Cervo Chamber Music 2015 - Un anno da primato

Quest’anno il festival di Cervo Chamber Music ha raggiunto il vertice del suo successo, grazie alla presenza delle autorità locali, di un pubblico entusiasta e di favorevoli articoli di stampa.
Stefano Delfino ha descritto nella sua recensione su La Stampa “serate intense” di “musica di qualità eseguita da un gruppo di giovani e promettenti artisti, giunti qui da vari Paesi dell’Europa e persino dagli Stati Uniti”.

 

Una grande soddisfazione per tutte le persone coinvolte - musicisti, organizzatori, sponsor privati e pubblico di questa quarta edizione, che comprendeva un programma rigorosamente classico, senza escursioni nel campo moderno: Haydn, Boccherini, Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Schumann e Brahms, con un inatteso bis finale, una toccante trascrizione per archi per mano dell’eccellente violista inglese Nicholas Bootiman di “Crucifixus”, composto da Antonio Lotti.

Il nuovo “acquisto”, il violinista serbo Bogdan Božović ha provocato grande emozione con le sue appassionate interpretazioni, e tutti i musicisti hanno dato il loro meglio in esecuzioni molto convincenti.

Gli altri due violini erano suonati dall’americana Laura Lutzke, un’affezionata "veterana" sin dalla prima  edizione del 2012, e dall’olandese Lonneke van Straalen, che si è aggiunta al gruppo nel 2014 per il concerto di Capodanno; entrambe esecutrici di prima grandezza.

L’altra viola era suonata dalla bravissima canadese Carolyn Blackwell, anche lei una "veterana", che non ha mai perso un appuntamento ed è una beniamina del pubblico cervese.

Uno dei due ottimi violoncellisti era l’inglese James Barralet, che organizza anche un festival di musica da camera a Whittington, in Inghilterra ed è sempre stato presente agli appuntamenti di Cervo.

 

 

Una novità è stata la presenza di un pianista: il tocco squisito, miracoloso di Simon Callaghan ha cancellato i difetti di un piccolo gran coda che ha visto giorni migliori. Barralet e Callaghan suonano spesso insieme e hanno perfino inciso un CD come duo.

Karel Bredenhorst è sia l’ideatore sia il direttore artistico di Cervo Chamber Music, oltre a essere un entusiasmante violoncellista i cui interessi spaziano dalla musica classica al tango (suona anche il bandoneon) e segue i suoi interessi intorno al mondo, esibendosi a volte come musicista, a volte come ballerino. Le sue attività vulcaniche comprendono suonare per le scuole elementari, per gli anziani che non possono muoversi da casa, improvvisare concerti per la strada e suonare il violoncello elettrico come "The GoOzer" nei pub.

Tutti i componenti sono musicisti professionisti che suonano in orchestre e complessi internazionali o come solisti.

Grazie a voi tutti, Laura, Bogdan, Lonneke, Carolyn, Nicholas, James, Simon e Karel per la grande gioia che portate con la vostra musica.

 

 

© DaniBlue

10 giugno 2015

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

"Look for the Solution in Yourself"

With these words Daniel Barenboim summarised the message of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony before directing the performance of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra at the BBC Proms in 2012.

The wonder of the Choral repeats itself once more under his baton, even more wondrous this time, for the presence of over a hundred artists from Israel, Palestine and other middle-eastern countries, jointly with the 200+ elements of the National Youth Choir of Great Britain and four fabulous soloists, all of whom represent the perfect harmony Beethoven had intended when he put the verses of Schiller’s poem about universal brother- and sisterhood into music, in the years of his tragic deafness, but maintaining  his prodigious sense of hearing within himself .




Ludwig van Beethoven

 

Barenboim conducts with unusual inspiration and flare, combining force, rigour, levity and tenderness, like a loving father educating his children. Those attractive, concentrated young faces portray indeed universal harmony and love of one’s neighbour, merging their notes with those of the artists sitting next to them, and represent the invaluable prize of joint efforts towards a common cause. While their mates in the Middle East are brandishing submachine guns, hurling stones at each other or wearing explosive-filled belts, attempting to take as many “enemy” lives as possible in their perverse quest for glory, these young women and men use their bows, mallets and instruments to achieve the real glory, one that is the cause and the ultimate end of Joy.

Two men with a vision who could translate their dream into reality, Daniel Barenboim and the late American-Palestinian intellectual Edward Said founded the West-Eastern Divan in 1999, and this is perhaps the first instance of peace in war. Music doesn’t kill; it is the universal language more than any other and promotes hope and love.

I know it is long, but I would like you to watch and listen to this video of Beethoven’s masterpiece, to me the absolute pinnacle of all forms of art; I promise you a unique experience. This highly symbolic event has really filled my soul with beauty, hope and joy.