The Grieg Piano Concerto: A ravishing performance
Although she is a French citizen, Shani Diluka’s DNA is 100% Sri Lankan. Diluka’s pianism is blessed with a magical quality that few other artists possess. When she performs, her persona undergoes radical change and one gets the eerie feeling she’s communicating with the soul of the composer!
Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor was performed at the Lionel Wendt on Saturday, March 1, by Shani Diluka in collaboration with the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka (SOSL). The concerto was preceded by two orchestral pieces: Offenbach’s Overture to “Orpheus in the Underworld” and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4 in A major (“Italian”).
Happy to be back on the Colombo stage: Shani Diluka. Pic by Sagara Lakmal de Mel
The orchestra performed these two pieces with a great deal of zest, mental acuity and finesse. The tantalising mix of cheerfulness, dark humour, pathos, and jubilation in the Offenbach overture was neatly conveyed with various wind and string instruments stealing the limelight at different times. The overture by and large consists of some unforgettable tunes (including a lilting waltz) stringed together like links in a chain. It concludes with the Cancan of Moulin Rouge and Folies Bergère fame. To play the Cancan with verve and panache is a tall order and the orchestra rose to the occasion with aplomb. The phrasing and flamboyant touch were superb.
Though Mendelssohn’s Fourth Symphony (“Italian”) has four movements, only the last incorporates a motif that is unmistakably Italian: the saltarello – a rapid dance in triple meter. The other three are imbued with a bucolic flavour due to the composer’s love for the Italian climate and countryside, with strong emphasis on wind instruments, especially the horns in the third movement (a flowing minuet). The orchestra did full justice to the symphony with its excellent interpretation of the main and secondary themes as well as the recapitulations. One cannot fail to mention the pivotal role that the Conductor, Dushyanthi Perera, played in making the first half of the programme an utterly satisfying experience.
The interval was around 15 minutes and then came Shani Diluka! Born in Monaco and based in Paris, Diluka belongs to the musical elite of Western Europe. A world-class pianist, she has an incredibly busy international schedule that includes performing in various parts of the world and producing albums under prestigious labels, including Warner Classics.
In July 2023, together with the SOSL, she performed the Emperor concerto with remarkable prowess and artistry. Her rendition of the Grieg piano concerto was equally good, if not better.
When Grieg started working on this joyful concerto, he was greatly influenced in respect of style and architecture by Schumann’s piano concerto, also written in the same key. Both were composed during the romantic period. When the Schumann concerto was premiered in 1845, Grieg was only two years old. It was only after hearing Clara Schumann’s rendition of this concerto in Leipzig in 1858 that he resolved to write a concerto in the same key, using Schumann’s style as the reference point. Ten years later he realized his goal.
Though Schumann’s concerto is more elegant and refined than Grieg’s, the latter is more famous due to the decorative passages and iconic cadenza in the first movement; the tranquil quality of the second movement; and the ecstatic, rhythmic nature of the third. Grieg revised his concerto from time to time, and it is the 7th and final edition (produced shortly before his death in 1907) that is performed worldwide.
The celebration of nature is a central theme in Grieg’s concerto, which is why the music is so ebullient. Indeed, the sheer emotional power of the Grieg concerto brings to mind rhapsodic composers like Rachmaninoff and Liszt rather than the melancholic Schumann.
By deftly capturing the enticing mix of classical and folk music in this marvellous concerto, Diluka displayed not only her sublime technical and interpretive skills but also her innate gift for enriching the music with exquisite tone colours. Largely due to her ability to blend seamlessly with the orchestra without sacrificing individual brilliance, her performance on the whole was superlative. She launched into the first movement (in sonata form) with a fluent execution of the opening flourish, which was preceded by an emphatic drumroll. Her interpretation of the main and secondary themes was fresh and original, even impetuous at times. The longish cadenza was played with remarkable clarity and sensibility. The delicate execution of the dreamy adagio, requiring subtle, synergistic interplay between the piano and orchestral instruments, bordered on the divine. The first theme of the driving third movement (in ternary form) has a distinct Norwegian folk-dance flavour while the lyrical second theme assumes a more heroic orientation in the tumultuous finale. Ably supported by a dynamic and zesty orchestra, Diluka took this movement to lofty heights with her matchless intelligence and superior musicianship. The tremendous power she extracted from the keyboard was something to behold.
Shani Diluka’s forte is her brilliant pianism. The stylish manner in which she navigated the lush emotional contours of the Grieg concerto and captured the nuances of mood and feeling in all three movements was a noteworthy feature of her glittering performance. The solid rapport between soloist and orchestra was commendable, thanks to the expert manner in which the Conductor handled the phrasing and wove the musicians into a unified whole.
There were two encores (Claire de Lune and Ritual Fire Dance), which were performed with such grace and elan that the soloist received an extended standing ovation. All in all, an incredible, unforgettable evening.
Afterword: Considering that March 8 was international Women’s Day, we should note that the four people who figured prominently in this stellar event were all women, namely, Sharmini Wettimuny, Chairperson/SOSL; Dushyanthi Perera, Resident Conductor/SOSL, Nilupul Silva, Leader/SOSL, and Shani Diluka, world-renowned pianist.
Searching for an ideal partner? Find your soul mate on Hitad.lk, Sri Lanka's favourite marriage proposals page. With Hitad.lk matrimonial advertisements you have access to thousands of ads from potential suitors who are looking for someone just like you.