Greek Violinist Jonian Ilias Kadesha makes an exciting debut with the Irish Chamber Orchestra at St Mary’s Cathedral, Limerick @7.30pm on Friday May 12.
He performs a fabulous arrangement of Beethoven’s iconic Kreutzer Sonata by Richard Tognetti.
Beethoven’s extraordinary, celebrated work was written when a mental breakdown had altered his ego, sparking a new period of innovative creativity. This pivotal masterwork was the first revolutionary violin sonata in musical history. This recent arrangement performed by Kadesha and Irish Chamber Orchestra makes for a compelling performance.
In addition, this richly diverse programme features Mendelssohn’s glorious String Symphony No. 2, the second of 13 prodigious works written by a 12-year-old composer. It sparkles with youthful panache and joie de vivre. Kadesha introduces a flavour from home in Skalkottas’s Greek Dances.
Based on genuine Greek folk themes, these reveal Skalkottas’s colourful style. Bartók too was fascinated by folk music. His virtuosic Rhapsody No. 1 uses folk elements from Transylvania, with additional tunes from Hungary, Ruthenia, Slovakia, and the Ukraine, inspired by the csárdás performed with gusto by Kadesha.
Kadesha possesses a boundless imagination of sound and curation. His playing is characterised by stylistic accuracy and lively interpretation from early to contemporary works, executed with immaculate articulation.
He has performed with all the major European orchestras. A committed chamber musician, he has collaborated with renowned musicians such as Martha Argerich, Steven Isserlis, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Nicolas Altstaedt and more. He is co-founder of the award-winning Trio Gaspard and is a member of the Kelemen Quartet.
Irish Chamber Orchestra
Jonian Ilias Kadesha Director/Violin
Mendelssohn String Symphony No.2 in D major
Skalkottas Five Greek Dances (arr. strings)
Bartók Rhapsody No.1 (arr. Miloradovic)
Interval
Beethoven Violin Sonata No.9 Kreutzer for Violin and Strings (arr. Tognetti).
The amazing Jonian Ilias Kadesha brings us a culturally rich and imaginative programme spanning the centuries. Mendelssohn’s glorious String Symphony is the second of 13 prodigious works written by the then 12-year-old composer. The music sparkles with youthful panache and joie de vivre. Skalkottas’s love of Greek folk music is evident in his series of extraordinary Greek Dances. Mostly based on genuine Greek folk themes, some reveal Skalkottas’s colourful compositional style. Bartók too was fascinated by folk music. Rhapsody No. 1 uses folk elements from Transylvania, with additional tunes from Hungary and Ruthenia, Slovakia, and the Ukraine, inspired by the csárdás. Finally, Kadesha’s virtuosity flourishes as he climbs Beethoven’s ‘Kreutzer’ Sonata, one of the most challenging peaks in music.
