ALTHOUGH JAMAICA has no classical music season, this Sunday the island will get a taste of the Mid-America season of classical music. The National History Society (NHS) of Jamaica will be presenting Orrett Rhoden in a Post-Carnegie Hall Recital.
The Jamaican music scene is varied and thriving, with some genres faring better than others. Classical music is one of those areas where the fare is at best sporadic, although there are fans.
Interestingly, the last few months featured two classical music shows in Kingston, while such shows were fewer and farther between for the rest of the year.
Rhoden performed at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall on October 1. The performance signalled the start of the mid-America season. As with the local concert, pianist, violinist and composer Virginia-Gene Rittenhouse was a guest performer.
The 'Post-Carnegie Hall Recital' will feature the same music as that performed at Carnegie Hall last month. Thus, the programme will feature Bach's Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in D Major, Beethoven's Sonata in C Minor, Opus 13 ('Pathetique'); Chopin's Phantasie in F Minor, Opus 49 and Ballade in G minor Opus 23; Rittenhouse's Jamaican Suite for Violin and Piano; and Brahms' variation on a theme by Paganini, Book II, Opus 35.
Rhoden, who earned the label child prodigy with performances of Mozart's B-flat Sonata and Tchaikovsky's Concerto Number 1, has performed across the globe. His trip to Carnegie Hall this year was by no means his first, as he debuted there in 1984. Rittenhouse has also had a prolific career. She received her doctorate in performance from the Peabody Conservatory and has studied at Juliard and Boston University. She is also the music director of the New England Symphonic Ensemble, MidAmerica Productions' resident orchestra.
The Post-Carnigie Hall Recital is the society's major fund-raising event for the year. Eric Garroway, president of the NHS noted that the music concerts have become something of a tradition with the society. He pointed out that the concerts work through the generosity of the various performers.
"We find different artists who are willing to give of their time and energy," he explained. Garroway said, however, that he does not know when the tradition of having concerts as a part of the NHS's fund-raising efforts began.
