I'Bricconcelli- Two performers, Four cellos, Six composers, unlimited fun...

I Bricconcelli - 2 performers, 4 cellos, 6 composers, unlimited fun

I Bricconcelli is a newly formed Cape Town-based ensemble of two like-minded

musicians, who both pursue a wide range of activities, including that of playing the

Baroque cello, as well as its Romantic successor, the so-called the modern cello.

Matthias Remley-Ender hails from Austria, where he studied music and medicine

concurrently and in fact worked as a medical doctor for several years. A rather radical

career change saw him taking up a full-time cello position in the CPO allowing him to

dedicate himself fully to the performance of music. Hans Huyssen also received his most

formative training as cellist in Austria but, as a native South African, has long since

returned to where he feels most at home – and where in the absence of deeply

entrenched cultural conventions there is more space for widely diverse musical

approaches.

Under the programmatic guise of I Bricconcelli (a usually affectionate reference to

mischievous but also charmingly crafty individuals) the two cellists pursue several goals:

foremost that of 'playing', i.e. playfully rather than 'professionally' performing music of

their own choice and in their own style. In the same vein they wish to explore the

lesser-known original repertoire for cello duo, as well as contribute own arrangements

to this genre, all the while applying exacting standards to a range of different musical

styles. This naturally entails performing in a historically informed manner and, whenever

possible, on period instruments – even if it means changing instruments in the same

concert. However, beyond all grand ideas and concepts the most important aspect of

their concerts is that of sharing the elation, which only intensely focused music making

is able to convey and which arguably is the most important reason why human beings

are attracted to music.

At their concert in Darling, hosted in the historic Agri barn at the Darling Museum, I Bricconcelli will present a program of music spanning from

Bach to Sting, including works by Boccherini, Franchomme, Offenbach and Solimma. With the backdrop of rustic and antique pieces of Darling's rich history as a hub of agriculture and culture on the West Coast, this is sure to be an unforgettable performance.

Highlights include a new arrangement of Bach's 1st cello Suite for two cellos, as well as a

transposition of Bach's famous Air to the A string (on which it sounds far better!). If you

love the cello (as most people do), you'll love two even more, especially when they are

played – bricconcelli style – with total abandon.

Matthias Remley-Ender and Hans Huyssen are two distinguished cellists who bridge European classical traditions with South Africa’s vibrant musical landscape through a shared mastery of historically informed performance. Remley-Ender, an Austrian-trained "free spirit" and current member of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, brings extensive European orchestral experience and a deep passion for Renaissance and Baroque repertoire. He is complemented by Huyssen, an award-winning composer, researcher, and director of the Cape Consort, whose work integrates early European Baroque with contemporary and indigenous South African traditions. Together, their expertise strengthens the local performance of "niche" and early music, fostering a unique space for both historical and marginalized musical expressions.

For more information please contact [email protected].

(After the concert a glass of wine or beer and soup with home made bread will be served, courtesy of Groote Post Vineyard and Darling Brew. Please call Chanda on WhatsApp 0724184135 to book the soup for R 50.)