Music evokes all kinds of feelings especially when it touches on two of life’s most deeply-felt emotions – love and death. An this Exactly that is the focus of an upcoming musical happening in Nicosia uniting the mesmerising sounds of the violin and piano.

On May 22, the Ledra Music Soloists will hold a special musical evening with violinist Lasma Taimina and pianist George Mannouris. Under the name Love and Death, the recital is scheduled to take place at the Strovolos Municipal Theatre presenting a varied programme with works for solo violin and solo piano, as well as for violin and piano, ranging from the Baroque period to late Romanticism.

The repertoire will revolve around works inspired by the inherent artistic urge to portray emotions associated with love, romance, and death. Commenting on the recital’s repertoire and theme, which will include Bach, Mozart, Liszt, Wagner and Franck, the organisers note:

“Historians speculate that Bach composed the Chaconne in D minor upon returning from a trip and learning that his wife Maria-Barbara had passed. Similarly, Mozart composed his Sonata in E minor while on tour in reaction, as generally believed, to the fatal illness of his mother. In contradistinction to the aforementioned personal experiences, Liszt’s Ballade No. 2 is based on the Ancient Greek myth of the secret and, ultimately, an ill-fated romance between Hero, a priestess of the goddess Aphrodite, and the young Leander. Such an ‘illicit’ love affair also unfolds in Wagner’s sublime opera, Tristan and Isolde, in whose final scene – the famous Liebestod – Isolde gazes ecstatically at Tristan’s lifeless body, determined to reunite with her lover through her transcendence from the mundane to the spiritual world. In a lighter vein, Franck offered his genuinely Wagnerian Sonata in A major to the then young violinist Eugène Ysaÿe as a wedding gift.”

The recital will begin at 8pm, bringing to the Nicosia stage, two musicians who have performed widely around the world. Their independent performances have included concerts alongside the London Symphony and the BBC Symphony Orchestra as well as shows in prestigious venues in Europe and North America.

 

Love and Death

Violin and piano recital. Presented by the Ledra Music Soloists. May 20. Strovolos Municipal Theatre, Nicosia. 8pm. €15. Tickets via www.soldoutticketbox.com or at Stephanis Stores. Tel: 99-744227