It is a Mass on a grand scale and is every bit as dramatic as would be expected from the composer of some 39 successful operas.
Written partly as an act of piety and devotion and as an opportunity to leave a final legacy and an example of his skill in writing large-scale choral works, this Mass will be a real showcase for the Napier Civic Choir.
It is scored for four soloists - soprano Pasquale Orchard, Australian contralto Victoria Lambourn, tenor Declan Cudd and bass-baritone Alex Lee - with an accompaniment by visiting pianist Matteo Napoli and harmonium player Freya Hodgson.
Pasquale Orchard has completed her third year of study towards a BMus in classical voice performance at Te Koki New Zealand School of Music, while Victoria Lambourn performs regularly with Opera Australia and has been performing at the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden in Germany. Declan Cudd is a New Zealand born tenor who discovered his love of music through music theatre which eventually led him to opera.
He holds a BMus and a Postgraduate Diploma in Classical Performance Voice from the New Zealand School of Music, while Alex Lee is a former member of the New Zealand Youth Choir and is in his final year of his BMus degree at the University of Otago.
On the Saturday evening, between the two choral concerts, the Hawke's Bay Orchestra will present a programme which will display three very different perspectives of Russian music.
The Shostakovich Chamber Symphony, a transcription of the composer's very personal String Quartet No 8, gives a glimpse into the soul of a Soviet artist blighted by years of persecution by the Communist Party. From Shostakovich's happier youth, the Piano Concerto No 1, with soloists Matteo Napoli and trumpeter Thomas Wilkinson, is a vibrant work, at times serious and at other times wickedly funny. In the glorious Romantic period Serenade for Strings by Tchaikowsky, a work which the composer regarded as one of his finest compositions, Tchaikowsky looks back to earlier music, providing a brilliant contrast to the Shostakovich compositions.
Matteo Napoli is an honours graduate of the Giordano Conservatoire in Foggia, Italy. Early in his career, he captured worldwide attention with first and second places in significant European piano competitions, and he has wide experience as an international concerto soloist.
"We aim to bring to Hawke's Bay many unforgettable tunes," says Aparicio.
These choral and orchestral concerts will give a taste of what delights are in store for audiences during the rest of the year.
• Tickets from Beattie & Forbes, Ahuriri; Wardini Books, Napier and Take Note, Havelock North. Door sales, eftpos available. For more information call 835 1514 or email helenrob@clear.net.nz