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Event
Mozart and Friends in the Afternoon
In Mozart's 18th Century Vienna there were plenty of clocks, but few watches. Our perception of time's passage has changed radically in two hundred years, but the Early Music Studio has the antidote to all that hasteit is music played as it was intended on instruments made like those of the era. Early piano player Susan Adams and guitarist Clive Titmuss have planned a performance at Bottega, which echoes the intimate performances of the period, including a break to enjoy some coffee and pastry.
The use of early instruments, which are much lighter and more responsive than their modern counterparts, restores the balances within the music, but there is much more to the story than just the hardware. Before the modern emphasis on the machine, composers were expected to write music that explored the joyous, the philosophical and the reflective side of life. Mozart, in particular, tried for a sunny blend of melody, harmony and tempo that is still an ideal.
"Early instruments have a way of shaping the way you play them," says Adams, a keyboard specialist. "They are so different from modern equivalents. The action is so light. You really have fun playing them. The Viennese piano allows for the kind of nuance that Mozart loved and mentioned in his letters."
Adams' piano is a copy of one made in the 1780's by Johann Stein, who was famous for the tone and quality of his instruments. Adams' copy has many features of the model, such as tiny, leather-covered hammers, an action made from pear wood, carved mahogany legs and handmade brass hardware, just like the Stein.
Titmuss, an early guitar player and luthier, will perform music by Spanish-born composer Fernando Sor, who was influenced by the music of Mozart. "I do the music of Sor on a guitar, which is the kind of instrument played all over Europe at the time. I'm going to be playing several of my guitars, and there is an exhibit of my work that covers centuries of guitar history."
There will also be a display of landscape photography by Laurie Carter and Bruce Kemp of Okanagan Life magazine--something to look at while munching on goodies and sipping coffee.
So slow down and take in a breath of spring with the music of Mozart and his Friends at Bottega.
About the artists: Susan Adams and Clive Titmuss are Kelowna residents who are executives and directors of the Society of Friends of Early Music Studio, a non-profit group which backs the concerts. Active for more than a decade in Kelowna, the two specialists have presented performances of music from the 16th to 19th Centuries on the instruments of the period throughout B.C. As a luthier and scholar, Titmuss has been busy restoring and making period lutes and guitars since 1980, and has placed his work internationally. The studio maintains a collection of original and replica instruments: harpsichords and early pianos, lutes and guitars. Their performances aim to introduce audiences to the rich literature of the past, with interesting commentary and sparkling renditions of historically significant compositions in period style.
For more information, go to our website, earlymusicstudio.com, or call 250-769-2884.
Tickets are available at Mosaic Books on Bernard Avenue, and online at brownpapertickets.com. Early Music Studio acknowledges the support of the Central Okanagan Foundation.
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LocationBottega (View)
4485 Sallows Road
Kelowna, BC V1W 4C2
Canada
Categories
| Kid Friendly: No |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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