This year we celebrated 100 years since the last concert given by the Romanian composer George Enescu in Constanța, in 1923. One hundred years later, the Romanian Violinist Daniel Mihai and renowned British Composer and Pianist Charles Stephen Laurence Parker brought back on the scene of Constanta the music of George Enescu- a genius composer and a man beyond his time. George Enescu lived, in the last part of his life, in Paris, but Romania remained always present in his heart and in his artistic creations. George Enescu carried the cross of his exile and artistic genius with dignity, testifying himself: „I served my country with my weapons: the quill, violin and wand.”
This concert was organised simultaneously with the plethora of events within the 26th edition of ‘’George Enescu International Festival’’ – 2023 edition, as a connected event (with the aim of honouring the great personality of George Enescu, although without benefiting from any support from the festival). This event connected Constanta with the international musical life.
The concert took placed in the modern hall of the Multifunctional and Educative Centre ‘’Jean Constantin’’ in Constanța and was organized with support from Constanța County Council and Constanța County Cultural Center „Teodor T. Burada”, as well as with support from the ‘’Holy Martyrs Brâncoveni’’ School.
As a surprise for the public, Daniel Mihai played the violin repertoire using two violins: a Giovanni Paolo Maggini model violin, made in Vienna, 100 years ago, and a Giovanni Batista Cerruti model violin, estimated to be over 100 years old, the second one being offered on loan, especially for this concert, by Mr. Constantin Suciu, violin teacher at the „Regina Maria” National College of Arts in Constanța.
Daniel Mihai and C. S. L. Parker invited the Romanian public to accompany them on a musical journey through some surprising musical ‘’lands’’, rediscovering, the music of George Enescu, but also the music of composers such as: Mihail J. Barbu, Mircea Chiriac, Liana Alexandra, Vladimir Cosma, Ioan Dobrinescu, Bela Bartok, Şerban Nichifor and Iosif Ivanovici.
The public in Constanta had the opportunity to listen to a composition which represented a first audition in Romania- the song ”Five Views of Sunset” for violin and piano, composed by C.S.L. Parker, who participated to this concert in a double role- as a composer and pianist. This composition, presented for the first time to the Romanian public, was very enthusiastically received by the music lovers in Constanta. Those present at the event expressed their appreciation for the musical performance offered by the two musicians with warmth and many rounds of applauses.
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