn section with two woodwinds per section. It has always been one of my favourite flute concertos if not THE favourite. It was written in the 1930s. Ibert broke away from Impressionism — this concerto is in a new classical style which has the structure and clarity of a classical concerto, but in a modern idiom.”
Liesl began her studies at the University of Stellenbosch and then went to France for the next seven years on scholarship to study with Shigenori Kudo (and later in Italy with Peter-Lukas Graf ). She often returns to France to present recitals (often with South Africans and South African works) and to see her friends.
Apart from her overseas qualifications, Liesl Stoltz she holds a B.Mus Honours, M.Mus and a D.Mus from UCT, is a Yamaha South Africa Artist and plays a Yamaha 900 series 14k gold flute that previously belonged to Shigenori Kudo.
What: Liesl Stoltz and the CPO
Where and when: Cape Town City Hall on 2 February 2020
Book: Artscape Dial-A-Seat on 021 421 7695 or Computicket
WS
