Festival 2009
Tuesday, August 4th 2009 at 7 pm
Kuressaare Cultural Centre (Tallinna St. 6)
OPENING CONCERT
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Andres Paas (piano)
Julia Igonina (violin) Russia
Rustam Komatshkov (cello) Russia
Programme:
Franz Joseph Haydn - Piano Trio G major HV: 25
Gabriel Fauré - Elegy for cello and piano
Nicolo Paganini - Variations One String on a theme by Rossini
Sergei Rachmaninoff - Vocalise for cello and piano
Pablo Sarasate - Gypsy´s Melodies Op.20
Pjotr Tchaikovsky - Piano Trio A minor, Op. 50
It has become a beautiful tradition of the Kuressaare Chamber Music Days to be opened by Andres Paas, a renowned pianist and the main organiser and artistic director of the festival as well as an avid promoter of chamber music in Estonia. This time his romantic and delicate, yet profound style can be enjoyed together with the interpretation by two masterful Russian string players. Both the violinist Julia Igonina and cellist Rustam Komatchkov (who is already well-known by the Kuressaare festival audience) have exciting and unique vision and passionate style that have been recognized with First Prizes at many international competitions.
At the opening concert the trio will perform Haydn´s classical Piano Trio in G Major and Tchaikovsky´s Piano Trio in A minor Op.50, one of the gems of the chamber music repertoire. There will also be a delicious medley of famous pieces by Fauré, Paganini, Rachmaninoff and Saraste, arranged for cello and piano.
Wednesday, August 5th 2009 at 7 pm
Kuressaare Cultural Centre (Tallinna St. 6)
VISIONS
"Dancing Odalisque"
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Iris Frolov (dance) & Reval Ensemble
Neeme Punder (flute, alto flute)
Aare Tammesalu (cello)
Lea Leiten (piano)
Programme: Sumera, Tally, Kõrvits, Sisask
Reval Ensemble has been developing the idea of the synthesis of different artistic forms since the programme "Songs of the Knights" was performed at the festival NYYD 2005. The part of the odalisque or the female servant, Harem dancer or slave girl is performed by Iris Frolov who in her language of dance uses symbols from the Oriental dance traditions. Additionally Iris Frolov retells stories reflected in the music of Sumera, Tally, Kõrvits and Sisask through dancing. She is known as the specialist of different oriental dance styles and is a frequent guest at many music festivals, theatres and concert halls in Estonia. Iris Frolov is well-known for her expressive body language and highly professional performance.
Reval Ensemble, established in 1999, specializes in contemporary music. The ensemble has performed in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Belgium, and recorded contemporary Estonian music for the Estonian Radio. In 2002 Belgian record company Megadisc released the ensembles CD of Lepo Sumera´s music "To Reach Yesterday". Reval Ensemble has collaborated with many renowned Estonian musicians and performed music that has been written especially for them by Estonian and foreign composers.
Thursday, August 6th 2009 at 7 pm
Kuressaare Cultural Centre (Tallinna St. 6)
FANTASIES
Eduardo Ferndandez (piano, Spain)
Programme:
Isaac Albéniz - Suite Iberia (selection)
Sergei Rachmaninoff - Etudes-Tableaux op. 39
"Eduardo Fernandez is a true master pianist - his skillfulness and good feeling of music have made him one of the most talented and popular pianists in our country." (Revista Telón de Fondo, Spain)
A young Spanish pianist Eduardo Fernandez has been hailed by his homeland´s critics as the most exciting classical musicians of the new generation in Spain. He has achieved major popularity in Spain and is becoming increasingly known in international circles. In 2005 he was invited to perform at the concert of the music magazine Scherzo´s 20th anniversary where he was introduced to the audience as the promising young Spanish pianist. He has won the Awards of Guerrero Fund and Manuel de Falla for his unique interpretation of Spanish music. Eduardo Fernández has performed with great success at many concert halls in Spain and prestigious international music festivals such as Music at the Royal Palaces, Festival Internacional de Musica y Danza de Granada and Deiá International Music Festival etc. Despite his young age he has already a broad repertoire that includes different eras and styles.
At the Kuressaare Chamber Music Days he will perform demanding masterpieces of piano music such as Isaac Albéniz´s suite "Iberia" and Sergei Rachmaninoffs "Etudes-Tableaux" Op. 39 that is rarely performed as one whole piece at a live concert.
In collaboration with the Spanish Embassy
Thursday, August 6th 2009 at 10 pm
Kuressaare Castle (Lossihoov 1)
CASTLE MUSIC
"The Call of the Phoenix"
vocal quartet ORLANDO CONSORT (United Kingdom)
Matthew Venner (alto)
Nicholas Mulroy (tenor)
Angus Smith (tenor)
Donald Greig (baritone)
Programme:
Dunstaple, Mann, English, Pyamour, Bryars, Plummer, Pärt, O´Regan etc.
"Orlando Consorts performances are sublime." (The Times, UK)
This year the guest at the traditional Kuressaare Castle concert is an internationally acclaimed vocal ensemble Orlando Consort that, formed in 1988, has quickly become one of Europe´s most foremost performers of early music. The ensemble has performed at every festival (including BBC Prom and Edinburgh International Festival) in the United Kingdom and given concerts all over Europe, South America, North America and Japan. The ensemble has recorded music for many prestigious record companies such as Harmonia Mundi, Metronome, Deutsche Grammophon, Saydisc etc. The ensemble´s CD "The Call of the Phoenix" of 15th century motets was chosen as the 2003 Gramophone Early Music CD of the Year.
At the Kuressaare Castle Orlando Consort will mainly sing vocal masterpieces from the 15th century. In addition to early music the contemporary music by Pärt, Bryars, O´Regan will be performed.
In collaboration with the concert agency Corelli Music
Friday, August 7th 2009 at 10 pm
SPA Rüütli Ritter Hall (Pargi 12)
EXOTIC PROMENADES
"Fado cor do sentimento"
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Joana Amendoeira (vocal) & Mar Ensemble (Portugal)
Pedro Amendoeira (portuguese quitar)
Pedro Pinhal (quitar)
Paolo Paz (double bass)
Programme: Portuguese fado
For the first time a very popular Portuguese music genre fado will be presented at the Kuressaare Chamber Music Days. It is a form of music characterized by mournful tunes and lyrics, the main theme of it being destiny, disappointments in love and longing. "Fado cor do sentimento" ("Fado, the colour of feelings") is the name of the concert where the audience will hear fado performed by Joana Amendoeira, the true fado queen who is one of the most popular new generation fado singers in Portugal. Her singing is a classical, traditional one, yet in her voice fado gets a bright new glow, a fresh unique manner. She participated at the Lisbon Grand Fado Gala already at the age of 12 and won a Special Prize of the Audience and Jury. In 1995 Joana Amendoeira won the First Prize in the Female Musician category at the Grande Noite do Fado in Oporto. After performing with the fado legend Carlos do Carmoga in 2003 she became internationally known and has been invited to give concerts all over Europe, Africa, Japan and North and South America. In collaboration with Mar Ensemble Joana Amendoeira has released several CDs that are critically acclaimed and very popular among the fado audience. Together with the ensemble she has performed in many world-famous concert halls such as Concertgebow in Amsterdam, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Royal Opera House in London, Teatrum Millenaris Park in Budapest etc.
In collaboration with the Portuguese Embassy
Saturday, August 8th 2009 at 7 pm
Kuressaare Cultural Centre (Tallinna St. 6)
FINALE
Kodaly Quartet (Hungary)
Attila Falvay (violin)
Erika Tóth (violin)
Janos Féjervari (viola)
György Éder (cello)
Programme:
Franz Joseph Haydn - String Quartet G minor op. 74 No. 3
Emil Petrovics - String Quartet No. 3
Antonin Dvořak - String Quartet F major op. 96
"Excellent ensemble. So mellow was the tone and so effortless the technique that the music flowed from the players strings with the naturalness of a bubbling spring...!
(The Plain Dealer, USA)
This year´s Kuressaare Chamber Music Days will be closed by Kodaly Quartet, one of the most renowned Hungarian string quartets and a frequent guest at international music festivals and concert halls. Formed in 1966, the quartet has been active for over four decades. International critics have been lavish with remarkable acclaim for the Kodaly Quartet´s numerous (over 50) recordings, including the monumental undertaking of the complete cycles of Haydn, Beethoven and Schubert for Naxos. The quartet´s recordings have also been acclaimed by prestigious classical music magazines such as Classic CD Magazine and BBC Music Magazine. In 1970 the quartet won the Liszt Award, in 1990 the quartet was honoured with the Hungarian State Award and in 1996 they received the Award of Bartók-Pasztory.
The programme that the Kodaly Quartet will be performing at Kuressaare combines music from the era of classicism and romanticism. There will be the Estonian premiere of a Hungarian composer Emil Petrovics´ String Quartet No 3, the world premiere took place on March 22, 2009 in Budapest.
In collaboration with the Hungarian Institute