Last night, in the Santa Maria in punta church in Budva's Old Town, as part of the XXXVIII Grad Teatar music program, another concert was held that delighted everyone present.
Double bass player Zoran Zakrajšek and pianist Bojan Martinović prepared an evening to remember, performing works by Kusevicki, Part, Rachmaninoff and Piaccola.
Zakrajšek and Martinović created a unique atmosphere with their virtuosity and deep dedication to music, showing enviable technique and emotional expressiveness. Each tone was precisely shaped, and the emotions they conveyed to the audience left a deep impression.
The piece "Vocalise" by Sergei Rachmaninov stood out in particular, where Martinović's piano performance excelled, while Zakrajšek's double bass brought additional depth and warmth. In Piacola's work "Kicho", the audience felt the passion and energy of tango, but also a masterful combination of jazz and classical music.
During the entire concert, the audience remained in silence and full concentration until the last note of each piece performed, rewarding the artists with a long and sincere applause.
After the concert, Zakrajšek said that they wanted to pay tribute to two great musicians.
"A tribute was made to Sergei Koussevitch and the celebration of the 150th anniversary of his birth. But I wanted to emphasize and dedicate the first composition to my late professor Pavlo Aksamit, who lived and created in Budva. He was the conductor of City Music, double bass teacher in Budva and Podgorica, director of the school in Budva for many years. I don't think we appreciate enough what people before us have done for us. That man did so much for music in Montenegro, the Montenegrin Symphony Orchestra in its current composition would not exist without his students", said Zakrajšek and added that he himself is fulfilled by pedagogical work, but that he should always encourage new generations.
"Pedagogy is going well for me, but it would be better if it were more mass." In Montenegro, it often happens that every 15-20 years we start from the beginning, which loses continuity. Children are very talented, but they need to be inspired to play classical music. It is a job that requires a lot of effort, especially in lower music schools.”
Pianist Martinović emphasized that he feels at home at the Grad Teatar festival.
"Since the beginning of this millennium, I have performed in various formations, sometimes solo, sometimes with an orchestra, and tonight with Zoran. I already feel this space intimately, as if it were mine, it is fantastic and it really represents a great challenge. Zoran may have had a bigger challenge because string instruments, like most instruments, do not tolerate the best weather conditions, especially humidity and heat. But we fought tonight and we were spatially prepared for such things. You know, there are festivals where you play outside, so there were situations when the concert was supposed to start, and five minutes before that there was a strong wind. The organizer tells me: 'In five minutes the wind will stop, believe me, every night at nine stops'. So, we are prepared for all weather conditions," said Martinović and added that the works they performed were not strictly written for piano and double bass.
"The program was predominantly written for double bass with orchestra, while Arvo Part's composition was originally written for violin and piano, and we played the transcription. As for Piaccola, he originally wrote the composition for double bass and orchestra, but in tonight's performance the piano played a significant role."
Although the acquaintance and friendship with Zakrajšek has been going on for decades, Martinović points out that there is always great work in the background of a good concert.
"We have known each other for many years, and actually behind everything we heard tonight is great work. I like to say that I have been preparing for every concert my whole life. I've been practicing since I was nine years old, maybe more intensively since I was ten. As for our joint work, this kind of program includes daily and long rehearsals, conversations about music, debates and different points of view about solutions in music itself. We have a lot of similarities, so rehearsals and agreements flow fluidly. In addition to being friends, we crowned our friendship with this professional engagement. In recent years, we have been playing more intensively, although we have known each other all our lives, we did not play together much in the earlier years. But, in recent years, that has also come, probably at the right time."
The music program of the Grad Teatar festival will continue already on Tuesday, August 20, in the Santa Maria in Punta church, starting at 21 p.m., when soprano Petra Radulović and pianist Jelena Šiljeg will perform.
Bonus video:
