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John
Cage`s Music Circus - A House Full of Music Review by Zorica
Kojic IIn this world of John Cage, everyday life is overwhelmed by a sense of wonder for the clanging of dishes, the muffled whine of a vacuum cleaner or fan, the scraping of shoes on the floor, the buzzing polyphony of portable radios, the rhythm and melody of the human voice, and - naturally and as well - for silence. Such are the sounds of our contemporary world, indoors and outdoors, of man-made and natural phenomena, of friendly machines and threatening weather, the outer world; but what of the other, the inner world, the experiences in tone (and image) that always accompany us, perhaps in memory, the totality of (especially) audible sensation? Theatre and circus! That is, every observed and well-remembered fragment from life in which you suddenly become aware of every element that contributes to the moment. Pure epiphany, as Joyce would say. Conceived by Nada Kolundzija
and director Scott Fielding (USA), John Cage`s Music Circus - A
House Full of Music, is a super-timely and hyper-attractive performance,
performed at Bitef Theater like a real hallucination at the edge
of anarchy, a genuine grand opening of this year's prestigious Nineteenth
International Review of Composers. The artists here are equally notable: Nada Kolundzija (prepared piano), Katarina Jovanovic (soprano), actor Svetozar Cvetkovic, Aleksandar Bencic (trombone), the Quartet Manufacturing Industry of Musical Material, a percussion orchestra, and the combined force of numerous artistic associates. Happily trapped in this "cage" with exotic birds, watching the nymphs on percussion, the ceremonial launching of giant shells in bowls of water, listening to a sort of gospel-beat of young people at the table, attending a ceremony with the mystical supernatural voice of Katarina Jovanovic, and spellbound by fire in a sacred vessel on stage that threatens to burn every lie in art ... well, we are such a privileged audience that this happiness is almost impossible to resist. These are
the kinds of a real-life fragments that make Belgrade the hot point
on the creative map of the planet, in this moment, anyway, and forever! Balkan Insight.com Les Enfants Terribles -
a Dance Opera ... To me, the musians were more than just members of the supporting cast. The three pianos were played near faultlessly by Nada Kolundzija, Sonja Loncar and Andrija Pavlovic... * NEW SOUNDS
No 26 ...The bonus programme included quartertone miniatures for two pianos, excellently performed by Nada Kolundžija and Deborah Richards... * TEMPO -
a Quaterly Review of Modern Music Vol. 61 No. 242 October 2007 ...while Nada Kolundzija presented
her emblematic 'lady composers programme' (heard earlier in Belgrade)
with pieces by Ada Gentile, Roberta Vacca, Jasna Velickovic, Katarina
Miljkovic, etc). *** soundaXis festival - Toronto Les AMIS Concerts present an evening
at the Music Gallery called Xenakis and his contemporaries June
6, 8 pm. " soundaXis blog - June, 2006. *** * ... Very distinct, expressive
and inspirative... * ...Pianist Nada Kolundžija,
an artist whose long-term affinity for contemporary music formed
what is in our terms an entirely specific career, performed at the
main hall of the City Hall on Tuesday, January 25… * Broadcast of
the 3rd programmme of Radio Belgrade, Octobar, 2005. ... Kolundžija created a unique atmosphere of "listening for" differences in similarities, without redundant gestures (although in the case of Irena Popović's composition this was quite in the manner of the performers of experimental music, through the examination of the relationship between silence and sound, actually examining the potentials of her own voice/body). By unpretentiousness, which has always been her trademark, she managed to underline the key points in her creative process, thus not allowing the quality of certain works from the programme to be questioned. * ... Thus the first concert evening
of the project "Composers in the Firs Person" at the great
hall of the Students Cultural Centre brought to the stage the cult
Belgrade pianist Nada Kolundžija... * COMPOSERS IN
THE FIRST PERSON January 25, 2007 ...superb piano
recital by Nada Kolunäžija... * Građanski list,
NOVI SAD …an outstanding
dedication of the pianist in seeking out new works… GLAS, December
27, 2004. BELGRADE …she was playing
in the dark to bring out the sound… DANAS, May, 2001,
BELGRADE Hall of the Student Cultural Centre, Multimedia celebration of Erik Satie's birthday BELGRADE Kolundžija,
that radiating Marianne Faithful and Nico of domestic avant-garde
pianism and the highly inspiring professor of Belgrade Music Academy,
who opened many a window with her subject in the mostly uncultivated
personal states of mind of the students… POLITIKA, 2000.
BELGRADE The Centre for
Contemporary Art and Photography has published a CD of Nada Kolundžija,
a remarkable and acclaimed interpreter of newer piano music… We
are fortunate that Nada Kolundžija plays Satie with unhidden inspiration,
unusual humour and idiosyncrasy, and above all, with an entirely
elegant, inherent sense of simplicity… Broadcast of
the 3rd programmme of Radio Belgrade 1992. The Museum of Theatre Art of Serbia, cycle "20th-Century Classics and our Contemporaries", BELGRADE ... Nada Kolundžija is indeed
a reliable interpreter of compositions from the classical repertoire,
but to our milieu she is particularly valuable as an enthusiastic
performer of contemporary music, making it possible for us to hear
many foreign works which we would otherwise hear only from recordings,
equally promoting domestic production, thus often providing it with
an important incentive as well... * NOVOSTI, 1991.
BELGRADE At last unanimity
at the United Nations Palace in New York. The crowded hall bearing
the name of the tragically killed Secretary General Dag Hammershold
marked with standing ovation the end of the piano concert of our
artist Nada Kolundžija, who skillfully interpreted her "specialty"
- 20th century music. THE GLOBE AND
MAIL, November 21, 1986. TORONTO Jovan and Nada Kolundžija - Jane Mallett Theatre, Toronto ...violinist,
pianist shine in varied program... Hall of the Faculty of Music, cycle "Musica viva" of Radio Belgrade, BELGRADE * An Evening of Modern Music * * The programme of the sonata
evening that included works by Mozart, Beethoven and Brahms revealed
not only the artistic seriousness and high interpretative abilities
of the duet, but also the desire to satisfy the always present need
of the audience for the tried and tested classical music… Playing
these works as a perfectly coordinated chamber duet in which pianist
Nada Kolundžija had a prominent and splendidly developed part. The
artists confirmed their reputation in an impressive way… Absolutely
precise, technically impeccable and musically thought-out, the playing
of Nada Kolundžija was more than a mere piano accompaniment, growing
into an act of joint music statement, inspirational mutual "serving"
and unique creation… Jovan and Nada Kolundžija, Little theatre, Bombay * The pianist combined perfectly
with the violinist and showed her sensibility. THE TIMES OF INDIA March 18, 1986.
* Nada Kolundzija came across
as a strong gifted pianist in the works for piano and violin, and
it was difficult to tear oneself away from the Duo's impassioned
yet comprehensive interpretations. With an urgent driving power
and lyricism, the Duo took on the Beethoven Sponata in G, Op. 30,
No 3...The piano work was breathlessly vivid.
* …a special quality of this
concert that deserves to be mentioned is togetherness accomplished
in music-making with pianist Nada Kolundžija. With the confidence
and subtlety of her playing, Nada Kolundžija was much more than
a mere soloist accompaniment, she was a musical and coordinated
partner that equally shares the success.
* Kolundzija était accompagné
su piano par sa sśur Nada et leur duo fut un cocktail de noblesse
et de raffinement dans la grande tradition romantique...
* Nada Koludzija como pianista
fue una eficas colaboradora en una encomiable labor de plena identificación
con las correspondientes partituras, evidenciando a la vez una gran
sensibilidad.
* The Height of Skill
* Playing on the piano alongside
Jovan Kolundžija was his sister Nada Kolundžija, without whose exceptional,
full-blooded collaboration there would not have been the perfect
artistic singing of the violin and the piano. Jovan and Nada Kolundžija, Krčka kripta, KRK * … a superb piano accompaniment
of Nada Kolundžija…
* Once again Nada
Kolundžija proved to be a remarkable and generous musical collaborator,
imparting a special atmosphere to this extraordinary concert by
her rich musical imagination, temperament, musicality and technical
preparation.
* It should be said early on
that his able partner at the piano was his sister, Nada...Her contribution
to the sucess of the evening was enormous. We heard splendid performances
of Cesar Frank's familier "Sonata in A Major"...
* Before the evening was over,
one wished that Nada Kolundzija had come on stage alone to give
the listeners a more penetrating look at the musical artistry that
she unquestionably possesses.
* The violinist was joined by
his younger sister, pianist Nada Kolundzija, billed as his accompanist
but turning in a performance that would do a soloist proud. Like
her brother, Ms.Kolundzija lavishes attention on tone, dynamic contrast
and sweeping phrasing - her Shumann must be something to hier.
* The two performers had such
intensity of concentration that thay made their instruments communicate
with fervor, passion and affection.
* The Cesar Franck "Sonata
in A Major" which followed gave even greater insight into the
sensitivities and virtuosity of both pianist and violinist. The
subtle shading from the violin and the broad melodic sweep of piano
as it joined in an interpretation of the first movement was deeply
expressive. In the exciting second novement, the virtuosity of the
pianist nicely balanced the excitement of the violin. One almost
wished to clap at the close of the second moveent - it was so perfectly
proportioned with sensitivity, nuance and tempestuous excitement.
*…With a great sense of new
music (which is one of her basic preoccupations), these works are
performed on the prepared piano by Nada Kolundžija, one of the most
committed members of the music editorial board of the Student Cultural
Centre.
* The fact remains that in our
country it is only pianist Nada Kolundžija who consistently and
fearlessly engages in such adventures as whole-evening recitals
at which she has been performing 20th-century compositions with
great inspiration… It was thanks to Nada Kolundžija that Belgraders
had the opportunity to listen to the prepared piano live…
* Franck's sonata, a veritable
symphony for violin and piano, was superbly performed in the second
part of the concert. It was precisely this sonata that revealed
the compact sound of the brother and sister Kolundžija and their
perfectly coordinated interpretation. Their rendition of Franck's
late Romantic music culminated in the third movement, which will
be remembered as one of the finest achievements of this season. Nada Kolundžija, Music Salon of the Student Centre, compositions of Arnold Schoenberg, ZAGREB * Nada Kolundžija approaches
these writings from their more intimate side. Her artistic approach
to Schoenberg's compositions imposes a dimension of likeability
which they had always been denied, thus expanding the expressive
modalities of music discourse. Nada Kolundžija, Student Cultural Centre, Sonatas and Interludes for prepared piano by John Cage, BELGRADE *Cage and Kolundžija - ahead
of everyone else?
* The Height of the Season Nada Kolundžija and Nikola Srdić at the "Days of Music" in HERCEG NOVI *…she confirmed her fascinating
affinity for the music idiom of the second half of the 20th century,
sounding the works with precision in formal-structural terms and
pianistic maturity… clarinetist Nikola Srdić, accompanied on the
piano by Nada Kolundžija, performed that same evening… Their concert
was the interpretative pinnacle of this year's "Days of Music".
* Nada Kolundžija or a cultural
event par excellence!
* With extraordinary, concentrated
focus on an objective crystallized expression, a genuine Schoenbergian
touch, through the complex accentuation freed of the subjective
sensibility of foregone styles, she arrived in her investigative
approach at new expressive knowledge and new condensed emotional
nuances. Nada Kolundžija has persuaded us that the path she had
chosen in her pianistic orientation is crucial for her further development
and very important for the development of contemporary piano culture
in our country.
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