By Louis Kruger
“Classical music is pretty rock and roll, if you think about it,” says conductor and artistic director of the Winelands Philharmonic Orchestra (WPO) Reghardt Kühn, before leading the orchestra into Tchaikovsky’s “Marche Slave”. Indeed it can be – it can also swell with emotion, as does the “Intermezzo” of Cavalleria Rusticana, and it can thrill, dash, excite, like the “Jewel Song” from Faust, both of which the WPO selected from the lofty list of continental classics at their disposal.
Stellenbosch’s Town Hall, a prominent example of the Cape Revival style, is beautiful inside as out, with its light lacquered wood and tall, stately windows. On this night, the place sparkled with “The Sound of Music” (literally). The WPO was excellent, although perhaps less debonair than the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO), which is probably the best and certainly the most active orchestra in the country. Soprano Maria Pienaar (née Erasmus) sang her repertoire, including a few musical numbers, like the ebullient “I Could Have Danced All Night”, with a beautifully round, balanced sound.
Kühn’s express aim is to “bring together” all the music groups of the Winelands under the banner of the WPO, in service of nurturing musical talent across the region. The orchestra itself is a “community-based ensemble comprised almost entirely of volunteer musicians”, according to spokesperson Cornelia Casaleggio. In the spirit of fostering local expertise, the Stellenbosch Youth Orchestra performed five pieces under the baton of Stuart Martin, including Strauss’s delightful “Pizzicato Polka”. Kühn asserts, “Development of youth talent [in music] is critical to the development of a community as a whole.” Lots of speaking at concerts can be tiresome, but Kühn did a reasonable job of striking a personal note without overshadowing the music.
Pieces were selected from the standard European catalogue, barring a couple from the Americas, including the relatively obscure “Sparrowhawk Tango”. Chosen songs celebrated a national spirit, whether Austrian (“Hungarian March”), Italian (“Radetzky March”), Scottish (“Piper of Dundee”), Russian (“Marche Slave”) or French (“Bacchanale”), many being based on folk tunes or inspired by great military victories. “Classical Kaleidoscope” implies a celebration of humanity’s diverse legacy: but which “humanity”?
Human Rights Day, in addition to being an opportunity to listen to classical music, is also a chance for reflection on those who died at Sharpeville, and the legacy of that struggle. Unfortunately, the programme failed to engage fully with the spirit of the day – one wonders if more could have been done to foreground South African composers, especially from the Winelands region.
Of course, the night would not have been complete without an oblique reference to Timothée Chalamet’s recent statement regarding opera and ballet. As with any classical recital, the question of relevance looms large: what am I doing here, we must all ask ourselves. But, then the music starts, and we’re swept away: a note of triumph rings clear, and we hear, to our amazement, the inexorable march of (yes, European) humanity.
