A concert titled “Mozart. Light. Music” was held in the Grand Hall of the Turkmen National Conservatory named after Maya Kuliyeva, dedicated to the 270th anniversary of the birth of the Austrian musical genius, celebrated this year.
In the foyer of the conservatory, guests were welcomed by a small exhibition of books about Mozart, complemented by an antique candlestick, an inkwell with a quill pen, and the main exhibits—women’s and men’s costumes of 18th-century European aristocracy. The exhibition helped immerse visitors in the era in which Mozart lived.
The prelude to the concert was an engaging talk by Elena Osipova, Associate Professor of the Department of Music Theory, Candidate of Art Studies, about the life and work of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
The concert opened with a performance of the Grieg Sonata in C major for two pianos by Elena Arakelyan and Honored Artist of Turkmenistan Vladimir Mkrtumov. A lit candle placed on one of the pianos added a touch of romance to the calm, lyrical melody filled with purity and elegance.
“Mozart, like a ray of sunshine, begins in childhood,” said the host of the concert, Ekaterina Darchia, as she introduced the children’s choir “Singing Nightingales” from Music School No. 4 of Ashgabat, which performed the piece “Alphabet.”
Fifth-grade student Vladimir Grigoryan from Music School No. 1 delivered a remarkably mature performance of the piece “Fantasy,” impressing the audience not only with Mozart’s beautiful composition but also with his own performance skills.
The compiler of the concert program, Elena Osipova, sought to cover all areas of Mozart’s creative works. Thus, the audience heard the duet of Don Giovanni and Zerlina from the opera “Don Giovanni,” performed by Begench Gaipov and Bahar Durdyeva, which received enthusiastic applause. A string quartet and a wind quintet also took part in the concert, performing “Rondo alla Turca” and “Divertimento”.
The concert concluded with a performance by the orchestra “Melody,” which played Mozart’s “Eine kleine Nachtmusik,” leaving the audience with a sense of extraordinary lightness and harmony.
