‘Honoloulou, pota lama! Honoloulou, Honoloulou, Kati moko, mosi bolou Ratakou sira, polama! 

Such were the words chosen by Francis Poulenc for one of the interludes in Rapsodie nègre, a piece he composed at the age of 18. The text was a mix of farcical words that did not mean anything. Just before its premiere, the baritone refused to perform, wary of appearing ridiculous. In a surprising turn of events, Poulenc, hidden behind a large music stand, sang the interlude himself. The sight of a soldier, clad in his uniform, belting out pseudoMalagasy lyrics would have created an unusual effect. Much to Poulenc’s relief, the rhapsody, dedicated to French composer Erik Satie, was a resounding success.

The backstories of the early works of composers, often driven purely by their raw eagerness of expression, are abundant with such anecdotes. This desire to create often arises out of inspiration drawn from other artistes’ works. For example, Edward Elgar composed a Credo for choir at the age of 16, based on themes from Beethoven’s Fifth, Seventh and Ninth Symphonies. This eagerness can also emerge out of the need for experimentation. John Cage’s In a Landscape is a case in point, which explores the unique sounds produced by holding the piano pedals down for the entirety of the 10-minute piece. Finally, this eagerness can also be fuelled by the sole aim of shocking the public by challenging their expectations, as is evident in Beethoven’s early sonatas and, of course, in Poulenc’s semi-Dadaist work mentioned earlier.

The 14th edition of the Con Brio Festival, titled Wonder Years, will present works by iconic classical composers written when they were quite young. The competition-festival, scheduled from 26th to 29th August, will present a programme of ‘youthful’ works from across Europe and the Americas—two regions where Western classical music has been most richly nurtured.

Con Brio 2024 will host the final stages of the National Piano, Violin and Voice competitions, featuring  performances of young musicians selected out of a total of 112 applicants. Highlights also include a violin-cello duet titled Water Droplets composed by Sibelius at age 10, Variations for Clarinet and Piano by Rossini, De Falla’s ‘Danse Espagnole’ performed by six hands on one piano, Gershwin and Piazzolla’s works played as a duet on two pianos, an early Vivaldi violin concerto, Poulenc’s Rapsodie nègre, a Mozart Motet for Soprano and Strings written at the age of 16, Rachmaninoff ’s Trio élégiaque composed at age 17, a piano quintet by Miguel del Aguila evoking an imaginary visit to a clock museum, and some witty choral compositions.

Celebrating the success of the first instalment of the Con Brio Conducting Weekend, a workshop that took place earlier this year, the festival will also introduce several young conductors, leading various vocal and instrumental ensembles.

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This article was originally published in the August 2024 issue of ON Stage.

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