Beethovenfest Downloads
September 29, 2006
It is no coincidence that the protea, which has over 300 subspecies, was chosen as the national flower for a country that is characterized by diversity and has a long history of apartheid.
South African composer Hans Huyssen incorporated elements of traditional African music in his orchestral work "Proteus Variations," commissioned by the Deutsche Welle for the 2006 Beethoven Festival. Like his country, the piece is rich with variety and as colorful as a flower.
The South African National Youth Orchestra (SANYO), made of the country's most promising young musicians, were invited to the Beethoven Festival in Bonn for the world's first performance of Huyssen's "Proteus Variations."
Click on the link below to listen to a recording of the world premiere on September 9, 2006 in Bonn's Beethovenhalle.