Intertones

Concert event between frost and fables

Aphrodite, Margret Köll and Sawomir Zubrzycki were guests at the Montforthaus in Feldkirch.(Bild: Montforter Zwischentöne)

This year's Montforter Zwischentöne ended with a remarkable concert in Feldkirch on Wednesday. 

Have you heard of Aphrodite? No, not the goddess of beauty, but the singer Aphrodite Patoulidou? If not, you should remember the name. The Thessaloniki-born singer, nyckel harpist and multi-artist is an exciting personality who fits the new type of artist because she doesn't fit into any mold. Opera and concerts at the highest level, plus unusually programmed song recitals such as this one in Feldkirch, all of which she performs with her sonorous, colorful voice and her charisma, which is not only sweet, but can also be harsh and dramatic. Aphrodite, as she succinctly calls herself as an artist, moves between Medea and Iphigenia, so to speak.

On the theme of "Winter", Aphrodite sang songs from the early English Baroque period, such as the famous "Cold Song" from "King Arthur" by Henry Purcell or "Greensleeves" with new lyrics, as well as dramatic scenes by Jean Sibelius and folk songs from all over Europe - her confidence in all these languages was admirable. The instrumental accompaniment was also magical. The string piano, which Sawomir Zubrzycki built after sketches by Leonardo da Vinci and with which he has been performing with great success for several years, was astonishing.

Special accompaniment
This instrument combines the sound of several string instruments with playing on one keyboard. The sound is beautiful and ideally suited to the harp, which was played so attractively that evening by Margret Köll, one of the most sought-after soloists on this instrument. The harp and piano joined forces in a concerto by Antonio Vivaldi, while Aphrodite tuned her nyckelharpa outside, which she then used to accompany herself in the rest of the concert.

The Scandinavian nyckelharpa is not a harp, but a string instrument on which the pitches are determined by means of a keyboard. This closed the circle to the string piano on this evening, which was also otherwise well-rounded and enjoyable. The audience was enthusiastic.