At the Foot of a Willow

Before reading this article, might I suggest listening to Gioachino Rossini’s “Assisa a piè d’un salice”, particularly as sung by Frederica von Stade, or Montserrat Caballé. Read on while, or after.

An evening with Spellbound
During his lifetime, Rossini criticised some of his contemporaries whose compositions neglected the importance of melody. He also predicted that at least parts of some of his works would stand the test of time. He was particularly confident in his “Il Barbiere di Siviglia”, which he foresaw would endure in its entirety. Whether we all realise it or not, it seems even considering his optimistic forecast, Rossini underestimated himself. While the words Largo al Factotum may sound like gibberish to many, the same people likely share fond childhood memories of Jerry upstaging Tom’s performance of this gem also popularly known as Figaro’s Aria. In fact, for many of us the argument of best performance ever would not be between Pavarotti and, well, any other tenor or baritone, but rather between Tom, Jerry, Droopy, or Robin Williams in the opening scene of “Mrs. Doubtfire”. That’s just that one aria, not to mention his overtures. YouTube his William Tell or Barber of Seville overtures and within a few minutes you will recognise how Rossini’s music has been a part of your life more than you ever knew. Now, take a moment to sing, hum or whistle some of those melodies. See how fun and catchy they are?

Perhaps Rossini’s criticism had a point. Nevertheless, in order to truly appreciate Rossini’s artistry, I can’t recommend enough listening to his aria “Assisa a piè d’un salice”, from his opera, “Otello”. If you have now listened to it for the first time because this article keeps badgering you to do so, well, you’re welcome.

The music of Gioachino Rossini inspired his contemporaries from Niccolo Paganini to Mauro Giuliani and has continued to inspire artists into the 20^th and 21^st centuries from Ottorino Respighi to the Spellbound Contemporary Ballet. After a successful tour around the world, the Spellbound Contemporary Ballet will perform the work of renowned choreographer Mauro Astolfi entitled “Rossini Overtures”, which celebrates the life and artistic accomplishments of Gioachino Rossini, on occasion of the 150^th anniversary of his death. Appropriately, it was co-produced by the Teatro Rossini in the city of Pesaro, where it debuted.

This very highly recommended performance is organised by the Istituto Italiano di Cultura.

Date/Time: 9 December 2018, 7:00 pm
Venue: PPHUI, Kuningan
Free Entrance, Reservation: https://iicjakarta.esteri.it/iic_jakarta/en/gli_eventi/calendario/2018/12/an-evening-with-spellbound_20181010.html
 

The Art of Chamber Music – Song Without Words
Also highly recommended is a cello-piano duo recital titled The Art of Chamber Music – Song Without Words, featuring gifted cellist Samuel DeCaprio and renowned Indonesian pianist Edith Widayani. Mr. DeCaprio earned his Bachelor of Music degree summa cum laude from the University of Connecticut, a Master of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music, and a Graduate Diploma from the Mannes School of Music. He is currently completing his Doctor of Musical Arts at Juilliard. He has given solo performances and recitals throughout major cities in the United States, Canada, England, and Switzerland. Edith earned her Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in Performance and Literature with double minors in Chamber Music/Collaborative Piano and Music Theory from the Eastman School of Music becoming the first Indonesian to earn a doctorate from Eastman. She was also 1^st Prize Winner at the 2014 Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Piano Competition in New York City. The programme will consist of music by Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, Faure, Ponce/Heifetz, Frank Bridge, and Sukarlan.

Date/Time: 20 December 2018, 7.30 pm
Venue: Soehanna Hall
Free admission, seating is first come first served – sponsored by ITB ‘74, Medco Energy and Soehanna Hall 
 

Jakarta New Year Concert
Attending Ananda Sukarlan’s Jakarta New Year Concert has become somewhat of a tradition for some of the city’s concertgoers. As usual this year, he brings together young Indonesian talents to perform his works. The main theme this time around will be his arrangements of popular tunes by Indonesian song writer Ismail Marzuki including Wanita, Halo-halo Bandung, Melati di Tapal Batas and many others. The featured soloists to be accompanied by the Ananda Sukarlan Orchestra are Anthony Hartono (pianist), Jessica Sudarta (harpist), as well as singers Mariska Setiawan and Widhawan Aryo Pradhita. The concert program will also feature snippets of his latest work in progress based on a romance novel by Indonesian writer Rio Haminoto, titled Erstwhile: A Communion of Time.

Go for the music, stay for the camaraderie.

Date/Time: 13 January 2019, 4:00 pm
Venue: Ciputra Artpreneur
Contact: (+62 ) 818 8910 88