April 9-16, 2009

(Thursday to Wednesday, over Easter)

Cousins-in-law

A celebration of the music of Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826), emphasising his piano and clarinet music and contrasting it with works of his cousin-in-law, Mozart, and contemporaries. We have the celebrated clarinetist, Emma Johnson, and pianist, Benjamin Frith, as the principal soloists. Ben, whose superb recordings of the Weber Piano Concerti and Konzertstuck are on Naxos 8.550959, will be playing specially commissioned chamber transcriptions, as will Emma. I promise a week of absolute delights and discoveries.

Please note that the programme is in the process of finalisation, below is the current status.

Thursday April 9

Emma Johnson (clarinet), Benjamin Frith (Piano), Bassoon t.b.a, Orpheus & Bacchus Ensemble

Weber: Clarinet Concerto No.1
Mozart: Piano Concerto K413
Weber: Bassoon concerto

Friday April 10

Emma Johnson (clarinet), Benjamin Frith (Piano), Bassoon t.b.a, Orpheus & Bacchus Ensemble

Mozart: Clarinet Quintet K625
Weber: Piano Concerto No.1
Hummel: Bassoon Concerto

Saturday April 11

Emma Johnson (Clarinet), Benjamin Frith (Piano), Bassoon t.b.a, Orpheus & Bacchus Ensemble

Weber Clarinet Concerto No.2
Mozart: Bassoon Concerto
Mercadante: Clarinet Concerto in B flat, Op.102

Sunday April 12

Benjamin Frith & Andrew Brownell* (Pianos)

Soprano to be announced

-Lunchtime concert-
Mozart: Sonata for 2 pianos K
Weber: Piano Sonatas Nos. 2 &3

-Evening concert-
Arias for soprano from the Operas of Mozart & Weber

Monday April 13

Emma Johnson (Clarinet), Benjamin Frith (Piano),

Orpheus & Bacchus Ensemble

Mozart: Clarinet Concerto
Weber: Piano Concerto No.2

Tuesday April 14

Emma Johnson (Clarinet), Horn t.b.a

Orpheus & Bacchus Ensemble

Weber: Clarinet Quintet
Mozart: Horn Quintet K407
Weber: Horn Concertino

Wednesday April 15

Emma Johnson (Clarinet), Benjamin Frith (Piano)

Orpheus & Bacchus Ensemble

May 1-May 3

Haydn & the String Quartet

The bi-centenary of Haydn's death is in 2009 and the Chilingirian Quartet will be playing a selection of the composer's works from early to late. There is no-one better than Levon Chilingirian to tell the story of Haydn's innovative development of the string quartet medium and this promises to be a fascinating experience.

Friday, May 1

Chilingirian Quartet

String Quartet Op. 9 No.4

String Quartet Op. 33 No.1

String Quartet Op. 50 No.6

Saturday, May 2

Chilingirian Quartet

String Quartet Op. 54 No.2

String Quartet Op. 55 No.2

String Quartet Op. 64 No.4

Sunday, May 3

Chilingirian Quartet

String Quartet Op. 71 No.2

String Quartet Op. 74 No.1

followed by

Hummel: String Quartet No.2 Op.30 No.1

May 3-10, 2009

(Sunday to Sunday)

Artists include Andrew Brownell, Benjamin Frith and Madoka Inui (pianos) and the Orpheus & Bacchus Ensemble led by Yuri Zhislin

Rivals in Vienna - Beethoven & Hummel

The two most famous pianists and composers in the early 19th century were and Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1826) and Johann Nepumuk Hummel (1778 - 1837). Time has dealt at extremes with them, with Hummel increasingly forgotten and dismissed. Beethoven & Hummel's lives were intertwined, from the time they competed as the leading piano virtuosi in the salons of Vienna in 1794, until Hummel threw the laurel wreaths on Beethoven's coffin at the funeral. Two more different composers it is difficult to imagine. The towering musical ambition of the revolutionary and single Beethoven, the relaxed and happily married Kapellmeister Hummel. I asked Stephen Hough, the pianist whose celebrated recordings of Hummel's two greatest piano concerti in 1987 have done more than anything to start the Hummel revival, for his perspective on the composer:

"The Charles Bridge in Prague is one of those structures which is as interesting and beautiful as the two points which it links.  Johann Nepomuk Hummel (named after the saint who met his death by being thrown from that very bridge) is a key link between the classical and romantic styles.  As we listen to his music, beautiful in itself, our ears catch both sounds of Mozart and Chopin, of Beethoven and Liszt, of Haydn and Schumann ... and yet all is Hummel.  He reaches forwards with audacity into the 19th century yet is not afraid to draw on past resources, on the elegance and order of 18th century models.  He built on the foundation of his teacher Mozart's discovery of the piano as a vocal, operatic instrument, and Hummel's singing lines, decorated exuberantly with coloratura figuration, paved the way for a whole generation or two of virtuosos down the line." Stephen Hough

A child prodigy whom Mozart took into his home for two years, friend & rival of Beethoven in Vienna in the 1790s, Kapellmeister at Esterhazy succeeding Haydn, and later at Weimar alongside Goethe.... a profound influence on Chopin, and the dedicatee of Schubert's last three piano sonatas. This festival will perhaps celebrate more of Hummel's music than any other, with specially commissioned chamber transcriptions of the best known concerti.

If you have an ounce of musical curiosity I promise a week of revalation. Ian Christians

Please note that the programme is in the process of finalisation.

May 11 - 15, 2008

Artistic Director: Alexander Sitkovetsky

Priya Mitchell, Alexander Sitkovetsky (violins), Razvan Popovici (viola), David Cohen, Bernard Naoki-Hedenborg (cellos), Diana Ketler, Polina Leschenko (pianos)

Programme still in preparation