Cervo Chamber Music 2015 - A Record Year

 

R. Schumann - String Quartet in A min, Op. 41, No. 1

This year's Cervo Chamber Music festival has reached the highest peak of success, thanks to the presence of local officials, enthusiastic audiences and favourable articles in the press.

Stefano Delfino wrote in his review in La Stampa about “intense evenings” of “quality music performed by an ensemble of young and promising artists from various countries”.




J. Haydn - String Quartet in G maj. Op. 76, No. 1

Great satisfaction for all those involved - musicians, organisers, private sponsors and public of this fourth edition, which has included a rigourously classical programme, with no excursus into the modern: Haydn, Boccherini, Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Schumann and Brahms, with the unexpected final encore, a very moving transcription for strings by the excellent violist Nicholas Bootiman of “Crucifixus”, by Antonio Lotti.

 

A. Lotti - "Crucifixus" a 8 voci - Transcription for strings by N. Bootiman

 

The newly acquired Serbian violinist Bogdan Božović gave everyone great emotions with his passionate interpretation, and all musicians gave their best in very convincing performances.

The other two violinists were the American Laura Lutzke, a welcome "veteran" since the first edition in 2102, and the Dutch Lonneke van Straalen, who joined the ensemble in 2014 for a New Year concert. They are both first-class performers.

The other viola was played by the excellent Canadian Carolyn Blackwell, also a "veteran", who has never missed an appointment and is a beloved of the Cervo audiences.

One of the two remarkable cellists was James Barralet, who also organises a chamber music festival in Whittington, England and who has always attended the Cervo dates.

 

S. Callaghan

 

Another novelty was the presence of a pianist: Simon Callaghan's exquisite, miraculous touch on the keyboard cancelled the shortcomings of a baby grand that had seen better days. Barralet and Callaghan often play together and have even made a CD as a duo.

 

K. Bredenhorst, S. Callaghan

Karel Bredenhorst is both the mastermind and the artistic director of Cervo Chamber Music, beside being an enthralling cellist whose interests span from classical music to tango (he also plays the bandoneon) and who has been around the world to follow his interests, performing sometimes as a musician, sometimes as a dancer. His volcanic activities includes playing for elementary school classes, for homebound elderly people, improvising street concerts and performing on the electric cello as "The GoOzer" in pubs.

All are professional musicians playing in international orchestras and chamber ensembles or performing as soloists.

Thank you all: Laura, Bogdan, Lonneke, Carolyn, Nicholas, James, Simon and Karel for the great joy your music brings.

L. Lutzke, B. Bozovic, L. van Straalen, C. Blackwell, N. Bootiman, J. Barralet, K. Bredenhorst

© DaniBlue

10^th June 2015