Buskaid: Bach and Boulogne

The Buskaid Ensemble has earned its local and international popularity through its uniquely stylish and mesmerising performances of unusual baroque music, most of which is otherwise never performed in Johannesburg. Not only that, but these amazing young Buskaid musicians play classical, romantic, pop music and jazz with equal ease and accomplishment.

On Sunday August 6^th 2023, at the Wits Linder Auditorium, you’ll get the chance to hear these young musicians soar with the music of the so-called Black Mozart, 18^th century French composer, Joseph Boulogne (Le Chevalier St Georges), play extracts from an opera by baroque composer Jean-Philippe Rameau, perform Bach’s double violin concerto, and round it all off with Gioachino Rossini’s first String Sonata.

While Boulogne’s music is no stranger to Buskaid’s repertoire, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRBUA5rgaLs (144 000 views and rising daily!), the remarkable story of this man’s life has only recently come into public awareness, some 225 years after his death in Paris. Joseph Boulogne was the son of a wealthy white landowner and an African slave. By the age of 21, he had been made a “Chevalier” (French knight) and his manifold skills in performance, composition, fencing and discourse, were equally celebrated. He earned the “Black Mozart” moniker because his music was constantly compared to that of Mozart, although in fact he was born 11 years before Mozart, and a more likely scenario is that the situation was in fact reversed!

On Sunday 6^th August you have the opportunity to judge for yourselves as to whether the music of Chevalier St Georges is a copy-cat version of that of his more celebrated contemporary, or whether it stands alone for its finely crafted melodic lines and virtuosic writing.  

The concert begins with excerpts from the opera Zoroastre, by one of Buskaid’s favourite composers: Jean Phillipe Rameau. This will be followed by a performance of the Bach D major concerto for two violins featuring Khotso Langa and Mzwandile Twala, both of whom performed the first movement at the Linder Auditorium when they were just 14 years old! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHAXOf9xZ-s Now young adults, both Khotso and Mzandile are regular performers with the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra.  

After a virtuoso performance of Chevalier St Georges’ Symphonie Concertante for two solo violins and viola, the programme will end with Rossini’s sparkling String Sonata No 1, composed in 1804, when Rossini was just 12 years old: a chance for the violin and bass sections of the Ensemble to show off their virtuosic skills.

The Buskaid Ensemble is unique in the world – take a look at those YouTube comments! The Gramophone, a widely respected magazine deemed it among the finest of its kind. Members of the Ensemble have travelled all over the world, and against many odds, have risen – individually and collectively – to international heights through their exciting and life-affirming performances. Come and support this truly unique ensemble – an inspirational example of South African achievement against all odds!     

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