Updated preview since lifting of Covid restrictions

Live Concert, Brighton 13 August, 7.30

Classic cat and mouse? The smiling Brighton audience at Music & Wine at St Luke’s will wonder if two famous cartoon characters have been reincarnated and broken loose around the building. ‘The Tom and Jerry Show’ is the truly novel attraction there in Maya Irgalina’s enterprising live concert there on Friday 13 August (7.30pm).

The show-stopping music piece was written in 2003 by popular young female living jazzy Japanese performer and composer Hiromi Uehara – and it takes a special personality not just to perform but actually to include in a conventional solo piano concert. It reveals to an audience if the virtuoso pianist before them dares perform with their tongue in cheek.

Beethoven definitely had his cheek filled during his Caprice, ‘Rage Over A Lost Penny’, and that’s coming up, too. This is a theraputic programme with an upbeat summer fair or holiday feel, sympathetic to the times.

With Spain among the difficult places to holiday this summer, a definite tapas flavour wafts in from Maya Irgalina. There are atmospheric Andalusian nostalgia and flamenco vibes in Albeniz’ ‘Jerez’ and ‘Triana’ from his quartet of ‘Iberia’ masterpiece books – Jerez the city of sherry, brandy, horses and carriages, and Triana the artsy former gypsy quarter of Seville. And another Spanish connection comes in three Scarlatti Sonatas, composed by an Italian while resident in Madrid.

If it’s a hot evening, Debussy’s ‘Reverie’ will fit extra-perfectly. And on the way towards that ‘Tom and Jerry’ tours de force, Ravel’s Sonatine will turn on cool Parisian suavity to preface two pieces by jazz-blooded Russian composer Nikolai Kasputin – ‘Paraphrase on Aquarela do Brazil by Ary Barros’ (spot the tune) and ‘Jazz Variations’.

Following the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, this concert will now have an interval, including wine being served, and admission tickets resuming on sale at the door. See the website for details and check the page showing updated social distancing guidelines.

Maya’s ‘Irgalina’ is not Mediterranean Latino but sounds as “Ear-gar-leaner”. She is from Balarus, and spreads a solo piano career with collaborations performing with outstanding new young classical singers. Among her lockdown engagement casualties were appearances with soprano Kate Royal and the celebrated British cellist Natalie Clein.

Maya is an associated artiste of the Worthing-based International Interview Concerts.

https://musicandwineatstlukes.com/

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Richard Amey