Beethoven's Piano and Violin Sonatas To Feature in Unique Lunchtime Concert Series in Wellington
“Every sound [Bella] draws is superb” – The Strad
Exceptional Bulgarian violinist Bella Hristovareturns to New Zealand in August to perform Beethoven’s piano and violin sonatas with acclaimed New Zealand pianist Michael Houstoun, as part of Chamber Music New Zealand’s Kaleidoscopes 2017 Season.
Hristova and Houstoun will perform in eight centres including a week-long lunchtime concert series in Wellington from Monday 28 August to
Friday 1 September. Throughout the course of the week, the duo will perform all 10 sonatas in concerts lasting an hour
or less.
It is the first time Chamber Music New Zealand has presented the sonatas as a full cycle and CMNZ chief executive Peter
Walls says this tour will be a “musical highlight of the year.
"These are beautiful works and it is a treat to be able to follow Beethoven’s development of a lovingly expressive
relationship between violin and piano across 10 sonatas, written at the height of his powers.”
Mr Walls said it also marked a reunion of two outstanding musicians who met in 2008 following Hristova’s success at the
Michael Hill International Violin Competition. Part of the prize for winning the Competition was a CMNZ tour and
Hristova was paired with Houstoun for the nationwide tour.
“I look back on that 2008 tour as the beginning of my performing career. It was a crucial part of my musical
development; being able to perform a programme so many times in a row is an opportunity that most people don't get early
on,” Hristova said.
The tour also cemented a friendship with Houstoun and Hristova said she was excited to be partnering with him again to
perform the Beethoven sonatas.
“From the first rehearsal with Michael I knew that a very special musical relationship was forming and that feeling only
grew. I loved Michael’s playing immediately and it was so easy to play with him; everything felt very intuitive.
“I knew immediately after the 2008 tour that I wanted to play more with Michael and that performing the complete
Beethoven Sonatas together would be a dream come true. We talked about the power of Beethoven’s music during our tour
and how both of us felt a deep emotional connection to it.”
Since 2008 Hristova has recorded two CDs and performed in concerts around the world including as a soloist at Carnegie
Hall multiple times. “New Zealand has remained – and I think always will be – the most special place for me to visit and
perform. I know that the upcoming tour will be a highlight that I will always remember."
Houstoun said Bella is “a magnificent violinist – there’s nothing she can’t do. She is also a commanding presence and
her musical understanding is deep and broad. We are both intuitive musicians and are fortunate that our impulses match.
Playing with Bella feels like the most natural thing in the world.”
Michael, who in 2013 performed Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas on the Chamber Music New Zealand ReCycle tour, says the 10
Beethoven violin sonatas are all masterpieces, but some have become more famous than others. “One of the joys in playing
them all is presenting the lesser-known sonatas to the public and the richness of these masterpieces works both ways –
the more we give out the more we get back. The sheer genius of the music sustains us and gives us what we need for the
performance.”
The Wellington concert series is part of a nationwide tour which includes concerts in Hawke's Bay, New Plymouth,
Palmerston North, and Dunedin, along with special Beethoven mini-festivals in Auckland and Christchurch where the duo
will play all 10 sonatas – across three concerts.
For Hristova, the ‘Kreutzer’ stands out as a favourite. “It’s the one we played in 2008 and the first sonata I got to
know in such detail; I think we performed it 13 times! I also love the emotional power of the C Minor Sonata and the G
Major, Op. 96 is simply transcendent. The earlier sonatas are brilliant as well – each one is a truly unique gem.”
Michael Houstoun and Bella Hristova perform Beethoven’s 10 piano and violin sonatas in a week-long series of lunchtime concerts at Renouf Foyer, Michael
Fowler Centre from Monday 28 August to Friday 1 September at 12.00pm daily. Tickets are available through Ticketek www.ticketek.co.nz or phone 08000 842 538. For further details visit www.chambermusic.co.nz/Michael
ENDS
Read reviews of Bella Hristova performances here
Experience Bella Hristova in performance here
Experience Michael Houstoun performing Beethoven’s piano sonata ‘Moonlight’ here