The choice of
DENIZ GURHAN & CHRISTINA PETROU
Deniz Gurhan and Christina Petrou are responsible for the website Maastrichter.com and the Instagram page Maastrichterlife. We asked them to choose 5 performances from our International programme and with that, we are proud to present our very first international The choice of!
Hi Deniz,
First of all, how are you?
It has been way too long since we met.
I think the last time was just before Summer on a terrace when we talked about our International theatreprogramme and to see how we could help eachother. Our International programme that we were planning to start up this January, thinking the Covid-restrictions would be gone, and that we intended to communicate via your Maastrichter.com and via your lovely host Christina.
Now, when I take a look at your cultural agenda at Maastrichter.com, it almost hurts me to see al these concerts and plays in Liege and Aachen while we are still in a lockdown.
Nonetheless, our programme is still online and we are in pause-mode waiting and hoping to start up again soon.
Maybe you can do a kick-off by making a choice out of our international programme that for you and Christina are a must see/hear?
Looking forward and wishing you all the best!
"Theatre aan het Vrijthof has an inclusive international programme. It’s exciting to have such a wide range of
options available right on the doorstep in the center of Maastricht.
These are the performances that particularly interest us from the international programme this season."
CAREL KRAAYENHOF QUARTET
100 JAAR PIAZZOLLA
"Astor Piazzolla was an Argentinian bandoneon (kind of south American accordion) player and composer. He revolutionised Argentinian music by developing the traditional tango genre to include elements from the classical and jazz genres. You can expect spicy melodies with irregular jazz rhythms that take you to a hot
summer day sitting on a square in Buenos Aires, sipping a Pisco sour and watching a couple passionately dancing the tango.
Though he is Dutch, Argentinian music seems to run through the veins of Carel Kraayenhof. In 1986 he was invited by his idol, Piazzolla himself to perform in his tango show on Broadway, New York and upon returning, he formed his first tango orchestra which became one of the best in the world. Of course, it was only natural that in 2002 Kraayenhof brought the music of Piazzolla to the wedding of HRH Prince Willem-Alexander and his bride Máxima Zorreguieta. It is a treat to have this International star to perform in Maastricht and definitely one not to miss."
PAULA COMITRE
PERCEPCIÓN
"My next choice (by coincidence) is ‘on theme’, as again we are in latin territory.
Paula Comitre is a young dancer who is already making her name on the contemporary flamenco scene. I went to a flamenco show in Valencia and it made a huge impression on me. When you see traditional flamenco it’s a mixture of passionate, fiery, emotional dance and the music to match. The artists really compliment each other and collaborate emotionally. There will be a vocalist singing with a rough folk style voice, of course Spanish guitarist and a percussionist. I think it will be a thoroughly enjoyable and dynamic performance"
IGONE DE JONGH
I
"In contrast to Comitre, Igone de Jongh is a dancer enjoying the latter part of her career. She is a world renowned Ballet dancer who has had a very impressive career. She aims to make the genre accessible to all, so this is a good performance to go to if you’re new to ballet. In this show, de Jongh dances the most exciting choreographies from her extensive repertoire, sometimes dancing alone, sometimes with partners, both with and without musical accompaniment. I love ballet. It is so beautiful to see how easily dancers make it look to have such an incredible mastery of their bodies and how they are able to use their bodies as an instrument to express such a wide range of emotions."
OPERA ZUID
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
"As a music student in London, I studied so much music by Benjamin Britten, he is a real staple of British classical repertoire. This opera is an adaptation of the Shakespeare classic, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, so for me, the opera represents a marriage of British artistry and heritage and it’s exciting to see it performed in my adopted home, Maastricht. The story is pure mystical fantasy with some comedy thrown in. The staging is usually etherial, beautiful and magical. With forest scenes and fairies, it should be a feast for the eyes as well as the ears. If you’re new to opera, it would be a nice introduction and especially as it is sung in English with English subtitles."
METROPOLE ORKEST MET DORONA ALBERTI EN TIM AKKERMAN
THE MUSIC FROM JAMES BOND
"You just cannot beat the epic sound of a full orchestra. Particularly with epic repertoire to match. The music from the Bond film franchise is as grand as the films themselves. Each score unique in its own message but inkeeping with the sultry, sexy ‘Bond style’ which seems to have become a musical genre of its own. There will also be two singers performing all the well known classics, new and old. How many will you recognise?"