Sonja Park
When it comes to classical music, the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra has pushed far above its limit – performing countless concerts bringing these astounding pieces and compositions that has progressively boosted the public interest in the genre.
It’s hard to imagine classical music without Mozart and Beethoven, and just before the month ends, the first Steinway artist in the Middle East, Sonja Park is set to perform the “Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20” on Friday, September 23 at Hamilton International School Theatre in Mesaimeer.
The award-winning pianist told The Peninsula that the concert will be an extremely “emotional roller coaster ride.” “This concerto is not only elegant but dramatic, when you hear the music – it’s like the story of an individual, there are plenty of emotions you can go through.”
One of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s few compositions in a minor key is the Piano Concerto in D Minor, which is also his stormiest work. It was the first of six magnificent works for piano and orchestra that were written between 1785 and 1786. It was viewed as Beethoven-like by reviewers of the 19th century, which was the highest praise at the time, and as a melancholy transitional period to the Romantic Era.
Concertgoers can expect an intense narration of this piece where they will voyage through an extravagant historical music during the time it was composed.
When questioned what the younger generation would think of classical music in general given how heavily K-pop has dominated the music industry, Park expressed her hope that the youngsters “will find this entire event really interesting and exciting. It’s more than when you compare to rock concerts, from the number of musicians to the instruments the orchestra is using.”
She also said that the formal musical tradition should always be acknowledged and the generation today should keep on performing it. “Concerto no. 20 is [a part of the] history and through this kind of music, composers can paint a picture of society and time in which they were living in. If people lose the interest on it, they won’t pass on this amazing music that binds us – and this music should reach more generation because if we don’t, it will have a huge hole in the future.”
The renowned pianist also stressed that “music has its own effect to everybody’s brain, heart and emotions. I think everybody will feel happy, sad or enhance their emotion which will lead to stress relief.”
“Classical music has an unbelievable health benefits to one’s body including lowering blood pressure, enhancing one’s sleep. Moreover, it improves the brain; you can be way more talented, increased coordination and motor skills.”
The Symphony No. 5 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, one of the greatest composers of the Romantic Era, will be performed alongside Concerto No. 20. The Friday concert will be conducted by Andreas Weiser and tickets are available at the Philharmonic website.
