An interesting concert 20th Century Symphonic Classics awaits academic music connoisseurs at Astana Opera on February 9. The program of the evening features works by classical composers of the last century – Tles Kazhgaliyev, Sergei Prokofiev and George Gershwin, El.kz cites astanaopera.kz.
Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan, Maestro Aidar Abzhakhanov will be conducting. He will not only present the program, but is also the author and mastermind of the evening. The highlight of the concert will be the performance of the guest pianist, Honoured Artist of Kazakhstan, Professor Altai Kussainov.
“The program of the 20th Century Symphonic Classics concert reflects the incredible diversity of the musical language of the last century. Each piece presented this evening is both a part of world culture and an encyclopaedia of life, ideas and aspirations, which people of that era lived by. Tles Kazhgaliyev’s symphonic poem Qyz Quuoccupies a special place. This is our national pride, the manifestation of the traditions of the Kazakh people through music. Translated, the name of the Qyz Quu symphonic scherzo means “Chasing a Girl”. It is full of zest and energy, beautiful, almost visible sounds that excite the imagination, making listeners vividly picture two horse riders, a young woman and a young man, galloping across the endless steppe,” Aidar Abzhakhanov said.
The Maestro added that the jazz charm of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue for Piano and Orchestra combined with Sergei Prokofiev’s suite from the ballet Romeo and Juliet, filled with vivid expression, gives the program a diverse character and polyphony. “It is important for me as a conductor that each viewer feels this incredible contrast of cultures, but at the same time feels the unity that music provides. This is an evening that connects East and West, past and future, classics and modernity,” Astana Opera’s conductor, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan Aidar Abzhakhanov emphasized.
It is worth noting that theatregoers have repeatedly noted that Aidar Abzhakhanov’s projects are distinguished by their originality and high artistic taste. His creative background also includes numerous productions of the world ballet repertoire. The Maestro himself admits that he also likes to perform jazz.
“The final chord of the concert will be George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue for Piano and Orchestra. I wanted to show the energy of jazz, intertwine it with symphonic traditions. Altai Kussainov, Kazakh pianist known for his keen sense of style and virtuoso skill, will perform the piano part here. Traditionally, solo performance merges with orchestral sound into an exciting musical kaleidoscope, so I think the audience will not remain indifferent,” the conductor concluded.