Astana Opera invites audiences to an evening of chamber music, Three Facets of Inspiration, on 18 March at the Kulyash Baiseitova Chamber Hall. The programme features an exquisite ensemble of harp, flute and viola. The soloists are musicians of the Astana Opera Orchestra – principal harp Lyubov Tkachenko and flautist Balzhan Saparova, as well as violist Gulnara Tleugabylova. All are masters of their craft, renowned for their refined artistry and compelling stage presence.
The programme, drawn from the international classical repertoire, is designed to showcase the ensemble’s distinctive tonal blend. As flautist Balzhan Saparova explains, the starting point for the ensemble was a long-held artistic vision.
“The idea took shape a long time ago; we were inspired by a shared dream to perform Debussy’s sonata. For some reason, this work is seldom heard in concert. The composer himself admitted that working on this sonata allowed him to lose himself, as if in a beautiful dream. The fragility of this ‘world of blissful sleep’ finds expression in an exceptionally refined instrumental combination: flute, viola, and harp. Through this blend of timbres, Debussy created a remarkably graceful work, captivating for its soft, ‘matte’ resonance, whimsical rhythmic figures, and interwoven instrumental lines. The delicate, ‘pastel’ soundscape typical of Impressionism is naturally combined here with Neoclassical trends and echoes of the Baroque,” the musician shared.
Indeed, during the 17th and 18th centuries, a tradition of so-called ‘concerts-symphonies’ emerged at the French royal courts, where the harp, transverse flute, and the predecessor of the modern viola were often brought together in ‘pastoral’ ensembles. This combination reached a particular height in the works of the enigmatic Comte de Saint-Germain – a shadowy figure whose real identity remains unknown. His late 18th-century sonatas for a similar ensemble captivated audiences with their translucent textures.
Later, during the Romantic period, the ensemble largely disappeared from the concert stage due to the challenges of acoustic balance. However, composers at the turn of the century – including Maurice Ravel and André Caplet – breathed new life into the combination, proving that the tonal ‘lacework’ of flute, viola, and harp is capable of conveying the subtlest nuances of emotion.
As Balzhan Saparova notes, the first major work for this instrument combination was Claude Debussy’s celebrated Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp, written in 1915. It is rightly regarded as a seminal piece that introduced the world to the ensemble’s distinctive sound-world. Shortly afterwards, in 1916, the English composer Arnold Bax, inspired by Irish motifs, composed his Elegiac Trio. This instrumental combination, renowned for its intimate, Impressionistic atmosphere, gained popularity largely through Debussy’s influence. These two masterpieces, now classics of the genre, form the conceptual heart of the forthcoming evening.
“These two works form the foundation of our concert. The programme will also include celebrated pieces with harp accompaniment, alongside duets for viola and flute by Anton Hoffmeister and much-loved Kazakh compositions,” Balzhan Saparova concludes. In this way, the musicians will introduce listeners to two masterpieces while reviving a centuries-old tradition of chamber music-making that once graced the royal salons of Versailles.
The performance begins at 7pm.
