Special Concert : 26 February 2016

Renowned organist Christopher Hainsworth returns with the brilliant Russian clarinetist Andreï Freïdine for a special Wellington Concert in support of The Maxwell Fernie Trust at a truly unique venue – the Hall of Memories underneath the National War Memorial Carillon on Buckle Street.

The Hall of Memories has limited seating, restricted to 115 pre-sold tickets which can be obtained directly through online purchase from Eventbrite for $28 (including service fee) – or for $25 by bank deposit or cheque payment (please email fernie@paradise.net.nz for payment details).

The combination of clarinet and organ is unusual but as they showed on their 2014 tour, surprisingly successful, audiences being alternately moved by the expressive beauty of Andrei’s playing, staggered by his breathtaking virtuosity and excited by their very lively rendition of popular music. They will again be performing a deliciously varied programme of classical, traditional, jazz and klezmer music, including Mozart’s divine Clarinet Concerto, Rossini’s virtuoso Variations, a couple of rollicking Marches and foot-tapping jazz classics of Gershwin and Goodman, and above all, stunning interpretations of Klezmer music with its extraordinary expression of tragic and joyous emotions, music that weeps profusely but also dances deliriously…

PROGRAMME

Julius Fucik (1872-1916) Florentine March Op.214

W.A.Mozart (1756-1791) Concerto pour clarinet KV622 (extract – allegro)

Vincenzo Bellini (1801-1835) Sonata for organ larghetto – allegro

Alexander Borodin (1833-1897) Notturno (from String Quartet no.2)

Satie (1866-1925) Gymnopédie I

Polibio Fumagalli (1830-1900) Festive March for organ

Martin Lodge (1954- ) Enigma no.1, Homage to Douglas Lilburn

Gioacchino Rossini (1792-1868) Introduction, Thème et Variations

C.S.Lang (NZ1891-UK1971) Tuba Tune for organ

George Gershwin (1898-1937) Prelude no.2

Hampton-Goodman Vibraphone Blues…

Klezmer highlights: Babsi’s Freilach…

Noel Rawsthorne (1929- ) March: On Ilkley Moor (organ)

Bach’s Badinerie arranged for transverse clarinet… and other clarinet « pieces »

Andrei FREIDINE – Clarinet

Andrei FREIDINE began his studies at the St. Petersburg Conservatoire and then went to the Moscow Conservatoire, before moving to France, where he obtained his Premier Prix (1993) and Prix d’Excellence (1994) at the Versailles Conservatoire. He then continued his studies with famous teachers like Philippe Cuper, François Sauzeau, Richard Vieille and Robert Fontaine.

In 1993, he was solo clarinet in the Franco-German Orchestra and prize-winner at the National Competitions in Lempdes. He has performed several times in Germany, Austria, Bulgaria and Russia with the Moscow Sextet, the Eutherpe Quartet, the Tchaikovsky Trio, the Versailles Trio and the European Philharmonic Orchestra.

Andrei Freidine has played in various festivals, like the Festival of Radio-France, the Poitiers Autumn Festival, the Pont-Saint-Esprit International Musical Encounters, the Tours Music Week, the Ales Festival, etc. He also performs regularly with the Montpellier National Orchestra.

Andrei now teaches clarinet and Computer Music Studies at the Beziers Conservatoire. He also records a variety of artists in his studio and works on acoustic projects for Eurocontrole (who are responsible for European airspace management), such as controltower alarms and improving employees’ acoustic comfort.

Christopher HAINSWORTH – Organ

“One of New Zealand’s most entertaining classical organists”, Chris tours New Zealand regularly with entertaining, informative and thought-provoking performances.

Chris studied organ with Ernest Jamieson (St. Mark’s Church, Wellington), Maxwell Fernie (Westminster Cathedral, Victoria University and St. Mary of the Angels, Wellington) and subsequently with Jean Ferrard (Professor at the Conservatoire of Brussels).

After specialized studies of French Classical organ and harpsichord music (the latter with Paule van den Driessche and Scott Ross), the symphonic organ repertoire and the fortepiano, Chris has been free-lancing in France and around Europe for 30 years, often travelling with his 1830 fortepiano or his modern Leroy copy of a 1770 Taskin French harpsichord.

In 2004 he was Congress Recitalist at the NZ Organ Congress, and has toured New Zealand regularly since. When not playing, Chris has also been Associate Professor of Music at Waikato University, Director of Beziers Conservatoire (France), Director of Music at Hamilton Cathedral and Organist « titulaire » of Beziers Cathedral (his current position).

REVIEW – From The Waikato Times, March 2014

“Klezmer” has Hebraic roots – “kli” meaning tool, and “zemer” – to make music. It has referred, over the centuries, to the instruments, then to the musicians who played them, and now to the music they play. It is a lovely title pun, because the two artists today used the dual tools of piano and clarinet to make music no one in this audience will forget. That they presented it as a formal meal was a witty and engaging method of gathering the work of composers from Bechet to Paganini.

The varied music allowed the pair to present their instruments and their own virtuoso skills in an unusual series of duets, as well as soloists, and in a partnership which produced a wonderful harmonic balance. The aperitif produced chuckling conversation from the piano to accompany the poignant sauces of the clarinet The grace turned out to be Mozart’s Concerto for Clarinet, quietly meditative and beautiful, where the superb lower register of the clarinet was a prayer in its own right. Here were moments which underscored the truth of music being both of its own time, and timeless, universal and uniquely individual. And then, surprise! Bechet, and we were into a beautifully soupy entrée where long jazzy riffs produced images of couples on the dance floor of a smoky, decadent, twenties dive. One was soooo thankful for the grace. And so it went on until the actual Klezmer accompaniment to the coffee and vodka. Full of wonderful images which stirred the soul – and the libido – this was a concert made possible by the superb musical skills, technical as well as intellectual, and fertile imaginations of Hainsworth and Freidine. Here was a meal of which one could never have too much.