Rarely performed work showcased by musician

Rarely performed musical work showcased by returning musician

Wellington music lovers are in for a treat when highly-acclaimed musical duo Xenia Pestova and Pascal Meyer perform the rarely heard Karlheinz Stockhausen’s Mantra for two pianos and electronics at the Hunter Council Chamber at 6pm on July 19.    

A piano virtuoso who graduated from what was then the Victoria University School of Music (now the New Zealand School of Music or NZSM) in 1999, Ms Pestova is returning to Wellington from Montreal, Canada, where she has been based for a number of years.

“It was important for me to bring this project to Wellington, because that’s where I’m from. To my knowledge, this work hasn’t been performed in New Zealand since the 1970s, mainly because of how difficult it is to stage this production. Our July 19 concert will be the only New Zealand performance of Mantra.”

Joining the Russian-born Ms Pestova will be Pascal Meyer, also a piano virtuoso, who is based in Luxembourg, and fellow Victoria graduate, Phil Brownlee.

Ms Pestova says she is excited about performing Mantra, because of its unconventional nature which challenges musicians.

“Mantra calls for an unusual approach to piano playing, with pianists required to play antique cymbals and woodblocks, as well as use their voices. This is a real classic in the repertoire for two pianos, and an enormous undertaking, not only due to the musical and technical performance difficulties, but also because of the extended techniques such as playing percussion instruments and using theatrical elements.”

Ms Pestova says the trio plan to attempt an original approach to the piece by using digital technology for electronic processing.

“This results in a contemporary reinterpretation of a classic piece on the verge of technological obsolescence with a simple set-up and arguably superior sound quality.”

As well as the Mantra concert, Ms Pestova and Mr Meyer will also be giving a piano Masterclass, alongside NZSM students on July 15 at 1pm, as well as a Lunchtime Concert on Friday July 17 and a composer’s workshop on the same day at 2.10pm. All these events will be held in the Adam Concert Room at the Kelburn NZSM campus.                       

Debbie Rawnsley, the NZSM Performance Administrator, says all these events are open to the public and offer an opportunity to “hear rarely-performed works delivered at the highest possible standard”.

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