Nettle & Markham – two pianos
20 October 2016
Odeion
19:30
NETTLE & MARKHAM rank amongst the world’s foremost piano duos. For nearly forty years their vitality, enthusiasm, musical integrity and remarkable ensemble have been delighting audiences throughout the musical world and they are considered one of the most entertaining and musically satisfying partnerships performing today.
David Nettle and Richard Markham’s collaboration proved successful from the start - within four years they had performed on as many continents in a range of concert, festival, radio and TV appearances. An eclectic range of compositions for two pianos as well as one piano/four hands, has been written for them over the years, as well as a new two-piano concerto commissioned for their 30th anniversary. Three television documentaries have been made about their work.
Nettle & Markham perform in the main concert halls of Europe and with major British orchestras such as the London Philharmonic, the RPO, the CBSO and the ECO as well as other international orchestras. They also participate in major international festivals such as the Bath, Harrogate, Berlin, Schleswig-Holstein and BBC Proms.
Nettle & Markham's varied recital and concerto repertoire encompasses not only standard works but also their own distinctive transcriptions. Their highly praised recordings reflect the range of styles they are known to be able effortlessly to assimilate, from Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring and Petrushka and Brahms’ complete two-piano works to Sir Malcolm Arnold’s Concertos for two pianos & piano duet and Youmans’ Carioca.
Their recital CD series Nettle & Markham in England/America/France showcases their two-piano virtuosity as both performers and arrangers. Nettle & Markham in America features their large-scale transcription Scenes from West Side Story.
Nettle & Markham are Steinway Artists. They also own a very rare, magnificent full-size Pleyel Double Piano of 1928 (recently restored by Andrew Giller) which, along with their own Steinway pianos, is housed in their unusual studio - a converted Victorian railway arch which has been featured in a BBC “Modern Times” documentary and in the “Guardian” magazine.
In addition to their regular concert schedule recent seasons have seen Nettle and Markham devoting large amounts of time and energy to preparing new recordings - the complete four-hand works of Schumann and Saint-Saëns being the first in a series of projects designed to keep them busy from now until their 40th anniversary seasons in 2017 and 2018!
"A brilliant British duo.......no praise could be high enough........ brilliantly fleet and entertaining.......performed with infectious verve and spirit"
Music & Musicians
"........a volume and scale of expression comparable to that of an orchestra"
The Times
"Nettle & Markham - an excellent, well-balanced team throughout the disc - play with sensitivity and panache"
Gramophone
"We have not heard here until now a piano duo of such exceptional quality. The understanding of the music by both partners is so good that you cannot distinguish by hearing which of them picks up the musical theme. At the same time it is playing full of colour and spontaneous musicality, stirring and ravishing"
Vecemi Praha
PROGRAMME:
Saint-Saens: Scherzo, Op. 87; Polonaise, Op. 77
Shostakovich: Concertino, Op. 94
Puccini (trans N&M): Scenes from Turandot
Ravel (trans N&M): Introduction & Allegro; Bolero
ADMISSION:
R130 (adults)
*R90 (pensioners, students and learners)
*R70 (UFS staff)
R50 (group bookings of 10+)
Tickets available at Computicket.
*Please note that tickets for pensioners, students, learners and UFS staff can only be purchased at a Computicket outlet (Shoprite Checkers shops) or at the door since a valid card or ID has to be presented to qualify for the above mentioned discount.
ENQUIRIES:
Ninette Pretorius (tel. 051 401 2504)