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Kevin Kenner celebrates Chopin's 200th birthday with his new Ensemble XIX, performing Chopin's works for piano and orchestra on period instruments.
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"Hydra The Art of Water"
The significance of water to humans is boundless. Its presence is
ubiquitous. To see a river [is] to be swept up in a great current of myths and memories that [is] strong enough to carry us back to the first watery element of our existence in the womb. As a celebration of water, "Hydra" takes the form of a multi-media piano recital accompanied by prose, poetry, and a digital display of the finest paintings inspired by water throughout history.
The very nature of water, as preserver of as well as destroyer of life, and in its various metaphorical connections to love, fertility, purification, the cycle of life, and the depths of the unconscious, are all alluded to in this richly stimulating encounter which can be enjoyed on many different levels.
The musical selections, which include works by Chopin, Liszt, Debussy,
Ravel, Szymanowski, Smetana, Janacek, Leschetitsky and Norwegian composer
Alf Hurum are interspersed with texts, some of which have provided direct
inspiration for the accompanying compositions. The paintings span 500 years
of water-related artworks, including a painting specially commissioned for
"Hydra" by Polish painter Jakob Bochen
::Click here top see an excerpt from "Hydra"::
::Works shown, recited and performed in the “Hydra” presentation::
"15 Scenes from the Life of Chopin" is an entertaining and enlightening journey into the very mind and soul of one of the greatest masters of the piano. This multi-media presentation was created in 1999 to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of Chopin's Death. Since its inception it has become one of Kevin Kenner's most popular presentations and has been translated into English, German and Japanese.
The selected scenes revisit all the significant milestones in Chopin's life but also interestingly reveal the less conspicuous aspects of Chopin's character. Paintings exhibited also depict the diverse faces of the master, and the accompanying musical selections draw from both his most popular works to pieces which are rarely ever heard in recitals, including his first known composition written as a seven-year old. As a composer whose music transcends all stylistic classifications and whose character was rarely understood by his contemporaries, this production offers a window into one of the most enigmatic personalities of the 19th century.
::Read what presenters had to say about "15 Scenes from the Life of Chopin"::
::Read what the critics had to say about "15 Scenes from the Life of Chopin"::
Kevin Kenner & The Piazzoforte String Quintet
::View a video of the Piazzoforte
String Quintet::
The well-known music critic Colin Cooper wrote: "Piazzolla's tangos are like Chopin's Mazurkas. They will live as long as music continues to be appreciated as a means of expressing human emotions: sorrow, nostalgia, depression, passion and the joyous spirit."
Although the roots of Chopin's music are very different from Piazzolla's, the deep emotion, intimacy, and expressiveness both these composers share links them together in a novel way. Both Chopin and Piazzolla looked to their native folk traditions for inspiration. Both were gifted instrumentalists and improvisers whose compositions reflect this ability. And both share an affinity for the nostalgic and melancholic aspects of music, perhaps related to their emigration from their homeland.
In this emotionally charged programme, Kenner joins forces with Piazzolla specialist Grzegorz Frankowski and his quintet to create an unforgettable evening of passion and romance.
::The Members of the Piazzoforte String Quintet are::
- ::Pawel Wajrak -Violin::
- ::Maciej Lulek -Violin::
- ::Ryszard Sneka -Viola::
- ::Konrad Gorka -Cello::
- ::Grzegorz Frankowski- Double Bass::