Beethoven in Zimbabwe
31/10/11 06:13 Filed in: Peter Martens
Playing specialized classical music concerts such as a with a programme of only Beethoven Cello Sonatas in so-called first world countries could be perceived to be hard enough to sell, so on our recent trip to Zimbabwe, Luis Magalhaes (pianist) and I had no idea what to expect…So all the more gratifying to have had all the CDs we brought with us sold at our first concert in Harare. We were delighted of course, but nevertheless somewhat embarrassed to go to Bulawayo with no Beethoven CDs to sell. The concerts were very well received and in both Harare and Bulawayo and audiences made up of a vast cross section of people ranging from municipal workers and big game hunters to perhaps one serious musicologist were captivated from the first to the last note of both performances. This, I think, is not only testimony to the greatness of Beethoven himself, but testimony to the positive effect of current Beethoven tempo research. The experience was also a lesson to classical musicians like ourselves in that we should perhaps not underestimate the capacity of a largely “musically uneducated” audience to be captivated by great unadulterated classical music. – Thank you to all the Zimbabweans, who showed us a good time and above all, showed us that we can be ambassadors for the likes of Ludwig van Beethoven in the most unlikely corners of the world!
blog comments powered by Disqus