Arts
Performing and conducting 20th Century masters
Louis Perera
‘Musical Excursions’ – a programme put together by gifted young pianist, Louis Perera featuring the works of 20th Century classical music composers will go on the boards at the Lionel Wendt theatre, on September 4 at 7 pm.
The young Sri Lankan pianist who is studying at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester is currently in the country for his summer vacation. Although he is not new to the music scene in Sri Lanka, after having been in several piano recitals in the past, this will be the first time that Louis will also be appearing as an orchestral conductor.
He is in the process of preparing his application to commence his training as a musical conductor and wants to bring to the audience a varied selection of 20th century music.
There’s quite a lot of classical music that ought to be heard, but isn’t performed in Sri Lanka, he feels, especially when it comes to 20th century music.
“It’s not impossible to perform them and I don’t know why it’s not taken on much. In previous recitals here, I have played music from the 20th Century and people really enjoyed it and have told me that they found Sergei Prokofiev illuminating and interesting,” he tells us.
Hence, because the musical works he has chosen are somewhat unusual, he calls the concert ‘Musical Excursions’.
The programme hopes to take its listeners across Europe. And apart from the likes of Maurice Ravel, Sergei Prokofiev and Ludwig van Beethoven, Louis will also be performing Mozart’s piano concerto, 24 in C minor. For this he will also be conducting from the piano.
“They recommended this to me in college, because I’ve played that concerto before. So I’m playing the solo part as well as conducting from the piano,” he says.
Louis tells us that this concerto is quite different from everything else that Mozart had composed. The piece is one of the two piano concertos that Mozart wrote on a minor key. Furthermore this is the only composition that ends on a minor note.
There’s so much collaboration involved in the piece, that the musicians enjoy playing that concerto. It’s an intellectual challenge as well as a technical challenge for them, because they aren’t in a subsidiary role, Louis says.
“We really go around Europe in this programme. It’s a mix of composers that are familiar all around the world. I’ve run the programme by so many other musicians and they think it’s brilliant. It will be really exciting and I’m quite sure that the audience will enjoy it,” Louis assures.
The show will feature an ensemble of 34 talented musicians. Ananda Dabare will lead the orchestra, while the entire violin section are musicians who are in Louis’ age-group (23) or younger than him. The programme will also feature wellknown names in the classical music scene like Ajith Abeysekera, Hasitha Pathirana, Nalaka Perera and Dilrukshi Weeratunga
“There’s this fantastic blend of youth and experience and for all of us it’s very edifying,” Louis adds.
| Tickets and the Box Plan will be available at the Lionel Wendt Theatre, and also on www.lionelwendt.org, from Monday, August 15, (reserved seating – Rs.3,000, Rs.2,500, Rs.2,000, Rs.1,500; balcony, unreserved seating – Rs.750). |