THE VILLAGE
EXPLORER
FOOD & WINE | EVENTS | ART | NATURE
World-class pianist comes to Stanford Writer Hedda Mittner
S
tanford Valley Guest Farm, in association with Sharon Young Events and Hermanuspietersfontein, is proud to present a solo piano concert by internationally acclaimed pianist, Melvyn Tan. Lovers of classical music will not want to miss this rare opportunity to see Tan in action as he provides an hour of ‘Romance and Passion’ with a programme of exquisite music, from Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata to Chopin’s 2 Scherzos Op 20 and 31, in the tranquil environment of the Stanford Valley Guest Farm. PHOTO: Buskaid
Melvyn Tan was born in Singapore in 1956 and showed prodigious musical talent during childhood. At the age of 12, he travelled halfway across the world to England to study at the Yehudi Menuhin School, where his piano teachers – Nadia Boulanger, Vlado Perlemuter and Marcel Ciampi – sparked his lifelong passion for French music in general and the works of Debussy, Ravel and Messiaen in particular. He furthered his studies at the Royal College of Music and in 1980, two years after enrolling, he took the brave – and forward-looking at the time – decision to specialise in fortepiano, an early form of the piano for which the great classical composers such as Haydn, Mozart, Chopin, Liszt, Brahms and the young Beethoven composed their music. During Beethoven's lifetime, the fortepiano began a period of steady evolution, culminating in the late 19th century with the modern grand. The earlier fortepiano became obsolete but was revived in the 20th century, following the rise of interest in historically-informed performance by pianists like Tan. This decision was rewarded by rapid professional progress over the following decade. Tan forged an enlightened artistic partnership with British conductor Sir Roger Norrington and the London Classical Players, intensified in 1987 during the course of a landmark tour of Europe, America, Canada, Australia and Japan. Capacity audiences attended their Beethoven Experience weekend at London’s South Bank Centre and subsequent international tour, during which Tan performed on Beethoven’s Broadwood fortepiano of 1817. Exploration, insight and imagination are vital ingredients in Tan’s blend of artistic attributes. His pioneering performances in the 1980s established his international reputation and he
PHOTO: Eoin Carey
Melvyn Tan performed a Mozart paino concerto at Buiskaid's 21st anniversary in Johannesburg in 2018 (above).
Acclaimed international pianist, Melvyn Tan (above), will perform a solo piano concert at Stanford Valley Guest Farm (right) on 21 March. PHOTO: Travelground.com continues to cast fresh light on music conceived for the piano’s early and modern forms. Tan possesses a profound understanding of his instrument’s history, its technical evolution and musical development. His performances of piano masterworks, whether on a late 18th century fortepiano or today’s concert grand, penetrate the surface of interpretive traditions and received wisdom to reveal countless expressive nuances and rarely-heard tonal contrasts. Acclaimed for the wit and poetry of his playing, Tan has also received ovations for his bold programming and exceptional ability to switch between fortepiano and modern piano, even in the same recital. His mature musicianship is informed by extensive knowledge of his instrument and its historic development, and his ability to apply lessons learned on pianos from the past to conjure
subtle new colours, fine details of articulation and delicate shadings from the modern concert instrument. Tan’s four-decade career as recitalist, chamber musician and concerto soloist has taken him to many of the world’s leading concert halls, from the Amsterdam Concertgebouw and Vienna's Konzerthaus to New York’s Lincoln Center, and London’s Wigmore and Royal Festival Halls. He has performed at the festivals of Salzburg, Edinburgh, La Roque d’Anthéron, Bath’s Mozartfest and the City of London festival. This will not be Tan’s first visit to South Africa. He is an enthusiastic and long-standing supporter of Buskaid, the charitable music project in Soweto, listed by Gramophone Magazine as one of the world’s ten most inspiring orchestras. On their
21st anniversary in 2018, Tan performed a Mozart piano concerto with them in Johannesburg’s Linder Auditorium, where his sparkling virtuosity literally brought the house down. Tan’s concert at Stanford Valley Guest Farm will take place on Saturday 21 March. There will be two performances – one at 14:30 and the second one at 18:30. Tickets are R365 pp and can be booked at any Pick n Pay branch, the Hermanus Tourism Bureau or online at www.webtickets.co.za. For lunch or dinner reservations at Stanford Manor House restaurant or accommodation in one of Stanford Valley Guest Farm’s delightful cottages, contact 072 198 0862 or info@stanfordvalley.co.za. Visit www.melvyntan.com / www.stanfordvalley. co.za
