Amal Choucri Catta listens as the season comes to a joyful close Cairo Symphony Orchestra, cond Steven Lloyd, soloists: pianist Moshira Issa and violinist Hassan Sharara. Main Hall, Cairo Opera House, 1 July, 9pm Cairo Symphony Orchestra's final concert of the season saw Steven Lloyd masterfully conducting his instrumentalists, along with two star-soloists, pianist Moshira Issa and violinist Hassan Sharara. The entire concert was dedicated to the Austrian composer-conductor Thomas Christian David, head of Cairo Symphony in the early 1990s. Born in December 1925 in Wels, Upper-Austria, David died in January 2006 aged 81. The eldest son of Johann Nepomuk David, he received his early musical education at home: his father was a well-known Austrian composer, organist and teacher, holding many academic posts as well as writing eight symphonies as well as choral works, concertos and symphonic music. Thomas Christian David, who showed an early flair for languages and literature, began composing at the age of 20, and conducted choirs and orchestras in Salzburg and Stuttgart. In the late '50s he began teaching at the music academy in Vienna and 10 years later took over the Iranian Television Orchestra, while teaching at Tehran University. After his return to Austria he was elected president of the Austrian Composers' Union. Asked to reform the Cairo Symphony Orchestra, he introduced many welcome changes. Under his excellent guidance Cairo's Symphonists began on the road that led to their later success. David remained in Egypt for two seasons before returning to Austria. Lloyd's decision to dedicate the concert to Thomas Christian David made a vivid impression on the audience, who appreciated the gesture as much as they did a programme dedicated to the music of Ludwig van Beethoven. The concert opened with the Overture to Fidelio, Beethoven's only opera, originally in three acts and based on a text by Josef Sonnleitner, a German version of Bouilly's Leonore ou l'amour conjugal. Beethoven wrote four different overtures to this opera; three go under the title Leonore, while the fourth, Fidelio, bears the name chosen by the virtuous wife when she decides to save her husband Florestan, a Spanish nobleman who has been thrown into prison. Leonore disguises herself as a boy, Fidelio, in the hope of rescuing him. The musical opening is passionate, leading the dramatic sequences to a glorious end. The orchestra gave a brilliant performance, at times poignant, at others exquisitely beautiful, under Lloyd's baton. Next came Beethoven's Concerto No 1 for piano and orchestra in C-major, Opus 15, one of those rare musical treasures that everyone loves despite the composer not considering it one of his best compositions. It is a remarkable lyrical work, with some unforgettable, moving melodies, mainly in the larg o, of a meditative, reflective character. Moshira Issa was beguiling, and elegant as ever at the piano. As she walked out on stage she seemed to be floating on air. Issa has a way of feeling her way into the music, closing her eyes and living each impulse, each lament, each melodic line. She smiles at the allegro con brio, vividly enthralling her listeners, before entering the dreamy, emotive largo and then returning to a lavish allegro scherzando, culminating in the glorious finale. Issa studied at the Cairo Conservatoire and at the Vienna Music Academy, receiving her diploma with distinction in 1984 and her PhD in 1987. She was awarded many prizes, both in Egypt and abroad, and her concerts led to international recognition. She toured the Far East and has participated in many national and international festivals. Issa was also the musical organiser of the opening and closing ceremonies at the 1991 All African Games. She was given the UNESCO Prize for best performer at the International Festival for Creative Arab Women in Thessaloniki, Greece, in 2005, and is currently a member of the teaching staff at the Academy of Arts. Though Issa was undoubtedly the focus of Beethoven's Number 1, C-major concerto, Lloyd conducted the work with special care. Attentive to every change of mood, every nuance of the soloist's expression, he managed a harmonious musical entente with the lovely Moshira Issa. Beethoven wrote only one concerto for the violin, the D- Major, Opus 61, created for Franz Clement. It is one of the most popular concertos of its kind. It was performed by Egypt's star violinist, Hassan Sharara, head of the string department and ex- dean of the Cairo Conservatoire. Born to a musical family in Cairo in 1949, Sharara studied violin with his father, the composer and violinist Atteya Sharara. He graduated with excellence from Cairo Conservatoire in 1971, and studied at the Tchaikovsky Conservatoire, Moscow, where he received his PhD in 1974. Sharara has taken part in many international competitions and is one of the main members of The Sharara Sextet, which performs Arabic music. He is no stranger to Beethoven's violin concerto. Extremely melodious, the first allegro ma non troppo is truly spellbinding. It is followed by a dreamy, tender larghetto, and moves to a cheerful finale: Sharara performed brilliantly, though he has never lost the tendency of turning his back to the audience from time to time. His touch is emotional, the tone pure and his expression poetic. He left Beethoven in the most joyful mood and was called back for an encore. The audience was happy and so was the maestro. The concert closed Cairo Symphony Orchestra's 47th season in style, leaving the audience to anticipate Steven Lloyd's return in September for the orchestra's 48th season.
