Apocalyptic Symphony

I have always considered Finnish band, Apocalyptica to be at the forefront of pushing the boundaries - for both metal and classical music. Together with the Finnish 25 member Avanti! Chamber Orchestra, they are currently on a short tour in Europe playing a number of original and cover songs from their repertoire. 

Last night they played at Berlin's Tempodrom. The venue itself, shaped like a circus tent (an homage to its more temporary original) is an excellent space for concerts; catering for a good size crowd (of about 4000) but retaining a feeling of intimacy. 

The crowd was varied - from people dressed in suits, to metal heads with piercings and leather clothes. By the end of the concert, everyone was up and jumping, even the old lady next to me (who was literally jumping on her seat). It was a great combination of their major hits, and overall a much better concert than the last performance I attended (when the played first act for Nightwish in 2009). 

It was a great night, and a fitting end to our time in Berlin.  

Tacheles

One of my favorite places in Berlin was Tacheles - a near derelict building in the Mitte district primarily serving as an artist colony. It embodied the weirdness and strangeness present in Berlin, that makes it such an interesting city. 

Sadly, Tacheles is no more; and the entire site is boarded up. Much of the graffiti seems to have been cleaned up/faded away and the entire area seems duller as a result. Perhaps it's a sign that Berlin is growing up, a sign that it is loosing its edge, that it's coming to its senses - since the other "underground" areas are far less accessible. 

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

Known colloquialy as the Holocaust memorial, it is certainly the most prominent of the memorials for World War 2 victims in Germany. 

In my previous visits, I have never gone inside the underground memorial centre - and that is really a missing piece in the conceptualisation of the memorial. It is with the context provided that the seemingly endless rows of concrete blocks turn to unmarked, anonymous, numerous, markers for the many that perished. 

It is also strange to see the stark numbers - that the most of the Jews that were murdered were not German, but rather more Polish, Soviet, Hungarian, Czechoslovakian and  Romanian Jews died than German Jews. The operation of persecution seems more of a hunt, than just neighbors turning on each other.

Ultimately, the sadest commentary for me was in the very beginning - a quote from Primo Levi "It happened, therefore it an happen again: this is the core of what we have to say". Given what has happened since - Serbia, Rwanda and what is happening now in Syria - as the human race we haven't learnt anything. As the saying goes, history repeats itself.

Memorial to Homosexuals Persecuted Under Nazism

Is a mouthful, but a poignant reminder not only of the autrocities of the Nazi party, but also of the ongoing persecutions across the world. 

Dali Berlin

Dali Berlin is a permanent exhibition of the works of Salvador Dali, located in Potsdamee Platz. Although the famous paintings such as melting clocks aren't present, it's a sizable collection of paintings, sketches and sculptures. Personally, I liked only a few of them - mostly sculptures - and that is perhaps due to the fact that I am not really a fan of surrealist art. Coupled with no audio guides etc. this is not really an exhibition for someone wanting to learn about Dali or surrealism; but rather an exhibition for the converted.

Schloss Charlottenburg

The only major Berlin attraction I haven't been to before is Schloss Charlottenburg; the palace of Prussian royalty. Originally built by the first queen, Sophie Charlotte, the rooms open to the public are very much dominated by her, even though she didn't live to see the completion. 

Like most palaces of the time, it is lavishly decorated with ornate fixtures, paintings and the queen' speciality - porcelain. It's not an attraction that I would see again, and the political situations entered into by each Prussian ruler (including WW1 by the last) is only mentioned in passing.

East Side Gallery

The East Side Gallery is a large, completely uncontrolled open air gallery on the remains of the Berlin Wall. It is one of the longest stretches of the wall, with work stretching back 20 plus years; although it has also collected graffiti over the years (including 2 groups adding signatures while we were walking). Some of the art seems newer completely - but it is difficult to say.

Some of the art is political, but most of the overt political art seems to have disappeared. But there is still interesting art to be seen.

The Berlin Wall Memorial

In the northern part of central Berlin, where the first parts of the wall was constructed (and pulled down) is the Berlin Wall Memorial. In my last visit I remember the complex showing the various parts of the wall and their significance, but not the gardens and the individual memorial pieces across the site. 

There are off course pieces of the wall, but there are also places of remembrances for those that died on the wall (some had flowers and candles), and it's more of a park with kids playing, people walking dogs etc. 

It's a strange combination, but it is also nice that it is not all somber and reflective.

Ampelmann

One of the few East-German symbols to thrive post reunification are the traffic lights, specifically for pedestrian crossing. Known as the Ampelmann (traffic men), the stop light features a man barring the way, while the go light features a man walking, seemingly with great purpose. 

There are conflicting stories on whether these lights will eventually be replaced by the more mundane symbols of West Germany, but it is certainly one of the enduring symbols of Berlin.

Anhalter Bahnhof

It is quite strange to come across a ruin in the middle of the town - a ruin that still retains some beauty in its design. It's in front of a football field, next to a school; making it even more conspicuous. Anhalter station (which is now underground) seems quite innocent - but a board outside the remaining facade tells a grim tale. 

This was one of the stations that dispatched many to concentration camps; and the board (only in German) gives the numbers dispatched from the station (or is it only the dead?). There is no formal memorial, but this is perhaps more poignant, more appropriate.

The Islamic Art Museum (@Pergamon Museum)

Pergamon Museum is really a collection of museums under one roof. The Pergamon part covers the altar and the gate of Miletus - basically Ancient Greece in modern day Turkey; the Middle East part covers Assyria and Babylon (Gate of Ishtar), there is the currently closed section of Ancient Greek artwork and lastly there is the museum of Islamic Art.

In my previous visit, I didn't spend too much time in this section; and it is certainly worth spending some time here. Chronicling Islamic art through the various "ages" of Islam, the collection is not all about carpets and calligraphy (although that is there). In fact, it is strange to see depictions of animals in Islamic art - as I thought it was forbidden.

The highlight, which I haven't photographed,is the Allepo room - a reconstruction of the interior of a well of merchant's house. Other highlights include the Mshatta Facade from a desert palace in Jordan featuring elaborate carvings of animals on the walls, glassware, ceramics and sculpture - although unlike the Greeks these are far smaller yet more intricate.

Assyria (@Pergamon Museum)

Probably the worst documented and least imposing collection in the Pergamon museum relates to the Assyrians. The collection feels more like a normal museum, and doesn't have any pieces that are just jaw dropping - but it is also a civilization that is not well documented and discussed; so I suppose something is better than nothing.

Berlin's Erotik Museum

Be it sex shops, or prostitution, Germany, and especially Berlin, is quite open about sex. I have been to the Berlin Erotik Museum before (part of a walking tour if I recall); and it really hasn't changed much in between. Located above a Beate Uhse  sex shop near the Zoological Gardens station, it features a floor of various art work over the ages - a lot of Japanese and Chinese art across a number of centuries; and turn of 1900 art from Europe - sex toys and probably the most interesting; a collection of aphrodisiacs. It is quite amazing what humans consider to be aphrodisiacs. It seems anything phallic shaped goes - from the mundane to the disgusting (preserved snakes, snake blood etc). 

The museum is not as good as I remember it, nor is it as interesting as the ones in New York or Amsterdam - but it is still a more obscure cultural experience.

Pergamon Altar (@Pergamon Museum)

The Pergamon Altar was the reason to come to Berlin - later in this trip I plan to go to Pergamon itself, and that was motivated from my memories of the altar at the Pergamon Museum. It is really one of the most imposing sights in any museum. Excavated in modern day Turkey, assembled and restored in Germany; it is a Classical Greek temple with an amazing frieze telling an epic battle between gods and monsters. Unfortunately most of the frieze is missing/damaged but the scale and the detail of what is remaining is jaw-dropping none the less. It is definitely one of the must see museums in the world.

Miletus (@Pergamon Museum)

Last time I was at Pergamon Museum, this section was almost completely under refurbishment. Consequently, I did not appreciate the true scale of this section of the Pergamon Museum. Built of marble, the exhibition includes the market gate, sections from various temples and an impressive mosaic floor from a private house (which takes interior decorating to new heights). 

Gate of Ishtar (@Pergamon Museum)

Last time I went to Pergamon Museum, the Gate of Ishtar was under refurbishment; so it was great to see the full scale of the gate without scaffolding. Erected by King Nebuchadnezzar II in Babylon, this is actually the smaller gate; but imposing none the less. The refurbishment gives a better idea of the animals adorning the walls, and the bright blue and gold really stands out.

There is an inscription on the side on the dedication of the gate by King Nebuchadnezzar, which talks of having a monument that is appreciated by all of mankind. Unfortunately, they would need to get to Berlin and wait in the log lines to get in; but at least it is still there to awe mankind.

Alte Nationalgalarie

Part of the Museuminsel complex in Berlin, the Alte Nationalgalarie hosts a large art collection, from mainly Germany and Austria. I hadn't been inside before, and the collection of marble sculptures is particularly impressive. 

Brandenburg Gate at Night

Almost in Istanbul

I had hoped that the 6 hour layover in Istanbul would allow us to take a short trip into the city, maybe have brunch and just get a feel of the city. Unfortunately, it was not to be. 

Due to how the tickets were bought, we needed to pick up and recheck in the bags. Turkish Airlines were happy to check us in, but bags were only accepted later on; which basically meant the quick trip to the city was out.

Flying in, pre dawn, there was an amazing array of lights over the water. Leaving, it was still fairly cloudy, but the minarets poking through various high rises near the airport made an interesting sight. The airport itself is not much to write of - nothing like Dubai or Singapore - hubs that Istanbul and particularly Turkish Airlines seems to be wanting to emulate. In fact, the airport is rather mundane, although M did seem to get lost in the duty free after we eventually deposited the bags :)

Movie: Nebraska

A story about an old man, struggling alcoholic, pursuing a purpose in life (in which it is clear he will fail); shot entirely in black and white sounds like a depressing film. Instead, Woody's quest to travel 1000 miles to Lincoln, Nebraska to collect his million dollars; is a witty film that uncovers layers of small town America impacted by an economic downturn. In his travels, Woody and his reluctant son stop over in Woody's hometown, and the vultures come out to first prey on Woody's millions and then to prey on his "stupidity". 

There are absolutely amazing performances by the lead characters. It is  a poignant story, and the amazingly witty conversations make this a great movie; worthy of the various nominations.

Thoughts on the JPO's Future

Despite the multi-million Rand Lotto grant, it is quite clear that the survival of the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra is far from certain. Financially, an orchestra is an expensive company to run. Based on the information provided during the business rescue, a full time 70 odd person orchestra would require R1.7 million a month on salaries alone (1). In addition there are expenses such as hall hire, payment of conductor, soloists, performance rights, etc. which would mean that the cost that a season would need to recover before the JPO even makes a profit is approximately R6.2 million (since a season will on average cover 3 months).

To try to survive, the orchestra has certainly tried a few things - performers are no longer permanent, the seasons are shorter (too short in my opinion), and the music is mostly in the public domain. In my opinion however, these actions have just extended the lifetime by a few months; this is not a sustainable solution.

In my view the problem with finances boil down to the audience - or rather the lack thereof. Ultimately the JPO's performances are its product, and the fact that the Linder Auditorium does not have close to a full house in each performance is the underlying cause of financial problems. 

For a 12 performance season (2 concerts a week), at an average price R250 a ticket, the orchestra will need to sell 2066 seats per performance. I don't think the Linder Auditorium has that many seats! In fact, in my rough calculation there are about 1200 seats, which would put the average price of R430 - way too high for South African market in my opinion; and that is based on a full house each night!

So clearly sponsorship, whether it's from the the Lotto or from corporates is necessary in order to fill the shortgap. However, the current scenario of half full halls do not help with getting sponsorships; and ultimately makes the survival of the JPO difficult at best. 

This is not a new phenomenon - orchestras around the world are struggling; and the survival of the art itself is effectively under threat. But there are orchestra houses that have made it work. For example, I tried to look for tickets for the Berlin Philharmonic (for my forthcoming trip), and the tickets were sold out - in December, 3 months out. Likewise, when I went to the San Francisco Symphony or the Munich Opera in 2012 only the last few seats were left. Berlin makes a good case study in some respects; the city size and population is similar to Jo'burg, it is a city with a lot of young people, and economically more similar than other German cities. It however does have a rich tradition, and it is one of the top orchestras in the world - so it does help in filling up the seats I suppose!

So ultimately, the discussion does come to; how to fill the seats. Maybe some of these ideas have been tried;  and some do require investment. But here are my thoughts on how to increase audience numbers.

1. Choose another day, perhaps over the weekend

Weekday concerts are hard to attend if you are working in a corporate. It often translates to long days - starting office around 8:00 could mean waking up at 6 or even earlier; leaving JPO at 22:30 means getting to bed at almost midnight. Furthermore, from a few discussions a number of colleagues and friends also mentioned the late time makes it difficult if they have school going kids as it may mean not seeing them at all, or impact getting the kids to school the next day. 

So why not make one of the concerts on a Saturday or Friday. Even a Sunday afternoon may work better. And it would also allow younger children to attend concerts.

2. Have a second venue

Johannesburg is a massive city; and it is linked to two other metros; so audience numbers should really not be a problem. But one venue, in CBD area makes it unattractive for people who stays further north, east or west. 

One thought could be to make a second venue in a different area; perhaps even third and fourth nights if it works in the future. True, there is a lack of large venues, but some such as Montecasino, State Theatre or the Soweto Theatre could be particularly attractive in this case.

3. Make the music more accessible

Most of the write-ups give a short history of the composition followed by a shorter overview of the piece itself in fairly technical jargon. I often find that the Wikipedia overview is far more understandable and accessible; and this mix needs to be corrected in the program notes. It could also be more interesting if the conductor, or the concertmaster gave a short introduction at the beginning. Richard Cock's introductions during the various non JPO concerts in the year are a good example of making the pieces more accessible and keeping the audience engaged in the performance.

4. More contemporary classical music

The current repertoire of old pieces makes it cheaper to perform, but it's not necessarily accessible, especially to people who are unfamiliar with classical music. 

That does not mean people are not familiar with classical music. Music from the movies are the best examples, but there is also music from computer games, advertising, TV series and stage shows. 

This might also open up a new stream of sponsorships - partnership with media companies such as Multichoice and e-TV to perhaps synchronize the music with the movie or TV series; or partner with Sony or Microsoft to perform music related to new (or existing) games. 

That is not to say that classical pieces should not be played at all - just that there should be a balance. And these new pieces would be something new to the established audience.

5. Have a theme

To the non musically trained, such as myself, the programme often comes across as a set of random pieces. They are also often not linked to easy themes - be it a quasi celebration such as Valentine's Day or Halloween; or national holidays such as Freedom Day, Women's Day, etc. In my opinion, last year's Halloween concert was the step in the right direction, and from the audience reaction, it was very well received.

6. More South African music

There have been a few South African composers over the past few years I have attended the JPO; but there could have been much more. Some conductors such as Robert Maxym have quite a few compositions for orchestra in their CV, and perhaps they could conduct their own compositions. This may mean more choral pieces or be unfamiliar, but part of being a South African orchestra should be about playing South African music. 

This could also be extended to cover other heritages that influence South Africa; via the various immigration waves - be it initial European immigration, to Asian immigration to more modern African immigrations. 

7. Advertise more

The JPO hardly advertises, and I have only ever heard event announcements on Classic FM. Advertising is important - wen those who enjoy classical do not necessarily listen to Classic FM; and even if they do; many do not even know a JPO exists (based on a very unscientific poll amongst colleagues and friends). 

 The JPO should really advertise on all the major Gauteng radio stations an make itself known. Billboard adverts etc maybe a step too far (in terms of expenses), but radio ads across multiple stations should be standard.

8. Multimedia Immersion

There are classical pieces that specifically lend themselves to a wider immersive experience. For example, Musorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition or Holst's Planets could be accompanied by projections of the pictures or photos of planets respectively. This could extend to other pieces, especially those linked to operas, musicals or movies. This is not an easy idea to implement, and perhaps the costs do not warrant the implementation - but it could create more context for the audience and thus make the pieces more accessible.

9. Fusion with modern music

Finally, a radical idea. Quite a few years back, the number 1 song on South African radio was "The Goodbye Song" by DJ Cleo. The song featured the famous "Time to Say Goodbye" sung by two young opera singers, with DJ Cleo playing electronic music as the accompanying music. This is hardly a new phenomenon, Deep Purple has an album - Orchestra and Band; Metallica had Symphony&Metallica; Within Temptation had a concert with a full orchestra and choir and locally there was Symphony Rocks. 

Something like this would be more once off; but it potentially gets different audiences to attend, and that is a good thing.

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I am not saying that the ideas above are the only ways to increase audience numbers. They are purely my observations and thoughts in the course of last year, since the JPO's financial crisis was publicized. I hope these ideas give some ideas on resurrecting the finances of the orchestra. I do believe that a fully functional classical music orchestra is a good thing for a city; and it is an important art form to preserve. But time is running out for the JPO, and it needs to turn around soon. If there is another financial crunch - I don't think it will survive another business rescue operation.

(1) using an average of R25k a month, slightly higher than what was reflected in the business rescue documents. 

Movie: The Grandmaster

The cinematography is beautiful - especially the many, well crafted and choreographed fight scenes; accompanied by one of the best sound tracks in modern cinema. The movie traces roughly 20 years of the life of Yip Man - from aristocracy, through the Japanese occupation in World War 2 through to restarting his life (without his family) in Hong Kong after the war. It does not dwell on his famous students (Bruce Lee being the most famous in the Western world at least); and much of the story is difficult to gauge on whether it is biographical or whether it mythological. But perhaps that is the point - maybe the grandmaster is supposed to be such a pinnacle of skill, that (s)he is almost superhuman. 

While it is a visual treat; the story is disjointed and not completely clear. There is a "major" character - The Razor - that seemingly doesn't fit in anywhere in the story. There are plot points, that are never completely explained, and somehow it just doesn't seem to fit all together. But really, it is just worth watching for the music and the stunning fight scenes.

JPO's 1st 2014 Season, 5th Concert

The final concert of the 1^st Season started with Johan Strauss II's Overture to Die Fledermaus - a very popular piece, given the number of times I have heard it on radio. Like many of Straus' compositions (i.e. waltzes), the piece is fun and lively - a great way to start the concert.

For me, Bruch's Concerto for 2 Pianos was the most anticipated piece of the season - not because I had heard it before; just the spectacle. The soloists were Bulgarian duo Aglika Genova and Liuben Dimitrov rounded up the full Bulgarian quota of visitors with conductor Martin Panteleev returning to the podium for the concert. The concerto itself was strange - it starts of, with the pianos imposing themselves, but then retreats in support for much of the concert; before returning with much pomp in the final movement. The concerto was very well recieved, and the duo obliged with three encores - certainly a record for the JPO concerts I have attended. 

I did not particularly enjoy Rachmaninov's 2^nd Symphony - but I am not completely sure why. Perhaps it was because it is quite a long symphony (this was the full hour performance), that sometimes feels like it never ends - or perhaps it was because I was just tired after a long day. 

The 2^nd JPO season will start on 7 May, and start off with Rachmaninov's 2^nd Piano Concerto - that should get a good crowd in for the night!

Opposition Politics in South Africa

The Centre for Ethics at WITS hosted a debate on opposition politics in South Africa last night. The panel consisted of author and talk show host Eusebius McKaiser, UJ Professor Steven Friedman, Independent Newspaper's chief editor Karima Brown and WITS Professor Daryl Glaser. It was an enlightening discussion, although it wasn't really a debate, given that all the panelists more or less agreed on the major discussion points; but the discussion points were still intellectually stimulating and provided some very interesting insights.

The discussion was obviously dominated by a few key themes - DA and whether it got the fact that race is important to most South Africans; EFF and it's actual chances; whether NUMSA would be more effective and what it would take to overcome the ANC hegemony.

Probably the most interesting idea advanced by the panelists, was that opposition parties in South Africa largely do not have any real ideological differences to the ANC. The argument was that the major opposition parties are effectively stating that try are the ANC but would be able to deliver better, and thus they are not really painting a radically different vision for South Africa. And since the ANC currently owns that vision, together with a powerful history of great leaders like Mandela and Tambo together  with the success of liberation; they inherently start off better than the opposition parties. The panelists further agreed that EFF was not radically new vision - but rather a more fundamentalist version of the ANC vision, and thus can be classed in the same pot.

Quite some time was also spent on racial politics and the DA's general incompetence in this regard. Eusebius McKaiser elements put it that the DA's policies are clear as mud which in turn turns off both their existing and prospective supporters. 

Largely, the consensus seemed to be that ANC will win handsomely, and will only be affected by the supporters who agree that other parties would deliver the same vision better. Without a comprehensively new vision however, long term opposition politics will remain in the quagmire that they are not really that different. 

Gautrain vs. Metro Rail

Saturday evening's transit to FNB Stadium brought out the stark difference between them. It is not so much the difference in modernity - that is unavoidable between systems that were built decades apart. 

Rather it is the difference in maintenance and enforcement of rules. For example, Park Station's stairs down to the platform  has a distinct smell of urine; platforms are not really clean; and rules like no smoking in public spaces are not enforced. It also goes wider into signage, sub standard ticketing (no ticket machines?) and just a generally creaking system. 

The one thing that Gautrain can learn - cabin seating. Metro Rail's cabin design with two rows of seats with lots of standing room is far more efficient for commuter transport; and would be a better design for Gautrain too. And Metro Rail can learn from the better enforcement of rules.

An Evening with Santana

Although I heard of the Santana concerts when they were announced, I didn't get round to buying tickets till Friday (for the concert on Saturday) - and even then, only via OLX. Unlike other concerts I have been to, the audience was significantly older - and it did feel strange to go to a concert in a stadium that was seating only. With Gautrain's "Big Night Out" promotion, M and I took the Gautrain to Park Station, followed by the metro train to FNB stadium - an arrangement that worked relatively well - and certainly far better than the organisational chaos that was U2.

Embarrassingly, I didn't even know that Johnny Clegg was the opening act for the night, until I saw the T-Shirts for sale. His 1 hour performance was filled with most his well known hits from over the years, that brought the crowd to its feet; and kept them on their feet for most of the concert. It is strange for a performer to end a set with a slow tribute song, but Asimbonanga is not an ordinary slow song and was a perfect ending to a great set (including the projection of the video on the link as the backdrop).

There was a very efficient 25 minute set change-over to Santana, who would go on to play on for just over 2 hours - although his promise of playing until 6am if the audience was up for it did not materialise.The wet weather was not perfect, but as Johnny Clegg commented - the heavens is showing respect for Santana - the rain did stay away for the full duration of the set!

The band lineup, based on the Wikipedia article, is not the current line-up of the older Santana band members, but the earlier band that has seen most of the success in past 10 years or so. Most of the songs were from his recent albums (since I recognised them :), but given the audience reception from the other songs, it was fairly easy to identify some of the older songs! The set had the expected, amazing instrumental pieces - the fusion of rock, jazz, Latin and African rhythms; and much of the crowd was on its feet for most of the concert.

There were a few songs towards the end performed together with Johnny Clegg, both songs from Johnny Clegg with Santana adding guitar or Johnny Clegg contributing vocals to Santana pieces.

JPO's 1st 2014 Season, 4th Concert - Beethoven

The penultimate concert for the first season featured an all Beethoven line-up, with Bulgarian conductor Martin Panteleev on the podium. It started with one of the most well known (short) orchestral pieces - Egmont Overture; which combines all the best parts of Beethoven's symphonic creations in a single, short piece. It was well performed by the orchestra, and enthusiastically received by a rather sparse audience.

There was a slight change from the published programme, with Zanta Hofmeyr's concerto recital of the Violin Concerto taking place before the break (instead of after). I am not as familiar with the concerto - except for the very familiar 3^rd movement; but the length did warrant its performance after the break in my opinion. Concerto performances make it interesting to observe the soloist's reactions; especially in long pauses where it is only the orchestra performing - as in the first movement, where the soloist slowly, and quite tentatively joins in after what it seems like a couple of minutes. And the piece is quite interesting on how the soloist goes from a tentative participant to a commanding presence in the final parts of the concerto; slowly bringing out the virtuoso performance. It was an amazing performance, that fully deserved the standing ovation. 

The concert finished off the evening with the Second Symphony; which after the first half was a bit of a let down after the majestic performances of the first half; and another motivation for the concerto to have been the final piece!

Movie: 12 Years a Slave

The movie reviews and the general history of slavery do not really prepare you for the brutality of the story recounted in 12 Years a Slave. More than any other movie exploring the subject of slavery, the director and the actors manage to encompass both the physical and mental battles - and the absurd contradictions. On one hand slave owners treated slaves as animals; as property; yet they also lusted after the women for sex. 

The acting performances are amazing across the board and they definitely deliver one of the standout performances of the year. 

This is a difficult movie to watch, not an "entertaining" movie, but definitely one that needs to be watched - so that the atrocities and the thinking are never repeated.

JPO's 1st 2014 Season, 3rd Concert

Robert Maxym, with his translucent shirt, was back on the podium for the 3rd concert for the year for the JPO. The concert started off with Beethoven's Lenore Overture No 3 from his opera Fidelio; and was probably my favourite piece of the concerts so far - almost a mini symphony on its own.

Russian pianist, Konstantin Soukhovetski, is probably the most flashiest male solo performer I have seen at the JPO - complete with sparkling shoes and jacket. I am not a big fan of Mozart, but his performance of Mozart's Piano Concerto No 24, was amazing. He was completely absorbed in the music - whether sitting while waiting for the orchestra; or in his own solo performance. Without much prompting, his encore was a piano rendition of song scored by Schumann set in September (at the beginning of Autumn), and the fading  sunlight that brings a slow death to the garden - which he gave a synopsis of, before performing. With the material in mind, it is quite amazing how well the music tracked the emotions described.

The last piece of the evening was Mendelssohn's Symphony No.5 (Reformation) - which I liked in parts - but was mostly bored through it. The Beethoven and the Mozart made up for it though.

Harties Cableway

I first heard of the Harties Cableway when I first moved to Johannesburg - but I was told it was derelict, and no longer operational. About a year ago, while driving through the area - I went past the site on a whim and saw that it was "under construction". Ever since, I have wanted to go up - but just never got round to it.

It's a fixed cable car system, providing a fairly comfortable ride up to the top - with absolutely amazing views of the area - with Johannesburg just visible on the horizon. The last bit to the top is particularly steep - but the cable car speed is fairly gentle with the whole ride taking about 2 minutes. There are a few food places with very reasonable prices - and is generally, a good place to spend an afternoon. 

  

It is hard to imagine riding up on the older cable car system, which are still on display at the bottom.

 

JPO's 1st 2014 Season, 2nd Concert

For a pair of concerts that precede Valentine's Day, most of the music was rather a reflection of broken hearts instead of love and happiness. And all the music was Russian - although there wasn't a link between the nationality and the somberness of the music! Daniel Boico was back (for this week only unfortunately) as the conductor, and, once again he brought great energy to the performance.

The concert did start off brightly - Borodin's Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor. It's a great piece - especially the solos featuring the oboe and the clarinet. It was a great start to the concert. The concerto, featured German cellist, Peter Bruns, playing Shostakovich's 2^nd Cello Concerto. The cello, by default is quite a somber instrument, and the piece itself, was quite somber - even when there was some fanfare or brightness - it seemed to be quickly extinguished.

The final piece, was Tchaikovsky's 6^th Symphony - Pathetique.If there is one piece of music that traces the journey from happiness to sadness and despair - this is probably the best candidate. It even has a great flourish that promises happily ever after, at the end of the 3rd movement; to be brought crushingly down to despair in the final movement.

It was not the best Valentine's Day concert (but then again, it wasn't advertised as such) - but it was still a great concert with superb performances all round.

Lang Lang and Metallica

It is not the first time that Metallica has merged metal with classical, but the collaboration with Lang Lang at the Grammy's is just mind blowing - not only how Lang Lang perfectly fits into the metal performance guise; but also how well the piano merges with a Metallica classic.

Rome2rio

I have been planning my next trip the last few weeks, and a new website - Rome2rio - has been an amazing help for working out travelling options. Combining the full set of bus, taxis, public transport, flights and ferries - it has been a great help in working out the best way to travel between two points - especially when my trip covers quite a wide set of cities in a constrained time period. I have been most impressed by some more off beat suggestions it has thrown up; things that even some tourism sites and travel companies don't mention. Definitely one of the best travel planing websites around!

Buskaid Chamber Concert

St Mary's - a private girls school in one of the richer suburbs in Johannesburg is quite an ironic location to host Buskaid - an ensemble from one of the poorer suburbs of Johannesburg. The Edge, a brilliant auditorium with amazing acoustics paints the gulf between the haves and the have-nots - Buskaid is after all still struggling to add on to their music school.

Buskaid returned for the third year running to the Johannesburg International Mozart Festival, playing yet another eclectic mix of composers, spanning a few centuries; ending off with the Buskaid tradition of kwela. For me, the highlight was Tiisetso Mashishi playing Max Bruch's Romance for Viola and Orchestra Op. 85; but all the pieces were well performed, and well received by an almost capacity audience. 

Buskaid performances are always a highlight and deliver some of the most joyous musical performances on stage. And they definitely deserve to play in the best venues available.

JPO's 1st 2014 Season, 1st Concert

The 2014 concerts for JPO started this week, and for the first time, I decided to get season tickets. For the last few seasons I have managed to go to almost every concert - and the discount makes sense. The seasons have been shortened to 5 concert weeks this year - perhaps it is a cost saving move. The first concert featured conductor Brandon Phillips from Cape Town, and acclaimed pianist Christopher Duigan from Durban - making it an all South African affair.

The concert started with Liszt's Les Préludes, S97 (Symphonic Poem No.3) - which was a bit longer than I expected, with a lot of different moods - which is explained by the origins of the piece. In fact, the entire piece is like a classic story arch - there is a mostly neutral set-up narrative, followed by arguments and strife concluding with celebration and everyone living happily ever after. It's a great piece to start off the year!

Liszt's Piano Concerto No 1 is one of famous piano concertos,easily recognisable, Christopher Duigan played it brilliantly. I think I enjoyed it more than Ben Schoeman's performance in 2011 - but that could be just due to the passage of time! Christopher Duigan's encore (given seemingly quite reluctantly, after the 3^rd round of applause), was a Liszt transcription of a Donizetti opera - was amazing; and got an equally appreciative applause.

Dvořák's 6^th Symphony rounded off the evening, and of the evening, my least favourite. To me, it just didn't seem to fit in with the rest of the concert line-up.