One of my five faithful Facebook readers asks if I was at the wonderful duo recital Saturday at Rio de Janeiro`s Municipal Theatre of British musicians–yes British of West African roots— of cellist Sheku Kanneh Mason,26, and his sister Isata Kanneh Mason,29, piano.
Yes Ms. X indeed I was in seat H2 at this memorable recital and the duo’s authentic Without Hollywood showmanship lovely performance still is ringing in these aging ears as I write twelve hours afterwards.
Both musicians were educated at the Royal Academy of Music and play the way I –and the audience—love, or from the heart and soul reminding a listener that musical talent knows no boundaries of race, creed or national origin.
Their heavenly music making also reminded this listener why despite all its drawbacks I ever got into the `business` of playing an art form which seems NOT to appeal to the current generation raised on RAP music deafening their earphones.
I and millions if not billions of televiewers first discovered the duo at the Royal Wedding( 19 May 2018) in London of Prince Harry and Meghan.
They soulfully performed works by Faure (Après un-Reve) Schubert (Ave Maria) a Sicilienne by Maria Theresia von Paradis.
My first reaction was why and whom had chosen these unknowns to perform at such an important occasion when there are so esteemed many veterans and more famous performers of classical music available?
It seems the duo was the choice of Prince Harry`s bride Meghan, in perhaps in one the most positive decisions of her ambitious life from a soap star actress to a now millionaire businesswoman married to a Prince who departed the UK to join her in California.
Her future husband Prince Harry had heard the cellist playing at a charity event for the Halo Foundation and Meghan personally summoned Sheku.
But back to the duo …. they exuberate something heavenly, undescribable which can be attributed to the greats of so called ‘classical ` music.
Or in other words they are not just reading the notes but living the music.
Unfortunately, the audience on hand was by and large the elderly or senior citizens of Rio de Janeiro, out for entertainment on a Saturday afternoon. So, clapping between movements was conspicuously included in the unforgettable recital.
A shame some of the young musicians from the so-called community orchestras (read favelas) were not on hand to an unforgettable afternoon concert Miriam Dauelberg`s Dellarte (sponsored by Bradesco Seguros and O Globo among others) enriched us with including works by Poulenc and Boulanger (which particularly impressed this listener).
The duo`s first—and hopefully not last –performance in Rio de Janeiro reminds this listener of when I heard a recital by a then up and coming young tenor at the same Municipal Theatre.
His name was (Italian tenor) Luciano Pavarotti.