Songs from the Parisian belle époque Ammiel Bushakevitz and Laetitia Grimaldi Spitzer

Songs from the Parisian  belle époque was the theme for the performance of our two wonderful artists Laetitia Grimaldi Spitzer (Lyric Soprano) and  Ammiel Bushakevitz (Piano) on Saturday 23rd April, the beautiful morning after the Friday-storm cancelled that night's performance.  French soprano Laetitia Grimaldi is a graduate of the Juilliard School, New York, and performs worldwide since her Carnegie Hall debut in 2013.  South African pianist Ammiel Bushakevitz is a recipient of the prestigious European Commission Award and a graduate of the Conservatoire de Paris.

Ammiel proceeds: "From the heights of Marcel Proust to the decadence of the Moulin Rouge the belle époque (1871-1914) was a time when culture flourished more than ever in Paris. The salons became the meeting places of poets, painters and composers where they shared their art."  Laetitia Grimaldi and  Ammiel Bushakevitz offered us this programme of romantic French songs, presented in the style of a Parisian salon concert from that period.

Various composers then working were represented: Duparc with his Soupir (Sigh, memories of his mother), Liszt with Watergames at the Villa d'Este, Fauré (The Secret and Moonlight, two favourites of Ammiel)  as well as Romance without words,  Rameau with a dance from his opera Dardanus and Hahn with two pieces; all before interval. After interval Gounod ( First of May), Bizet, Cantaloube (the Balero from Songs of the Auvergne, their first performance of it together), Alkan and Delibes( Girls from Cadiz)  came to the fore. These were mostly unknown to the audience, but Oh, so beautifully performed!  

They received a standing ovation, after which Plaisir d'Amour followed as encore... the audience could now compare experiences with the exquisite performance of this young and very professional couple. The applaus was deafening!  They promised to come back to Stillbay and very welcome they will be.  And surely then there will be more than the fifty-odd who showed their high appreciation that morning.  

Menno Stenvert