Chamber Music Plus IV: The Art of the Sonata

The Chamber Music Society of Colombo will explore the history and evolution of the ubiquitous 'Sonata' form, with complete examples from Biber, Brahms, Clementi and composers from the 20th century at the Goethe Institute, Colombo 7 on February 9 at 7.30 p.m.

Of interest will be the inclusion of sonatas written for woodwind and brass instruments with basso continuo.

The music will be performed by the principal players of the Chamber Music Society led by its Artistic Director Lakshman Joseph de Saram and will be accompanied with a verbal commentary on the sonata form by the musicians involved.

In origin, the word 'sonata' referred to music that was 'sounded', not 'sung'. In the eighteenth century it was applied to a particular form of composition that came to dominate almost all instrumental music. 'Sonata' form occupies a central place in the work of serious classical composers from Haydn to post-romantic Mahler. It is to be contrasted with the polyphonic style of the preceding Baroque era; and it embodied the conventions against which later 'modern' styles were to react.

It has two basic aspects - the division of the composition into a formal sequence of movements, and the elaboration of homophonic harmony.

The evening is sponsored in part by Rikskonsertene (Concerts Norway) and by the Goethe Institute in Colombo.

Peace-building through art at Casa Serena

Peace, mutual understanding, and shared harmony are the three themes that come together in Casa Serena's newest exhibition for the year titled Celebrating the Beauty of Diversity, created in collaboration with the Embassy of Italy.

The exhibition has been put together with much thought by Casa Serena's Founder Director Nisansala Karunaratne. For Nisansala, it was important to create an exhibition that addresses Sri Lanka in the aftermath of a long and tumultuous war.

She says that "the Sri Lankan people have been through immense suffering and shock, but now the process of healing and recovery from the tragedies of the past has begun" and goes on to say "we must not indulge in the past, but rather look forward in building a better future step-by-step with a focus on the present challenges." Celebrating the Beauty of Diversity is a product of this far sighted thought process.

Using art as a tool for communication, the exhibition portrays ten artists' expressions of a peaceful and harmonious Sri Lanka in an attempt to foster mutual understanding and shared humanity among a diverse and multicultural people who have withstood countless periods of conflict over time.

The 10 artists are Thilini Kanchana, Thavarasa Thajendran, G.C. Ranathunga, Sujatha Malalanayake, R. Pragash, Nihal Sangabo Dias, Yashmin Buckan, Kasun Chamara Abeyrathne, Constantine and Noeline Fernando.

In her selection of artists, an important deciding factor for Nisansala was having a diverse representation of ethnicity, religion, gender, area and age as she says that as a country that is home to many cultures, we need to find ways of bridging the gaps that exist today in our society. She says that art is a communication tool, often undervalued, which can evoke powerful messages that transcend the barriers of time and space, and bring about peace and harmony.

Celebrating the Beauty of Diversity is open to the public till January 27 at the Casa Serena Gallery, Havelock Road, Colombo 5. Gallery hours are from Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm.

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters was released at the Savoy 3D Cinema, Wellawatte from January 25.

Catching up with Hansel (Jeremy Renner) and Gretel (Gemma Arterton), 15 years after the traumatic incident involving a gingerbread house, the siblings have grown into vengeful bounty hunters dedicated to exterminating witches.

Over the years, the siblings became expert hunters, famous for their proficiency at tracking and taking down their prey. Although still recovering from their ordeal, their work is relatively easy because for an unknown reason, harmful spells and curses do not work well against them.

The Mayor of Augsburg, Germany recruits them to rid the town and nearby forests of an evil sorceress Muriel (Famke Janssen) who is planning to sacrifice many local children at the witches' gathering during the upcoming 'Blood Moon' night in two days time.

To make things worse, the duo also has to deal with the brutal Sheriff Berringer (Peter Stormare) who has taken power in Augsburg and conducts a very indiscriminate witch-hunt of his own. The cast includes Jeremy Renner, Cedric Eich, Gemma Arterton, Alea Sophia Boudomimos, Famke Janssen, Peter Stormare, Pihla Viitala, Thomas Mann, Derek Mears, Monique Ganderton, Ingrid Bolso Berdal, Zoe Bell, Joanna Kulig and Robin Atkin Downes.

Away from the beaten track

by Mahes Perera

The stage play Daiwaye Gamananthaya which carried away three awards recently for 'Best Director, Best Actor and Best Stage Manager was the brainchild of a group of past young students of Mahanama College, Colombo who are committed to the promotion of the arts.

The Thinetha Creations team.

To give further expression to their creativity they have launched Thinetha Creations a production house to cater to the needs of up and coming youth searching for avenues to be involved in the arts. Danushka Raymond won the Best Director Award while Jaliya Ratnayake carried away the Best Actor award and Kasun Dissanayake, the Best Stage Manager Award.

With the support of Sahan Randika who fills in the role of main editor and Melan Jayaratne, they have, as they tell us a larger team whose staple diet is the arts and is not worried about time and delays that are synonymous with productions, but totally involved in getting the modern creative ideas into focus for appreciation.

"Apart from stage plays," said Jaliya Ratnayake, we have created music videos and one that we were responsible for is the video Sanda Mumunana Kavi Pele for Dream Star and most important we are also concentrating an short films which is now gaining popularity here in Sri Lanka. Our short film was Diary, 15 minutes in duration and it received unexpected appreciation which has given us a boost and incentive to create another one soon.

We are also planning to stage another play. The script is in the making and we hope to put it on the boards in the next two months. We are the 3rd Eye and we are proud to state that our ambition is to create a new edge to Art and Media, a modern approach to arts away from the beaten track"

Tharavo Igilethi goes to Kurunegala

Lucien Bulathsinghala's Tharavo Igilethi will be staged at the Town Hall, Kurunegala on February 1 at 3.30 p.m. and 6.45 p.m. The cast includes Rodney Warnakula, Harsha Bulathsinhala, Niroshan Wijesinghe, Sumith Rathnayake Fernie Roshani, Anura Bandara Rajaguru, Gamini Samarakoon, Indika Jayasinghe and Randima Thilini.

Kelani Palama goes to Ratnapura

R.R. Samarakoon's Kelani Palama will be staged at the Town Hall, Ratnapura on January 29 at 8.30 a.m. and 11 a.m.

The cast includes Ramya Wanigasekara, Sanjeeva Upendra, Prasannajith Abeysuriya, Geetha Kanthi Jayakody, Thilak Kumara Ratnayake, Prasad Suriarachchi, Niluka Rekhani, Kamal Jayakody, Tharanga Bandara, Samson Gomes, R.M. Abeynayake, Samantha Kumara Gamage and Dimuthu Chinthaka.

Balloth ekka be at Dehiwela

Ravindra Ariyarathne's Balloth ekka be will be staged at S.De S. Jayasinghe Theatre, Dehiwala on February 3 at 3.30 p.m. and 6.45 p.m.

The cast includes Wijaya Nandasiri, Kumara Thirimadura, Roshan Pilapitiya, Gihan Fernando and Anusha Dissanyaka.

Write a novel, win a prize

Dayawansa Jayakody Book Publisher, Colombo 10, invites competent writers to undertake part 2 of veteran writer, the late Jayakody Seneviratne's novel, Yasodawa-2.

The best creation could win a cash prize of Rs. 50,000. Applications close on June 30.