The SOSL’s upcoming concert features the music of Mendelssohn and Bizet in a programme that highlights the colourful, expressive nature of Romantic music and its ability to transport and delight the listener.
“Romantic Expressions” takes place on November 2nd at the Ladies’ College Hall, and features two of Sri Lanka’s finest musicians in the roles of Soloist and Conductor. Dushyanthi Perera, now a familiar figure on the SOSL’s podium, will direct Mendelssohn’s brilliant piano concerto No. 1, his “Hebrides” overture, and Bizet’s L’Arlésienne Suites on this occasion.
Shanthi Dias, one of Sri Lanka’s most accomplished pianists, will perform the sparkling, virtuosic piano concerto, a technically demanding piece that displays Mendelssohn’s typical charm and elegance.
Mendelssohn’s journey aboard a steamer in the Hebridean isles inspired the composer to write The Hebrides overture. The stark beauty of the landscape and its mystery is very evident in this music, along with an extremely evocative effect of the sea-swell and turbulence of the ocean.
Bizet’s L’Arlésienne suites were written in 1872, as incidental music for the play of the same name by Alphonse Daudet. The music of The Girl from Arles proved more popular than the play itself, surviving and flourishing as some of Bizet’s best-known orchestral works. The suites are full of colour and melody, and in the dances and folk-tunes one can often feel Bizet’s flair for drama and atmosphere.
“Romantic Expressions” is sponsored by East India Holdings. Tickets and Box plan will be available at the Lionel Wendt Theatre from 15th October 2019 onwards.
