Shani to perform Beethoven’s Triple Concerto in first concert with SOSL
View(s):“Shani Diluka, her brilliant personality, and her capability of squeezing out the music to its last essence, is rare and beautiful” commented ARTE, a European channel on culture and the arts. In Sri Lanka, too, Shani has delighted many appreciative audiences, with her virtuoso playing and vibrant personality.
L to r: Valentin Erben, Shani Diluka and Gabriel Le Magadure
Born to Sri Lankan parents, Shani lives in Monaco and has been playing with major orchestras and legendary conductors in many countries, including Europe, UK, Japan and Russia. She has released more than 10 internationally acclaimed recordings. She is the first Sri Lankan (and from the Indian subcontinent) to enter and major in piano with honours at the Paris National Superior Conservatory. She also entered the prestigious Como International Piano Foundation, presided by Martha Argerich, which selects only six pianists in the world each year. This will be her first performance with the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka.
Acclaimed musicians, Gabriel Le Magadure and Valentin Erben, will join Shani in performing Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka. Ebène Quartet violinist Gabriel Le Magadure is widely recognized by international critics as an outstanding musician full of sensitivity, with a warm, deep sound and an exceptional capacity to listen. Le Magadure has performed at some of the world’s most prestigious music halls, including New York’s Carnegie Hall, Berlin’s Philharmonie, London’s Wigmore Hall, Amserdam’s Concertgebouw and Vienna’s Musikverein.
Austrian cellist Valentin Erben was a former member of the prestigious Lucern Festival Orchestra conducted by Claudio Abbado. He was also the co-founder of the international string quartet, Alban Berg Quartet, which performed for almost 40 years. Valentin and Shani released a recording of the complete Beethoven works for cello and piano in the fall of 2016.
Shani Diluka (piano), Gabriel Le Magadure (violin) and Valentin Erben (Cello) will perform Beethoven’s Triple Concerto, described by the conductor as “really something new”. Composed during his “middle period”, Beethoven’s use of three solo instruments with orchestral accompaniment was unprecedented at that time. He faced the challenge of whether each soloist should be treated equally? He had to rethink the traditional concerto style.
He had to provide each soloist sufficient exposure while keeping the entire work within a manageable form. With considerable skill and ingenuity, Beethoven combined the three solo instruments with the orchestra to produce a work described by his friend and pupil Carl Czerny as “grand, tranquil, harmonious and lively”.
Despite unfavourable reviews of this concerto by early critics, it has remained in the repertoire and delighted audiences. The unique Triple concerto is now acknowledged as a masterpiece in composition and a significant asset in Beethoven’s musical output.
The dynamic and demanding Japanese conductor Keiko Kobayashi, who has established a reputation for her energetic conducting, will conduct the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka and these three outstanding musicians. The programme will include Rossini’s Overture to the Barber of Seville and Malcolm Arnold’s Inn of the Sixth Happiness Suite. Keiko, who has trained under maestro Seiji Ozawa, is a forceful personality who draws out the highest standard of performance from the musicians.
Virtuoso in Concert , sponsored by the People’s Bank, will be presented at the Ladies’ College Hall on March 15 at 7.30 p.m. Tickets and Box plan are online at tickets.lk or at 85/10 Jawatta Gardens, Colombo 5, Abans Showrooms Colpetty, Yamaha Music Center, Sarasavi Bookshop Nugegoda and Maharagama.