Concert end of 30 th anniversary of the International Piano Festival of La Roque-d'Anthéron
August 22, 2010
" What is better than a piano? "said a friend, pianist. "Two Pianos". So what about those six pianos for sixteen pianists gods playing with both hands also multiplied by twelve?
evening of celebration, of that fair piano concert anniversary Closing of 30 th Anniversary Festival, broadcast live on Arte. Turns one, two, three, four, six pianos, two, three, four, six, twelve pianists up to twenty-four hands on the twelve instruments, for a pianistic fireworks crazy, hilarious, a quality too rare, despite the final recess as interpreters Roque veterans or young entrants.
What skewer for this concert! In alphabetical order and disorder of talent sharing: Ido Bar-Shai, sisters Bizjak (Lodija and Sanja), Bertrand Chamayou Diluka Shani, Brigitte Engerer, Yaron Herman, David Kadouch, Edit Klukon, sisters Kodama (Mari and Momo), Adam Laloum, Jean-Frédéric Neuburger, Anne Queffélec, Dezsö Ranki, Emmanuel Strosser , led three times by Christian Zacharias head the excellent Chamber Orchestra of Lausanne.
Everything would be to retain this magnificent final festival, teasing and playful improvisations four hands Yaron Herman defying Jean-Frédéric Neuburger , the comical sketch by J. Castarède, Threesome on a narrow bench on which, Strosser , husband, and Neuburger, lover, vie instead and Brigitte Engerer sandwich. But the summits of all these performances were admirable, directed with grace and humor by Zacharias , the remarkable piano transcriptions for six and twelve pianists controlled M.-O. Dupin : that of opening Meistersinger Wagner, a real blueprint, without drying out the architecture dissects polyphonic work, to assess the subtle harmonic curl; that of opening Figaro Mozart First performed in the orchestra, made visible as the jubilant Audible reasons, wisps running like a thrill of a piano at the side of this crazy day with this crazy night was not unworthy .
Happiness to see all these hands on these keyboards, this variety of expression of various artists at the same interpretive fire and unfortunately absent on the screen Arte, all these pianos, wisely stored at the bottom of the stage as a docile back herd gleaming, waiting their turn to be sorted differently by the movement of technicians, cameramen and dance round and the camera rotating Arte.
short, this festival is a good thirty pornography. His birthday was celebrated by 85,850 spectators and 450 performers, including 81 pianists, 3 harpsichordists, 3 organists and piano fortistes 2, 6 bands, 2 dancers, 1 singer, 18 musicians in residence, who shared 79 concerts paid and 18 free, distributed in 10 different places. Radios, televisions joined the event, expanding considerably this audience already considerable. Happy birthday and solid.
Final Concert of 30 th anniversary of the International Piano Festival of La Roque-d'Anthéron.
FESTIVAL DE LA ROQUE On ANTHERON (4) THE LAST SORCERER
LA ROQUE D'ANTHERON
Storm without despair
gray clouds, stunted, reddened by the sunset, through the dark boughs of trees, love rosie flesh under the lace black silk, could foreshadow the flood. But the silence of the explosive birds, intermittent cheeky and unrepentant awakened by headlights, winged violins, flutes zealous mixing their rolls joyous night for the first notes of music, country charm of La Roque d'Antheron, could be a first alarm.
Brigitte Engerer Boris Berezovsky and concert began their Hungarian and Russian piano four hands and works for two pianos. They were to magnify a bit formal and academic Grand Concert Solo Liszt Concerto said pathetic who almost become real when the first drops began to tease and tap Sound the vast acoustic shell, large sun umbrella suddenly fled finding a job as big umbrella unprecedented and unheard. They attacked Hungarian Dances for four hands by Brahms when the storm furiously, without showering redoubled the enthusiasm of spectators stoic. Both artists themselves, half-laughing, redoubled their zeal and velocity to shorten the delicious agony of an audience, giving them an interpretation of atmospheric electricity.
Speed effective managers of the festival, handing out at full speed or transparent yellow raincoats with hood to quickly gave some two thousand devotees look like an alien religiously collected before the musical beauty offered by the two performers happily transcended in Polovtsian Dances of Prince Igor , Borodin and the Suite No. 2 in C major , Opus 17, Rachmaninoff, ending with panache by a warm and dazzling tarantella. First came the artists, appreciative, who applauded the courageous public offering in gratitude, as an encore, with a gaiety shared the Polka by Shostakovich, the Russian Souvenirs Brahms and swinging Pelly Mooguy Morley.
La Roque d'Antheron, 1 st August 2010
Brigitte Engerer and Boris Berezovsky, Russian and Hungarian concert of piano duets and pieces for two pianos Liszt, Brahms , Borodin, Rachmaninoff.
All told, it's almost a fairy tale concrete that without magic other than work, enthusiasm and imagination, we must put on the assets of the friendly team at Village Opera , a group of villagers who Pourrières past few years has founded this small festival, which now operates in the Adorable Minimes convent, seems to have taken its roots and that we still welcome the fruitful bloom.
A dynamic trio Jacques Hercelin , Ingrid Brunstein , Suzy Delenne , an artistic director, John Gaspary , painter and owner, a director Music, Luke Coad , a director and artistic director, Bernard Grimonet give coherence to original programming, subtly edited to large partitions (as Djamileh of Bizet last year) or smart adopted according to the place as it Last Sorcerer the prestigious signatures. The singers are selected and Pourrières CNIPAL (National Center for Workforce Development Artist Lyric) Marseille, by a jury of professionals, which explains the quality and the singers are recruited with the same care in the region. The costumes are also on site there. But this initial core and has begun to revolve around him, beaming with the same enthusiasm, the villagers who, under the chestnut trees along the walls of the convent, prepare a prelude the show, a convivial meal with the subject, washed down with wines of the vintage offered by local winemakers. Opera / uvillage is therefore also the friendly and festive atmosphere around a work climb without too much pretension but with a great ambition: scarcity. Indeed, in France, only one representation of this operetta since 1890 ... It is given here to celebrate the centenary of the death of Pauline Garcia Viardot wife (1821-1910.
Pauline Viardot
Magnificent destiny of this woman, younger sister of Malibran too soon, worthy heir of his talent and technique, fiercely inculcated by their large and tyrannical father, Manuel, singer composer, which begins in Spain to rediscover the work of Rossini favorite performer, collaborator and even Barber of Seville which he created Almaviva. Contralto with easy high notes, she quickly became famous throughout Europe, creating many works of great composers of his time it inspires (Meyerbeer, Berlioz, Gounod, Brahms, Saint-Saens ...) but jealously guarding the legacy of English baroque virtuosity and castrated by his father, declining face the onslaught of late Romanticism, the Wagnerism of verismo and stammering. Pianist and composer equally talented student and friend of Liszt, Chopin, Sand, who is inspired to write his novel Consuelo , multilingual and educated, muse and muse, she wife director Theatres Italians, Louis Viardot. He is older, Hispanic and translator Cervantes remarkable, beautiful image of a father, and will also be the introducer of Russian literature in France, translating Pushkin and Gogol, Turgenev had helped during a tour of Pauline in Russia. The Russian focus until his death at the singer not live up to the roof of his house at Bougival. This is in Baden-Baden, where the couple fleeing republican dictatorship of Napoleon III, escorted by the Russian writer, that will be created this operetta in the house became a mecca Viardot European music even visited by the monarchs.
The Work
The Last Sorcerer for well located, is a fanciful sketch and family, which is hardly worth the naive booklet for children Viardot first interpreters, but which contains remarkable music pages, including a choral polyphony rather complex, not free winks to other composers. The work was quite successful. Only the 1870 war between Prussia and France interrupted a successful career. Forgot in France since 1889, in Russia, for cons, The Last Sorcerer remains in the repertory of local troops and they asked whether it is in Russian, as Turgenev, like most people of aristocrats and cultured his time in Russia, spoke and wrote in French. Neither the booklet nor the score are only accessible in France, it is to the credit of the creative team have conducted a proper investigation in search of the original orchestration by Pauline Viardot, then orchestrated by Eduard Lassen for representation Weimar court under the direction of nothing less than Liszt . is finally in New York, Harvard University and the University of Calgary, Canada, she has found respectively the libretto and score, orchestration for six musicians, conducted by Professor Zékulin Specialist work.
We will not dwell on this booklet childish tribulations of cantankerous Krakamiche, sorcerer or dormant genetic degeneration that looks like the old ruling dynasties in Europe then, flanked by the lazy farfadesque Perlinpinpin and wacky, debased his valet, as his former gigantism is also lost qu'éperdu old magician powers in distress in a forest inhabited by elves, or rather elfettes coquettish and mischievous, fairies which make her birthday is paying the head of grumpy old pretentious. Add Stella, the daughter of the sorcerer and Lelio, a young prince in love, to love thwarted by the annoying, in an environment that does not forget the Dream of a Summer Night Shakespeare, nor, music, Mendelssohn's version .
Realization and Interpretation
We are embarrassed, spoke in a preamble which has the genealogy of the work, embarrassment sensitive Stone-Villa Loumagne which will prove, moreover, an excellent Krakamiche singing and playing with great expression in the heart of the operetta. The text should have been raised without giving way to more musical evocation of Viardot in Baden-Baden, in which part Luke Coad itself Gently and effectively to lead the work, pay the person interpreting humor with an air of Papageno.
Bernard Grimonet became master of the plateau and those places which he knows cleverly adapting his stage which means, necessarily limited, are offset-or-highlighted by humor and a certain smile kitsch: lace very neo-Rococo late nineteenth century e , make up a canopy pierced the branch of chestnut umbrella and umbrella the cloister, weaving spinning magical elves and goblins or cobwebs covering the dusty decay of the "macha" Sorcerer's dacha, end of world, that of male supremacy, embodied by the bearded and gruff old fogy, peasant costume or uniform of Napoleon III paradoxical spiked helmet of Bismarck William 1 st : the offensive against women, one in two of the male warrior force stressed by Perlinpinpin helmeted lattice rifle to his shoulder and the foot toy tank. Fairies, elves, in diaphanous tunics, if not crowned "thyme and marjoram, have beautiful wreaths and garlands different: harmony and the triumph of feminine sweetness dissonance brutal men.
This is evident in the music: well, Laury Littolff , soprano, fairy is a pretty bland without Verbena and Chamomile Camille of Hartoy a fine stream of fresh and delicate fairy in her pretty voice to air. Céline Laly , her pure voice, great actress, embodies a comical Stella tempted by impure disobeying the doting father and the charm of her handsome prince, mezzo in drag, a Bérangère Mauduit voice timbre and well run, shooting himself with great vocal skills and stage a conventional role well. Here in his place good baritone Villa Loumagne is not only funny in traditional turkey stuffing, but betrays a bit of pathos human cruelty in Niche always food. As for Cyril Costanzo baritone, is a revelation and stage comedy, playing her voice and her looks, lanky, tousled, whimsical Perlinpinpin great fool, so Puck distracted and sleepy.
musicians led by Coadou , the ever attentive and Isabelle Terjan piano, Sarah Friedmann , Elsa Mionnet violins, Florian Huc viola, Virginia Bertazzon cello and Camille Roux the harp poetic, are excellent.
A little serious work but certainly treated very seriously by this team, the work for a small family made a work for the family of a village and friends.
Pourrières, Convent of the Minimes
The Last Sorcerer , Pauline Viardot, Ivan Turgenev Booklet.
15, 17, 19, 21 and 23 July
Musical Director: Luke Coad.
Piano: Isabelle Terjan; violins Sarah Friedman, Elsa Mionnet;
alto: Florian Huc, cello: Virginia Bertazzon; Harp Camille Roux chamber choir Minimes.
Choreography: Colette Bollini
Directed Bernard Grimonet.
Sets : Gerard Meliani and his team.
Costumes : Mireille Caillol and his team.
Soundtrack : Rachel Marie Audier (Cefedem) director: Sylvie Maestro
Saburo Teshigawara and Rihoko Sato, contemporary dance
F rancesco Schlimé Tristano, piano
Snatched from the burning temple Lourmarin, the softness of the cloud and nostalgic game Zhu Xiao Mei , after strolling dinner and a little corner table this village Discount Camus, his last remains, then it returns the heart of La Roque, moving toward the outdoor theater Florans Park when the sun softens languid evening the curtains rose plant trees. The piano festival opens for the first time to dance.
gestures of music and musical gestures
Luxembourg-born, Barcelona adoption the young pianist Francesco Tristano Schlimé is preceded by a reputation for originality, even iconoclastic, who dares to claim two loves, if not his country and Paris, but Bach and techno music. After all, nothing shocking about it long and thin leprechaun, T shirt and hair crazy look and figure wisp modern, sharing the taste of his generation, although rooted in his time without denying the past. One imagines also that the atmosphere of the ever innovative and experimental Barcelona, wild Ibiza where he does not hesitate to play the DJ, is conducive to mixtures unusual, eclectic and heterogeneous, large open window on directories too often mummified by naphthalene tradition.
Here he is here, busy as an elf looked up at his piano open, hitting the strings in his hand, stopping the vibration of the plate on the other, tapping the fingers an ostinato bass, throbbing. A left eye on a computer, kid today, but highly learned, it controls other sounds chirping, chattering, surprising, coming from who knows where, piano, space? to music sure.
And while black is the body Teshigawara is perceived, furtive shadow in a corner of the stage. A body? Probably, but who would have received the grace of a skeleton elastic, which makes one forget his rigid architecture by destructuring which seems to limit potential harm: wave ripples silhouette, wandering gestures decomposed into waves, then the more rhythmic music, that would a plasticity in the effects of cinema from idle to acceleration, body jerking, sacked, suddenly recaptured in accelerated angles, angulosities members.
On another reason for the piano, more tender, wispy white shirt over black pants, strange hesitating butterfly, flower float, appears the woman, Sato Rihoko , more gestures, in the weightless space or as a thin silk scarf hanging in calm water. Peace, serenity, on the edge of audible music and sensitive gestures to the borders of immobility. No embrace in self-concordant figures. The scraping of strings suddenly electrified bodies, they are a spin on Bach's trills, the gavotte gesticulating, jitter Leg in white and black, both dancers are visual notes, such as travel and manipulation of the pianist are gestural marks.
Audacity and grace of a rare show of quality. Thirty years for Roque: eternal youth, teenager here.
July 25, 2010
Castle Park Florans
Schlimé Francesco Tristano, piano,
Saburo Teshigawara and Rihoko Sato, dance.
Improvisations; Bach Partita for keyboard No. 6 in E minor BWV 830.
Sub dodger Provence in July and 18 hours, it takes a lot of love to squeeze, to compress to choke, choked in places unacceptably in the Protestant church to listen Lourmarin great Zhu Xiao-Mei . Only with a few extra chairs in the narrow bays, and the friendliness resigned a few spectators standing up against the wall, we come to hold in the rough benches ascetic. But after Paradise ...
miraculous freshness came of the fingers of adults Zhu Xiao-Mei , doubtless these Twelve Variations in C major on "Ah! I tell you, Mom? " ( K. 265) Mozart, the child Mozart, expressed without infantilism free courtesy which would result, with a sweet franchise hits, a natural clarity of the game: a growing child, player, beguiling, mischievous, malicious, that overcomes the theme, playing and inventive curses foiled in clusters of small notes that we distilled in drops of the pianist whose happiness we taste the delicacy of fine phrases, punctuated his phrases tenderly, pointillism without spice.
Even clear lines, round without softness, no pathos pressed to tell the sometimes agonizing pathos of Fantasy in C minor (K. 475), but a beautiful expression of the disorder velocity of triplets and triplets mischievous calm before the return at the beginning. It is the emotion that pierces into the Adagio in B minor K. 540 , seems like a confidence painful page of a diary of the tortured soul and we can not forget the dark hours of the book of life of this wonderful artist.
Just a very brief interlude and a shot at heavier penalty, it plunges us into the tormented world euphemistically as given by Schubert in his cheerful little if Allegretto in C minor (D. 915). In great Sonata No. 23 in B flat major (D. 960), the interpreter mounted in a grand household obvious construction always more expressive than demonstrative, making eloquent silence, almost painful, before the fever, the frenzy, the madness of the final exhilarating and liberating.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Temple Lourmarin
Zhu Xiao-Mei, piano
Mozart: Twelve Variations in C major on "Ah! Twinkle Twinkle Little Star " (K. 265) ; Fantasy in C minor (K. 475) ; Adagio in B minor (K. 540) ; Sonata in C major (K. 330).
Schubert: Allegretto in C minor (D. 915) ; Sonata No. 23 in B flat major (D. 960).
