HAYDN'S ENGLISH WIDOW

Deirdre Blignaut ~ Soprano
John Reid Coulter ~ Fortepiano
Anna Stoddard ~ Narrator

Enjoy an evening of fine music, fine wine and good company.

Tickets R100.00 per person – includes wine and cheese. Booking essential as seating is limited.

For further information, please contact Tarryn Petzer on 011 648-0785 or spp@global.co.za.

Joseph Haydn

Joseph Haydn was a most devout, naïve man of gentle character. Concerned for his dear friend’s well-being, the more worldly and well travelled Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart discouraged Haydn’s plans to accept an invitation to visit London, believing that his friend’s innocence would be exploited by the English.

Perhaps Mozart’s fears were not unfounded, because during his first visit to London, Haydn was befriended by two charming ladies... Anne Hunter was a poet whose poems reflect early Romantic sentiments. These were set to music by Haydn. The other lady was Rebecca Schroeter, an independent woman of musical taste and talent, who became Haydn’s “dearest love.”

This concert is a performance of the Anne Hunter Songs, given by Deirdre Blignaut, whose previous concert at Salisbury House included Beethoven’s Scottish Folk Songs. She is accompanied by John Reid Coulter playing the fortepiano. This instrument was built by John and is a copy of a Stein fortepiano of ca. 1780. The narrator, Anna Stoddard, interweaves the story of Haydn’s love affair into the programme, revealing more of the fascinating life of Rebecca Schroeter and he lively atmosphere of Georgian London. The narration is based on Rebecca’s letters, some of Haydn’s writings, as well as reviews of the day.

The Artists

Deirdre Blignaut

Deirdre studied singing with Prof Werner Nel & repertoire with the late Anna Bender. She is currently studying with Eugenie Chopin. She obtained a Performer’s Licentiate cum laude in 2002 & was invited to participate in the Unisa International Bursary Competition.

Deirdre is currently working towards a MMus (Performing Arts) at the University of Pretoria. She teaches voice at Pro Arte, Alphen Park, lectures Methodology of Singing at the University of Pretoria & is voice lecturer at the School of Music, North West University in Potchefstroom.

John Reid Coulter

John is one of South Africa’s leading exponents of historical performance practice. He studied harpsichord with Jacques Ogg at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. He has taught at the universities of Potchefstroom, Witwatersrand & Pretoria. He is the recently appointed head of practical studies at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein. John has a particular interest in the building of early keyboard instruments & has built a number of harpsichords & a fortepiano.

John has performed both as soloist & continuo player in The Netherlands, Norway, Germany & England. He is a well known adjudicator at music festivals & has won a number of awards as a composer.

Anna Stoddard

Anna graduated from the University of the Witwatersrand in 1991, having majored in harpsichord. She continued her studies in Amsterdam before moving to Zimbabwe. In Harare Anna taught music at the Zimbabwe College of Music and was a newspaper critic & radio programme producer. She began to give “lecture recitals” & played the harpsichord with various ensembles throughout the country. Since moving to Cape Town in 2001, she has been teaching at Reddam House, Constantia.

Her passionate interest in musci history has made her “lecture recitals” much sought after events & she has presented these at various institutions such as The Lindberg Foundation, The Goethe Institute, The Decorative & Fine Arts Society of Cape Town as well as The Owl Club.