A man for Four Seasons
Step out of the cold and back in time to the baroque period as Vivaldi’s Four Seasons visits Aberdeen, writes Colene McKessick
Published:
THE winter nights are drawing in, and frosty mornings are here, but David Juritz certainly isn’t feeling the cold.
David, and the rest of the Mozart Festival Orchestra, play in Aberdeen on Saturday night as they bring Vivaldi’s Four Seasons to life by candlelight.
Although it will be a welcome night’s entertainment in warm surroundings to most, David says playing in full baroque period outfits can leave him a bit hot under the collar.
“We do have some overheating issues, especially with the wigs, he said.
“They are made from yak hair. Yaks need to keep warm as they live in snowy climates, but when you’re up on stage with lights beating down on you it can get a little warm.”
Of course the costumes add a sense of occasion to an evocative candle-lit concert, which features some of Vivaldi’s best-known work.
“The audience love it and I think it brings out something in the musicians,” said David.
“We hire our costumes, although I’ve been hoping for years that I’d be allowed to keep mine. It’s very ornate, with wine braiding and gold trim, but sometimes I do get a bit tangled up in some of the details and break bits of it. They’re very heavy, but I love wearing them. The detailing is amazing: these costumes are usually used for film and TV work, so they have to look good close up. My waistcoat was actually featured in the BBC adaptation of The Madness of King George, so I like to think it has been sprinkled with a little bit of stardust.”
Four Seasons by Candlelight has become a winter favourite in the Aberdeen music scene, and David says there is a sense of excitement within the orchestra.
“I’ve been doing this show now for 11 years; I know it like the back of my hand,” he said.
“The years seem to whiz by. We have our regular crew, and we get on very well. It’s a really nice gig for us, and I think we all look forward to it at the end of the year.”
As well as Four Seasons, the concert also features Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 and Air on the G String, Purcell’s Trumpet Suit, and Handel’s I Know That My Redeemer Liveth and Let the Bright Seraphim, among other classics from the period.
“The show is a great programme with some great baroque masterpieces,” said David.
“The audience will know a lot of the music, even if they think they don’t. We also have Crispian Steele-Perkins on trumpet, and you will not find a better classical instrument player; he’s just superb.”
This concert is the last event of a very busy year for David, who is a founding member of Musequality, a project set up to take music to some of the poorest children in developing countries.
Following his solo busking adventure round the world in 2007, David helped set up World Busking Day this summer, which helped contribute £15,000 to the project. This money provides musical instruments and tuition for street children in Goa, and has helped 150 children, who used to survive by picking pockets, learn a skill, receive medical help, accommodation and education.
“Our main aim has always been to give children self belief, confidence, focus and discipline,” said David.
“We want to get them playing in large groups, so more and more children get involved. Even in this country, I meet so many people who used to play an instrument or have always wanted to and I just tell them to do it. Playing an instrument is great for recharging your battery and makes you feel wonderful. I’m so glad Musequality has taken off and I’m already looking forward to doing more next year.”
In the meantime, David has the Four Seasons tour to keep him busy, followed by the Strauss Gala Concert in January.
“Aberdeen is one of my favourite places to play because you have such a beautiful hall,” he said.
“It is an ideal setting for this show, and hopefully we’ll transport everyone back to the baroque period this winter.”
Four Seasons by Candlelight takes place at the Music Hall, Aberdeen, this Saturday. For tickets or more information call 01224 641122 or visit www.box officeaberdeen.com
Readers' Comments