It’s been four years since violinist and composer Tim Kliphuis was in Cape Town and the last couple were punctuated by Covid which had some benefits – he was able to compose. He tells PETA STEWART what he has been up to:
“The Covid crisis made me realise two things: how vulnerable the arts are, and how vulnerable the health of our planet is,” he says. The work that he wrote about this, his Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello and Piano, is being premiered in South Africa, in Cape Town with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, on 22 September 2022. He is also opening the Cape Town Baroque Festival in Baroque with a Twist with the Cape Town Concert Series on 24 September.
It’s not the first piece of his performed by the CPO – a few years ago he recorded his Violin Concerto with the orchestra. Composition is now taking more and more of his time as he finds his voice and commissions find him.
The Triple Concerto, though, is something he germinated.
“As I find both the arts and the planet extremely important, I decided to compose more music to share with people, and to write about our relationship with Earth. The concerto was commissioned by the Zaterdagmatinee series in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, and it was a carte blanche as long as I wrote for three soloists and orchestra. A real honour. I chose the traditional combination of the piano trio, with the difference that pianist and violinist have to be good jazz improvisers. Once I had decided to do three movements, one looking back to our history, one a Covid contemplation, and one looking to the future, the characters of the movements wrote themselves.
Inspiration and hard work
“For me, writing is part inspiration but also hard work. I enjoy this process as a piece slowly shapes itself and there is progress, even though it is sometimes slow. To hear (and play in) the performance is a real thrill. And with Charl du Toit on piano and Peter Martens on cello I’m pretty sure it will be magical.”
He is so happy to be back with the CPO.
“The CPO musicians are living and working in the middle of the African tradition of rhythm. This is something the European orchestras have lost; in the romantic period it was all about melody and rubato but that means that, for example, music by Aaron Copland is played very badly. The CPO is the perfect partner for the Triple as I would call it a rhythm piece,” he says.
Kliphuis also saw how artists were affected by Covid.
“Before writing the Triple Concerto, I released my latest CD, The Five Elements, also a lockdown project, which is an ode to the elements we have on Earth. Recording that in the European summer of 2020 was a way to give local musicians work while they were all out of a job through Covid.”
Another reason he is glad to be here is because of nature, but with 10 concerts, nine of them with Charl du Plessis, from Sasolburg to Stellenbosch from September 14 to October 2, he may not have much time to get to the top of the mountain this time!
“My most spiritual experiences have been out in nature. On top of a mountain, realising how small we are as humans. This is also where I get my best ideas for pieces.”
While Kliphuis is also known as a Grapelli-style jazz violinist, he says he “would like to reach more people outside of the classical world, and show them the beauty of acoustic instruments, and the many colours an orchestra has. Everyone needs good music and it’s only so long before you’re bored with the bass and drum dance stuff – there’s so much more.”
Jazz styling
Kliphuis has a summer school which teaches string players about jazz and how to do this on violins, guitars and other string instruments. This year is the biggest edition yet and features two Sinti gypsy guitarists from Holland – a style that is close to his heart. After completing a master’s degree in classical violin at the Amsterdam Conservatoire, Kliphuis studied with the European Sinti gypsies, learning a style of violin playing that has turned him into a master jazz violinist with a following around the world.
What: Tim Kliphuis with the CPO; Tim Kliphuis with Charl du Plessis
Where and when: Cape Town City Hall, 22 September 2022 at 8pm | Baxter Concert Hall 24 September 2022 at 11 am
Tickets:
CPO: https://tickets.computicket.com/event/spring_symphonies_at_the_city_hall/7191706
CTCS: https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/seating.aspx?itemid=1517484140
WS
