CELEBRATING YOUTH
‘Honoloulou, pota lama! Honoloulou, Honoloulou, Kati moko, mosi bolou Ratakou sira, polama!’
Such were the words chosen by Francis Poulenc for one of the interludes in Rapsodie nègre, a piece he composed at the age of 18. The text was a mix of farcical words that did not mean anything. Just before its premiere, the baritone refused to perform, wary of appearing ridiculous. In a surprising turn of events, Poulenc, hidden behind a large music stand, sang the interlude himself. The sight of a soldier, clad in his uniform, belting out pseudo-Malagasy lyrics would have created an unusual effect. Much to Poulenc’s relief, the rhapsody, dedicated to French composer Erik Satie, was a resounding success.
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The backstories of the early works of composers, often driven purely by their raw eagerness of expression, are abundant with such anecdotes. This desire to create often arises out of inspiration drawn from other artistes’ works. For example, Edward Elgar composed a Credo for choir at the age of 16, based on themes from Beethoven’s Fifth, Seventh and Ninth Symphonies. This eagerness can also emerge out of the need for experimentation. John Cage’s In a Landscape is a case in point, which explores the unique sounds produced by holding the piano pedals down for the entirety of the 10-minute piece. Finally, this eagerness can also be fuelled by the sole aim of shocking the public by challenging their expectations, as is evident in Beethoven’s early sonatas and, of course, in Poulenc’s semi-Dadaist work mentioned earlier.
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Con Brio Wonder Years will present works by iconic classical composers written during the youth of their careers. The competition-festival will present a programme of ‘youthful’ works from across Europe and the Americas—two regions where Western classical music has been most richly nurtured.
Con Brio 2024 will host the final stages of the National Piano, Violin and Voice competitions, featuring performances of young musicians selected out of a total of 112 applicants. Highlights also include the Newman Choir, violin-cello duet titled Water Droplets composed by Sibelius at age 10, Variations for Clarinet and String Quartet by Rossini, Britten's Simple Symphony, De Falla’s ‘Danse Espagnole’ performed by six hands on one piano, Gershwin’s Preludes played as a duet on two pianos, an early Vivaldi violin concerto, Poulenc’s Rapsodie nègre, excerpts from Mozart's Motet for Soprano and Strings written at the age of 16, Rachmaninoff ’s Trio élégiaque composed at age 17, Britten's Simple Symphony, and a piano quintet by Miguel del Aguila evoking an imaginary visit to a clock museum.
Celebrating the success of the first instalment of the Con Brio Conducting Weekend, a workshop that took place earlier this year, the festival will also introduce several young conductors, leading various vocal and instrumental ensembles.
SMIT SHAH, DIRECTOR, THE CON BRIO FESTIVAL