A special Festival evening of music was held last night, 12 August by the cellist Eckart Runge, pianist Martina Filjak and saxophonist b, who wowed the sizeable audience gathered in the Rector’s Palace atrium with their virtuoso performance of pieces by Ástor Piazzolla, George Gershwin, Nikolai Kapustin and Gordan Tudor.
The concert began with a performance by all three outstanding musicians who, with their virtuosity and passion, conveyed the magic of Winter and Spring from the famous cycle The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires from the pen of Argentinian composer Ástor Piazzolla, and were welcomed by thunderous applause and ovations from the festival audience. Three Preludes, for saxophone and piano by George Gershwin followed, encompassing a wide spectrum of feelings, from rich to tender tones, intertwining in a magical dance between these two instruments, while Elegy and Burlesque, for cello and piano by the Russian composer Nikolai Kapustin simultaneously brought elegance and lively burlesque, creating an intriguing contrast in expression. The work of Gordan Tudor, saxophonist and composer, Sonata for saxophone and piano, was also on the repertoire before the musicians returned to Piazzolla and his Le Grand Tango for cello and piano and the remaining pieces from the Four Seasons of Buenos Aires when, in an appropriate twist to the planned programming, the virtuosos concluded the Festival musical journey with Summer rather than Autumn, earning a strong, echoing applause. In addition to passionate musicianship, the trio communicated with the audience during the concert. Through announcements and descriptions of individual compositions, they created an extremely intimate atmosphere within the Palace, further enriching the musical experience for those present, enabling them to have a deeper understanding and connection with the music itself.
The next concert in the Rector’s Palace atrium as part of the 74th Festival’s music programme will be held by Polish violinist Martyna Pastuszka and her {oh!} Orkiestra on Wednesday, 16 August at 9.30 p.m. The ensemble specialises in historically informed performances and appears regularly at renowned festivals and concert halls, while tickets for their Dubrovnik debut are available via the festival website www.dubrovnik-festival.hr or the service www.ulaznice.hr, at the box office in the Festival Palace (Od Sigurate 1) every day from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and in front of the DTS building (Vukovarska St) from Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.