Concerts: May / June 2023

Robert Schumann's wife Clara encouraged him to write for orchestra. The Piano Concerto in A minor was one of the results of her encouragement. It was not well received at first, as it presented a new (or newish) model where the piano and orchestra were given almost equal prominence. But…

Internationally acclaimed clarinetist Maria du Toit took some time off from her whistle-stop tour of South Africa and she spoke about what drew her to classical music, the mental health demands of being in the spotlight and why for a musician, being good might not be enough.

Richard Cock is probably the best known conductor in South Africa. In this episode, he talks about his beginnings in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth), how the hugely popular RMB Starlight Classics got off the ground and his support for music projects in disadvantaged communities. Richard's cats took exception to being…

Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto was criticised by its dedicatee, poorly performed at its premier and savaged by a leading critic. But still, this child of the composer's imagination became hugely popular and is one of the foremost violin concertos in classical music.

Fauré's Pélleas and Mélisande concert suite was extracted from music he wrote for a performance of Maurice Maeterlinck's play. It showcases Fauré's ear for beautiful melodies and his knack for expressing deeply felt emotions in music that's powerful and yet at the same time, restrained.