Stefaniensaal in Graz

Art University shows its quick-witted side

KUG student Sara Chakarova swept through "Kudora!"(Bild: KUG/Johannes Gellner)

At its subscription concert in the Stefaniensaal, the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz presented a variety of orchestral pieces with a contemporary highlight. Conductor Wolfgang Wengenroth confidently led the orchestra and soloists through the evening.

"Kudora!" Anyone looking for the linguistic meaning behind the words will search in vain. In his "Speaking Drums", composer Peter Eötvös focused on the rhythmic function of language and composed the work for percussionist Martin Grubinger ten years ago. As is well known, he has since retired from the stage. However, KUG student Sara Chakarova knew just as well how to deal with the scenery of words and percussion in the subscription concert. With the necessary seriousness and the much more necessary fun, the young Bulgarian swept across the stage and through the entertaining composition like a superheroine in a shouting match with Rhythm Godzilla. "Kudora ü!"

The scenic element, already strongly present here, also shimmered through the other pieces. Conductor Wolfgang Wengenroth spurred the large orchestra of the Kunstuni on to eloquent theatricality in Manuel de Falla, which also fueled the tone poem "Don Juan" by Richard Strauss into well-orchestrated worlds of images.

Quality in the singing class too
Nina Kreča and Marija Ticl demonstrated that there is also quality in the singing class in five orchestral songs by Richard Strauss. With astonishingly mature and harmonizing voices, they also added the initially absent sense of language to the evening.