Starring today at the Enescu Festival: Joyce DiDonato, Yuja Wang, Cristian Macelaru, and Denis Matsuev
Mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, winner of multiple Grammy Awards and the 2018 Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera, seen as “probably the most powerful soloist of her generation,” performs works from the Baroque repertoire today at the Romanian Athenaeum, from 4:30 PM, alongside the ensemble Il Pomo d’Oro. They will perform arias by Rossi, Monteverdi, Cesti, Merula, Haendel, and Rameau.
At the Grand Palace Hall from 7:30 PM, the Orchestre National de France will give their second concert in the Festival, under the baton of Cristian Macelaru. The first work on the program is Les Offrandes oubliées by Messiaen, genius composer, avant-garde creator, school founder, organist, improviser, and ornithologist. Messiaen has a distinctive composing style; his works are dedicated to the Catholic God, the religious element being recognizable throughout his creations. Les Offrandes oubliées was written in 1930, when Messiaen was 22, and premiered in 1931 at the Theatre Des Champs Elysées in Paris, conducted by Walter Straram. It is divided into three sections: 1 – The Cross, 2 – Sin, 3 – The Eucharist.
The program continues with a performance of Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor Op. 16 by the celebrated pianist Denis Matsuev, one of the most sought-after musicians of his generation. Romantic harmonies and folk-inspired melodies from Norwegian folklore bring the beauty of the Nordic air into the concert hall. Composed in 1868 by then 24-year-old Grieg, the Concerto in A minor is one of the best loved and performed concertos in the piano repertoire – original, dreamy, full of fantasy.
George Enescu’s Romanian Poem follows on the program, bringing the rhapsodic atmosphere of Romanian music to the stage. Inspired from folk music themes and composed in 1897, the Romanian Poem is a praise of the homeland through the vision of 16-year-old Enescu’s genius. The composition was premiered on stage in Paris, under the baton of Édouard Colonne; the Romanian premiere took place at the Athenaeum, with Enescu on the conductor’s podium. The poem was dedicated to Queen Elisabeth, in a “Respectful Homage to HM the Queen of Romania” and was the launching pad for Enescu’s career as a composer. Performers of the Poem are the National Orchestra of France with the George Enescu Philharmonic Choir conducted by Iosif Ion Prunner.
The final work of the evening is the choreographic poem La Valse by Maurice Ravel. An Impressionist ballet, La Valse was written between 1919 and 1920. It’s an inspired composition with inviting music, a true invitation to waltz. Ravel was very much drawn to the rhythm of the waltz and dances in general, many of his creations being dances (Bolero, Pavane, etc.). The work’s enchanting music, with romantic overtones, was originally conceived as a composition about Vienna, the capital of the waltz.
On the stage of the Sibiu Philharmonic, at the Thalia Hall, from 7:00 PM, the audience is invited to attend a concert by the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and renowned pianist Yuja Wang. The program is attractive, with works by Haydn, Janáček, Stravinsky, and Shostakovich.
DAILY AGENDA
SERIES: CONCERTS AND RECITALS
TIME: 4:30 PM
PRESS ARRIVAL: 4:00 PM
VENUE: ROMANIAN ATHENAEUM
Recital JOYCE DiDONATO and Il Pomo d’Oro
Program:
Part I: Gli antichi
Salamone Rossi Sinfonia grave from Il primo libro delle sinfonie et gagliarde
Claudio Monteverdi Penelope’s aria “Illustratevi, o cieli” from Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria
Antonio Cesti Orontea’s aria “Intorno all’idol mio” from Orontea
Tarquinio Merula Ciaccona (instrumental)
Claudio Monteverdi Sinfonia from L’incoronazione di Poppea
Claudio Monteverdi Ottavia’s aria “Addio Roma, addio patria” from L’incoronazione di Poppea
Giovanni Battista Buonamente Ballo del Granduca from Il ballo degli reali amanti (instrumental)
John Dowland Come again, sweet love
Claudio Monteverdi Sì dolce è’l tormento
Part II: I moderni
Johann Adolph Hasse Cleopatra’s aria “Morte col fiero aspetto” from Marc’Antonio e Cleopatra
George Frideric Haendel Cleopatra’s aria “Piangerò la sorte mia” from Giulio Cesare in Egitto HWV 17
George Frideric Haendel Overture from Ariodante (instrumental)
George Frideric Haendel Ariodante’s aria “Scherza infida, in grembo al drudo” from Ariodante HWV 33
Jean-Philippe Rameau Sarabande, Air en rondeau, Air très vif from Zoroastre (instrumental)
Jean-Philippe Rameau Orage from Les Indes galantes (instrumental)
George Frideric Handel Ariodante’s aria “Dopo notte” from Ariodante HWV 33
Joyce DiDonato appears courtesy of Erato/Warner Classics.
“The staggering, joyful artistry of Joyce DiDonato reminds us that in any generation there are a few giants. Joyce is not only a great, brave, and inspiring artist – one of the finest singers of our time – but she is also a transformative presence in the arts. Those who know her repertoire are in awe of her gifts, and those who know nothing of it are instantly engaged. Joyce sings and the world is suddenly brighter. She compels us to listen actively, to hear things anew.” Jake Heggie, Gramophone
Multi Grammy Award winner and 2018 Olivier Award winner for Outstanding Achievement in Opera, Kansas-born Joyce DiDonato entrances audiences across the globe, and has been proclaimed “perhaps the most potent female singer of her generation” by The New Yorker. With a voice “nothing less than 24-carat gold” according to The Times, Joyce has soared to the top of the industry both as a performer and a fierce advocate for the arts, gaining international prominence in operas by Haendel and Mozart, as well as through her wide-ranging, acclaimed discography. She is also widely acclaimed for the bel canto roles of Rossini and Donizetti.
SERIES: GREAT ORCHESTRAS OF THE WORLD
TIME: 7:30 PM
PRESS ARRIVAL: 7:00 PM
VENUE: GRAND PALACE HALL
ORCHESTRE NATIONAL DE FRANCE
CHOIR OF THE GEORGE ENESCU PHILHARMONIC
CRISTIAN MACELARU conductor
IOSIF ION PRUNNER conductor of the choir
DENIS MATSUEV piano
Program:
Messiaen Les Offrandes oubliées
Grieg Piano Concerto in A minor Op. 16
Enescu Poème roumain Op. 1
NONA CIOBANU, PETER KOSIR multimedia directors
Ravel La Valse
The Orchestre National de France is both an established authority and a dynamic force in the interpretation of French music. Its international tours have made it a flagship for French culture across the world, while its presence throughout France, reinforced by vibrant educational programs, has cemented its relationship with a diversity of national audiences. A Radio France ensemble, the Orchestre National de France was founded in 1934 as the country’s first full-time symphony orchestra. Its mission to serve the symphonic repertoire was furthered by radio broadcasts of its concerts, and it soon achieved an enviable reputation.
Currently in his second season as Chief Conductor of the WDR Sinfonieorchester, Cristian Macelaru is one of the fast-rising stars of the conducting world. Appointed Music Director of the Orchestre National de France in Paris from September 2021, one of Europe’s leading orchestras, he actually started this position a year earlier, effectively on September 1, 2020. In January 2020, Macelaru received his first-ever GRAMMY® Award for conducting the Decca Classics recording of Wynton Marsalis’ Violin Concerto with Nicola Benedetti and the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Since his triumph at the 11th International Tchaikovsky Competition, Denis Matsuev has enjoyed a stellar career and has now established himself as one of the most sought-after pianists of his generation. His performances in the world’s most prestigious concert halls have been a constant success and he regularly plays with highly praised orchestras such as the as the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony, and the Mariinsky Orchestra – to only name a few.
SERIES: ENESCU IN OTHER CITIES
TIME: 6:00 PM
PRESS ARRIVAL: 5:30 PM
VENUE: THALIA HALL SIBIU
MAHLER CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
YUJA WANG conductor and soloist
MATTHEW TRUSCOTT concertmaster & leader
Program:
Haydn Symphony No. 31 in D major, Hornsignal
Janáček Capriccio for Piano Left-Hand and Chamber Ensemble, Vzdor (Defiance)
Stravinsky Octet for Winds
Shostakovich Piano Concerto No. 2 in F major Op. 102
The Mahler Chamber Orchestra (MCO) was founded in 1997 based on the shared vision of being a free and international ensemble, dedicated to creating and sharing exceptional experiences in classical music. With 45 members spanning 20 different countries at its core, the MCO works as a nomadic collective of passionate musicians uniting for specific tours in Europe and across the world. The orchestra is constantly on the move: it has, to date, performed in over 40 countries across five continents. It is governed collectively by its management team and orchestra board; decisions are made democratically with the participation of all musicians.
The MCO’s sound is characterized by the chamber music style of ensemble playing among its alert and independent musical personalities. Its core repertoire, ranging from the Viennese classical and early Romantic periods to contemporary works and world premieres, reflects the MCO’s agility in crossing musical boundaries.
Critical superlatives and audience ovations have continuously followed Yuja Wang’s dazzling career. The Beijing-born pianist, celebrated for her charismatic artistry and captivating stage presence, has achieved new heights during the 2019/20 season, which featured recitals, concert series, as well as season residencies, and extensive tours with some of the world’s most venerated ensembles and conductors.
Yuja received advanced training in Canada and at Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute of Music under Gary Graffman. Her international breakthrough came in 2007 when she replaced Martha Argerich as soloist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. She later signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon and has since established her place among the world’s leading artists, with a succession of critically acclaimed performances and recordings. Yuja was named Musical America’s Artist of the Year in 2017.
TIME: 7:00 PM
PRESS ARRIVAL: 6:30 PM
VENUE: RADIO HALL CLUJ-NAPOCA
“Impressions de voyage en jazz: Enescu, Ellington, Ravel” – opening concert
RAMONA HORVATH piano
NICOLAS RAGEAU double bass
The opening concert of the national tour “Impressions de voyage en jazz: Enescu, Ellington, Ravel,” an event held under the patronage of the Cluj-Napoca City Hall. Participation in the event will be subject to availability and health regulations. Reservations are mandatory via e-mail at: [email protected]
From September 14 to 22, 2021, the Association for Music, Art, and Culture, in partnership with Radio Romania Cluj, Sigismund Toduta College of Music Cluj-Napoca, Vibrate Festival Brasov, the Multicultural Centre of Transilvania University Brasov, the Paul Constantinescu Cultural Association Ploiesti, Libris Brasov, Classic for Teens Festival Focsani, Hubart Agency Focsani, Maj. Gh. Pastia People’s Athenaeum Focsani, ABCDown Association Focsani, Bucharest City Museum, and Dinu Lipatti National College of Arts Bucharest, organize the national tour “Impressions de voyage en jazz: Enescu, Ellington, Ravel,” by jazz pianist Ramona HORVATH and French double bassist Nicolas RAGEAU. The national tour is under the patronage of the George Enescu International Festival and co-financed by AFCN – Administration of the National Cultural Fund.
CREATIVE BUCHAREST
- Exhibition of photographs and unpublished documents about George Enescu and the Enescu Festival titled “Enescu. Genius and Festival. Face(t)s of Love” from September 1 to 26, 2021, at the Athenaeum and the Palace Hall. The exhibition is a joint project of the Enescu Festival, together with its official photographers Andrada Pavel, Catalina Filip, Andrei Gandac, and Alex Damian, the Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Enescu Museum.
- 7-episode film dedicated to the 2021 George Enescu International Festival, broadcast by TVR.
- 7-installment film titled Constantin Silvestri – Avant-gardist, master improviser, homme passionné, a 2021 UK production by Anda Anastasescu and Nicolas Gaster; installments: Prelude, Lead Soldiers, The Little Shepherd, Fireworks, Pictures at an Exhibition, Nocturne; program: Saturday, August 28 – Sunday, September 26, 2021.
FURTHER INFORMATION
PROGRAM, ARTISTS, NEWS: https://www.festivalenescu.ro/en/
DAILY AGENDA with interview, reviews, and additional information: https://bit.ly/3jneKsC
PRESS ACCESS: Concert access of accredited members of the press will be according to the accreditation forms. Accreditation is not required for any other events.
TVR VIDEOGRAPHY: Televisions may broadcast video excerpts from the link below, always citing the source (TVR), during their newsreels. It is not allowed to upload the excerpts to Facebook.
- ftp://newftp.tvr.ro/; username: enescu.tvr; password: b@sBx4Ui (please use FileZilla to open the files)
PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEOGRAPHY: All media may use photo and video images provided by the Enescu Festival via the following link: https://bit.ly/3DoPoCI. Kindly keep the credits visible for all photos.
