Mozart once said that music is not in the notes, but in the silence between.
The moments of silence will be golden inside the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre on April 12 at 7:30 p.m., as the Cowichan Symphony Society presents the Victoria Symphony along with their conductor and classical pianist Angela Hewitt, who will be tickling the ivories with Mozart Concertos for the society's last concert of the season.
"Angela Hewitt is obviously a great talent," said society president Peter Leckie. "In the past when she's come here she's displayed the music of Bach and Beethoven, and this time she will be presenting her interpretations of Mozart. This is kind of the middle ground for her as Bach was the Baroque and Beethoven was the romantic, and this is the classics. I think the performance itself will be fantastic. The way she interacts with the symphony is a unique experience, and as a result you get to see how she interacts with the rest of the music."
Hewitt, who was born in Ottawa, Ont. and has British nationality, currently lives London, England. She is actually the daughter of Yorkshire-born Godfrey Hewitt who was the choirmaster at Ottawa's Christ Church Cathedral. Her musical journey started very early on as she first began her piano studies with her mother at the age of three, earning herself a scholarship by the age of five. This led to her studying violin with Walter Prystawski, the recorder with Wolfgang Grunsky, and the art of ballet with Nesta Toumine in Ottawa.
Hewitt was nine when she had her first full-length recital at Toronto's Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, where she studied from 1964 to 1973 with instructors Earle Moss, and Myrtle Guerrero. From there she attended the University of Ottawa and became a student of French pianist Jean-Paul Sevilla. Over the course of her musical career Hewitt has performed around the world for both recitals, and as a soloist with orchestras and is best known for her cycle of Bach recordings which she began in 1994 and finished in 2005, and has since covered all of the major keyboard works of J. S. Bach.
"She's taken on the big three, and has been able to perform for Canadian audiences to bring some of the classical music from the past to us in a live manner that's truly unique," said Leckie. "In our program Angela talks about how Mozart performed a number of operas, so she can hear the singing that brings out the music and the voices in the background, and as they say, you have to sing the music to appreciate Mozart, and everything he accomplished in his time."
Mozart maniacs will love how Hewitt has staged her concert in an especially intriguing way as she opens with the 'Rondo for Piano and Orchestra in D major'. From there she will strike a chord with 'Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major', which has been called one of Mozart's most dazzling and technically demanding works.
For the second half of the program, Hewitt sets the mood with the sounds of 20th-century British composer Gerald Finzi’s 'Eclogue', which will aim to lead listeners into a contemplative and attentive frame of mind, leaving them in the perfect place to appreciate the dark beauty of the final piece, Mozart's 'Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor'.
The concert is also bringing back the singing of the national anthem and 'God Save the King' before the symphony starts.
"With the present circumstances we will start the concert with 'Oh Canada'," said Leckie. "So this is another example of how music and culture can come together and support the unique characteristics, and talents of Canadians."
While this will be the last symphony of the season, the summer brings much to applaud as the Cowichan Symphony Society will be celebrating 70 years with a special birthday celebration concert slated for July 20 at Cherry Point Winery with more information to follow closer to the date.
Tickets are $70 for the April 12 performance, and can be purchased in person at the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre box office or through their website cowichanpac.ca.
"For those who remember the movie Amadeus, the music itself was inspirational," said Leckie. "I think this is a special concert because we have an internationally renowned Canadian artist performing all the classics for us. The music will come alive live, and with the Victoria Symphony it's an all Canadian event that we can all be proud of, and enjoy."
