Loading ...Last night, concert-goers at Zellerbach Hall got a rare taste of Kazakh culture that they will likely never forget, even if they can’t quite fight the urge to make a lot of Borat jokes in the process of remembering. (Cough. Cough.) The Symphony Orchestra of the Kurmangazy Kazakh National Conservatory was in town for the second performance on their “USA Tour 2009.” And trust us when we say that they were here to charm the shit out of America–because they did.
First, the full symphony played a rousing rendition of Tchaikovsky’s “Overture to Romeo and Juliet,” a piece composed by a Russian, but much beloved by the West. It was lovely. The sounds wafted up to the mezzanine like the scent of a dozen roses floating on a spring breeze. Or, err, something.
Next, soloist Jania Aubakirova performed Rachmaninoff’s (another Russkie, incidentally) “Piano Concerto No. 2.” It was cool, but damn, it was long. Those Kazakhs don’t mess around. Also, Aubakirova was rocking this black dress with possibly the most epic neck ruff we’ve ever seen. It was tulle. It had black sequins embedded deep within its folds.
Her collar was, however, overshadowed by the costumes that came after intermission. The “Kazakh Traditional Music Ensemble,” Turan were easily the most interesting part of the performance. Sasha Baron Cohen’s thong unitard had nothin’ on these musicians. We totally mean that in the best way imaginable. Seriously.
The above video will give you a rough idea of the dombra, kyl kobyz jamming that went down, but it will by no means substitute for the magic and wonder of the in-person experience. And when they joined the rest of the symphony to play the “World Premiere” of composer Aktoty Raimkulova’s “Symphonic Poem, Jamilya” it was actually a very exciting melange of the ancient and the new. In conclusion: Throat singing equals complete badassery and we are definitely playing this ish at our next dance party. Very nice!
Ensemble “Turan” [YouTube]
Kazakhstan Conservatory Orch [Zellerbach]
Tags:Kazakh, Kurmangazy Kazakh National Conservatory, symphony, Zellerbach Hall
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