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| Sunday, 1 February 2004 |
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The Linos Ensemble : Questioning tradition, fighting routine by Hassinee Halpe Andree
Warm tones and textures of professional co-ordination of string, wood wind, and brass, deep sounds of fully exploited expression, thank heavens lifted the mood, of this otherwise tired musician who was not too keen to end a gruelling Friday the 5th December 2003 at this concert. But the Linos Ensemble was worth every effort to get there at the Bishops College Auditorium, and I left thinking wow! Structurally perfect in the classical era with the Mozart and of course romantically very much inclined to the famous Schubert Trout, here the pianist took centre stage with absolute perfection and total mastery. her subtlety of phrasing was evocative in every tone and gesture way. But what I went back home with was the two moderns in my mind.They began with a piece that at first seemed to hit you somewhere at the back of your head. One could imagine the thoughts crossing the minds of a used- to- Bach- Mozart -conservative 'oh no, it's a modern.' This was the Variations on a Landler by Schubert by Detlev Muller-Siemens. To this listener 'the hit at the back of your head was acknowledged' but then the beauty of the piece pushed forward with a full exploitation of string harmonics holding deliberate 2nds and 4ths and 7ths to resolve, the effect mirrored in the wind and brass as well, and as the composer intended, the ensemble was made to play as individuals in a happy marriage of warm tone. Undoubtedly the high point of the evening was the Dixtour by Jean Francaix, commissioned by the Linos Ensemble The piece was never too serious, but not too merry, what became evident was the varied influences of the composer. The piece seemed to roll a musician's likes and dislikes, his or her entire gamut of experiences from the earliest to the newest and so, the range from Mozart to Stravinsky and it showed in what seemed to be with elegant delight. A big thank you to the Goethe Institute who continue to send us world
class musicians, Ensemble Resonanz, with his ensemble of 18th century
instruments, the Dresden Choir to name a few of the many in the past who
came to Sri Lanka and finally this, in their 50th year of diplomatic
relations - the Linos Ensemble who play music 'Questioning tradition
fighting the routine, seeking the unusual.' Boradiya Pokuna (Scent of the Lotus Pond)
Boradiya Pokuna, will be screened at the 33rd International Film Festival in Rotterdam. The film has been nominated for the prestigious UPRO Tiger award. The plot is centered on love affairs of garment workers and soldiers of indigent rural families, and the spiritual, social and cultural erosion affecting their lives. The film reviews from a Buddhist standpoint the conflict in these youthful lives against a complex socio-political background marked by love, sexuality and marriage. Buddhist Jataka stories on courtesan Ambapali and Vakkaliputta Thera have provided the director the background for his thinking. "As far as Boradiya Pokuna is concerned I was able to draw inspiration from the manner the psycho-sexual complexities of men and women were presented in Asathamantha Jatakaya and Nalinie Jatakaya," claimed director/Script writer, Sathyajith Maitipe. The cast includes Kaushalya Fernando, Dilani Abeywardene, Duminda de Silva, Iranganie Serasinghe, Dharmasiri Bandaranayake, Veena Jayakody, Priyanka Samaraweera, Chandanie Seneviratne, Chandra Kaluarachchi and Liyoni Kotalawela. Music Director: Visharadha Pradeep Ratnayake Ballet Festival at John de Silva Theatre The three ballets, War and Peace, 2050 and Yodhaya and Malwalle will be staged on February 7 at the John de Silva Memorial Theatre, Colombo. Kalasuri, Pandit Amaradeva, Kalasuri, Dr. S. Panee Bharatha, Kalasuri Somabandu Vidyapathi Western Musician, Dr. Premasiri Khemadasa and ballet dramatist will be the special guests in addition to several diplomats, artistes, electronic and print media personnel who will grace the occasion. Two-award-winning dramas at the 2000-2003 State Ballet Festival will also be staged. The event is organised by Gankanda MMV old Boys Association
(Colombo Pelmadulla branches.) Heimat Film : The call of the Homely Idyll (Die heimatliche Idylle ruft!) In a series of 'Heimat' films Goethe Institute has been presenting the most vivid and colourful first generation of poplar German movies of the post war era. To those living in the hub of activity of the fast developing cities, the German village with its green meadows, snowy Alps, deep blue lakes, pine forests or the purple health provided with that idyll that was untouched by the wars. These celluloid love stories often show the fun-loving boy from the city falling in love with the pure simple village lass - or the sophisticated lady from the city finding it difficult to ignore the good hearted lumber jack met on a holiday. The films not only capture the beautiful scenery of Bavarian Germany, Austria and Switzerland but also unroll a panorama of traditional festivals and colourful dances. Sri Lankan audiences, too would no doubt be reminded of similar films of the sixties and early seventies that portrayed the village as the sanctuary of tradition, where simple villagers live in harmony with nature, says a press release from the Goethe Institut. A tip not only to nostalgic lovers of the sixties but to any one who would like to be carried off by a love story related in the backdrop of breathtaking landscapes, music and songs thereby becoming almost forerunners of 'Sound of Music!" Programme: 02 Feb. Black Forest Girl Open air screening takes place at 6.30 pm at the German Cultural
Institute, 39, Gregory's Road, Colombo 7. New museums in France between 1990-2000 The Alliance Francaise of Colombo will present an exhibition on New museums built in France between 1990-2000 from tomorrow until February 23. New museums in France between 1990-2000 will present the skills and know-how of the French in the fields of construction and renovation of museums at an international level. The exhibition is based on topics emphasising the important role played by architecture in the process of adequately using the space on a given site, for the purpose of displaying art collections or documents. The entire masterplan designed and co-ordinated by the architect: Scenography, light, specifications, theft protection or fire protection, showcases...these topics are presented in the exhibition along with other conservation works. Thirty posters present photographs of outside views of New Meseums built in France between 1990 and 2000. |
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