Enescu’s Ballade performed on stage at the Festival, after going viral on August 19, the composer’s birthday
George Enescu’s Ballade and Caprice Roumain for Violin and Orchestra open today’s concerts at the Romanian Athenaeum and the Grand Palace Hall respectively, performed by two acclaimed violinists and connoisseurs of Enescu’s music, Remus Azoitei, with the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, and David Grimal, with the ensemble he established, Les Dissonances.
The first concert of the day takes place at the Romanian Athenaeum starting at 4:30 PM, where the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Vlad Vizireanu, and violinist Remus Azoitei will take the stage. George Enescu’s moving Ballade for violin and orchestra opens the concert, as a tribute to the composer to mark the 140th year since his birth. The Ballade was the work by George Enescu that went viral on the Internet on August 19, following an initiative by the Enescu Festival team to celebrate the composer’s 140th birthday without empty rhetoric, through music alone.
The program continues with Mozart – Concerto No. 4 in D major for violin and orchestra K. 218. Mozart, a brilliant genius and an accomplished violinist, composed his 5 Violin Concertos in a record 6 months, in 1775. Mozart’s entire oeuvre is ravishingly beautiful, with moments of exuberant joy, lyrical and sometimes melancholic melodies, but with constant energy and vivacity. These characteristic elements can also be found in the Concerto No. 4, dubbed the Military, on account of the martial rhythms at the beginning of the first movement.
Schubert’s Symphony No. 9 in C major D 944 closes the concert in the atmosphere of early Romanticism. The Ninth Symphony, known as The Great, is the last of Schubert’s symphonies and was premiered in 1839, more than 10 years after the composer’s death. The work displays Viennese elegance and is marked by Beethoven’s influence.
At the Grand Palace Hall, from 7:30 PM, Paris-based ensemble Les Dissonances, led by their violinist and artistic director David Grimal, recreates for the audience the soundscapes of Modernism, in a program with works by Ravel, Enescu, and Stravinsky.
The evening begins with Ravel’s Suite No.2 from the Daphnis et Chloé ballet. The ballet Daphnis and Chloe, a masterpiece of musical Impressionism, was written in 1909 and was inspired by an ancient Greek novel about a pastoral love story. Its large orchestration, with chorus, owes to the composer’s idea of creating a choreographic symphony, as he originally called it. The Suite No. 2 is a further exploration of the love story between the two characters and contains the most popular themes of the ballet.
The next work on the program is George Enescu’s Caprice Roumain for Violin and Orchestra, which we will hear performed by violinist David Grimal. Enescu began work on the Caprice Roumain in 1925 but never finished it. The work was restored and completed by composer Cornel Taranu in collaboration with violinist Sherban Lupu. The title refers to a large work in the style of Ravel’s Tzigane or Bartok’s Rhapsodies for violin, and illustrates spectacular violin virtuosity inspired by traditional music. Enescu was inspired by and introduced elements of fiddler music into many of his creations, this piece being illustrative of the Art of the Gypsy Fiddler, archetype by tradition of the Romanian musician and artist.
The evening ends with Igor Stravinsky’s ballet Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring), composed in 1913 for Sergei Diaghilev’s ballet season. It premiered the same year and was a sensational revolutionary work. Stravinsky’s compositional style is special, combining tradition-inspired music with original motion, original harmonies, and a richly colored soundscape.
The plot is based on the pagan ritual of sacrificing a virgin for the cyclical renewal of nature. The piece has an eerie, aquatic atmosphere to it and was a landmark event for the new era of Modernism. The performance of this work at the Festival, a work emblematic of Stravinsky’s creation, is in commemoration of the 50 years passed since the composer’s death.
On the occasion of their Enescu Festival concerts, David Grimal and Les Dissonances are also launching the new album Chausson, Ravel, Enescu, already available for purchase in the Carturesti bookstores. The official launch – as well as an autograph session and a discussion with Grimal – will take place Friday, September 17, from 9:20 PM, at the Carturesti bookstand in the foyer of the Grand Palace Hall.
DAILY AGENDA
SERIES: CONCERTS AND RECITALS
TIME: 4:30 PM
PRESS ARRIVAL: 4:00 PM
VENUE: ROMANIAN ATHENAEUM
WIENER KAMMERORCHESTER
VLAD VIZIREANU conductor
REMUS AZOITEI violin
Program:
Enescu Ballade for Violin and Orchestra
Mozart Violin Concerto No. 4 in D major K. 218
Schubert Symphony No. 9 in C major D 944
In the 75 years of its existence, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra has established itself as one of the world’s leading chamber orchestras. Over the decades, the orchestra has worked closely with the conductors Carlo Zecchi (principal conductor 1966 – 1976), Philippe Entremont (principal conductor 1976 – 1991), later with Yehudi Menuhin, Sándor Végh, Heinrich Schiff (principal conductor 2005 – 2008), and Stefan Vladar (principal conductor 2008 – 2018). In 1946, Benjamin Britten conducted the Vienna Chamber Orchestra in the performance of his Serenade Op. 31. In 1952, at the age of 9, Daniel Barenboim made his debut with the orchestra, and in 1964 Alfred Brendel performed with them.
Described as a conductor with “ample gestures, clarity, precision, and genuine passion,” Vlad Vizireanu continues to make an impressive and dynamic mark on the music world as an international conductor and educator. A regular presence in the competition circuit, Vizireanu came to international attention when he won Second Prize in the 2013 Cadaqués Conducting Competition in a televised concert at the Auditori Hall, Barcelona. He then made his debut with the London Symphony Orchestra at Barbican Hall as Finalist in the 2016 Donatella Flick Competition. He was invited to the 2018 Malko Competition with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and was also invited among 14 conductors (out of 400 applicants worldwide) to participate in the renowned Mahler Conducting Competition with the Bamberg Symphony.
Described in The Strad as “an uninhibited virtuoso, with soul and fabulous technique”, Romanian-born violinist Remus Azoitei graduated from the Bucharest Conservatory, where he studied with Daniel Podlovski, and was then awarded a scholarship to study for his master’s degree at the prestigious Juilliard School in New York, with Itzhak Perlman. Over the years he greatly benefited from the creative guidance of violinist Bujor Prelipcean. Alongside pianist Eduard Stan, Remus Azoitei recorded the first ever complete repertoire for violin and piano by George Enescu, for the label Hänssler Classics.
SERIES: GREAT ORCHESTRAS OF THE WORLD
TIME: 7:30 PM
PRESS ARRIVAL: 7:00 PM
VENUE: GRAND PALACE HALL
LES DISSONANCES
DAVID GRIMAL artistic director and soloist
Program:
Ravel Daphnis et Chloé, Suite No. 2
Enescu Caprice Roumain for Violin and Orchestra
Stravinsky Le Sacre du printemps
The ensemble Les Dissonances was founded in 2004, on the initiative of David Grimal, as an artists’ collective. It may seem rather strange to associate the word “dissonance” with a musical ensemble. The spirit of Les Dissonances is one of bringing together disparate worlds – therein lies its specificity. The ensemble creates a link between those involved in the various different aspects of music (composition, solo performance, orchestral music, chamber works) and it includes not only musicians from the greatest French and international orchestras, but also talented young artists who are just embarking on their careers. The ensemble Les Dissonances performs the major works of the symphonic and chamber repertoires (Strauss, Bach, Schubert, Beethoven), as well as new works by contemporary composers (Thierry Escaich, Brice Pauset, Marc-André Dalbavie).
David Grimal is a musician who enjoys an international reputation for the originality of his musical career. In his tireless quest to reflect on the role of his art in society, he juxtaposes perspectives in order to make music differently by reinventing the sense of the collective. As an internationally renowned soloist, he has been invited to perform under the direction of leading conductors (Eschenbach, Krivine, Pletnev, Frühbeck de Burgos, Eötvös, Nelsons, Saraste, Orozco-Estrada, Skrowaczewski, van Sweden), with such formations as the Orchestre de Paris, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, the Berliner Symphoniker, the Russian National Orchestra, the New Japan Philharmonic, the English Chamber Orchestra, the Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg.
SERIES: ENESCU IN OTHER CITIES
TIME: 7:00 PM
PRESS ARRIVAL: 6:30 PM
VENUE: PITESTI PHILHARMONIC
PITESTI PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
CONSTANTIN GRIGORE conductor
STEFAN CAZACU cello
Program:
Tchaikovsky Variations on a Rococo Theme Op. 33, for cello and orchestra
Dvořák Symphony No. 9 in E minor Op. 95, From the New World
During his studies in Romania and then in Poland, at the Karol Lipinski Academy of Music, conductor Constantin Grigore benefited from the guidance of renowned maestros of the conductor’s art: Petru Andriesei, Horia Andreescu, Ilarion Ionescu-Galati, and Marek Pijarowski. He has participated in various dedicated masterclasses, such as the Malaga Philharmonic Masterclass (Malaga 2017, Prof. Manuel Hernandez Silva), Weimar Meisterkurse (Weimar 2016, Prof. Nicolas Pasquet), International Masterclass for Orchestral Conducting and Phenomenology of Music (Craiova 2012, Prof. Konrad von Abel), Wiener Meisterkurse (Vienna 2008, Prof. Salvador Mas Conde), The Roads of Romanticism (Warsaw 2006, Prof. Marek Pijarowski), and also masterclasses by Jin Wang, Jorma Panula, and Mark Stringer.
Young cellist Stefan Cazacu (25) enjoys already a CV that is the basis of a successful career: a complex education received early on, growing up in a famous family of musicians, university music studies in Bucharest and Vienna, numerous awards at various national and international competitions, appearances as a soloist with all the symphony orchestras in Romania, but also recitals in Holland, Israel, Austria, Hungary, and Germany. His talent has been rewarded by numerous prizes received in various national and international competitions, such as the First Prize at the International Competition in Liezen, Austria (2008), Second Prize at the Antonio Janigro Competition in Croatia (2008), Grand Prize in the national Eurovision Young Musicians’ Competition (2010, Bucharest); his most recent achievement is the Third Prize at the George Enescu International Competition 2020/21.
TIME: 7:00 PM
PRESS ARRIVAL: 6:30 PM
VENUE: THALIA HALL OF THE SIBIU PHILHARMONIC
STATE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA OF SIBIU
TITO CECCHERINI conductor
CAROLIN WIDMANN violin
Program:
Dai Fujikura Rare Gravity
Salvatore Sciarrino Giorno velato for Violin and Orchestra
Francesco Filidei Fiori di Fiori
Mihnea Brumariu Der Nachbar des Chaos
Among the most learned and profound conductors of his generation, Tito Ceccherini is highly appreciated for the extraordinary lucidity of his interpretations and the remarkable versatility of his approach to the repertoire. An acclaimed interpreter of the modern repertoire, he has delved into the classic works of the 20th century: from Bartók, Debussy, and Ravel, to Schoenberg, Webern, and Ligeti. His operatic repertoire, that also shows his penchant for the early 20th century (Bluebeard’s Castle, From the house of the dead, Il Prigioniero, The Rake’s Progress), also testifies a deep knowledge of the Italian melodrama and a special attention to belcanto, where he has proven to be able to reconcile stylistic properties and modern sensibility. Conductor of proven experience, he conducts major orchestras including the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Filarmonica della Scala in Milan, the BBC Symphony and Philharmonia Orchestra of London, the WDR Sinfonieorchester in Cologne, the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, the HR-Sinfonieorchester Frankfurt, the SWR Stuttgart, the Tokyo Philharmonic, etc.
A wonderfully versatile musician, Carolin Widmann’s activities span the great classical concerti, new commissions specially written for her, solo recitals, a wide variety of chamber music and period instrument performances, including play/direction from the violin. Widmann was awarded the Bayerischer Staatspreis for music in 2017, honoring her individuality and exceptional musicianship. Widmann was also the recipient of an International Classical Music Award (Concerto category) for her critically acclaimed recording of both Mendelssohn’s and Schumann’s Violin Concertos with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, released in August 2016 by ECM and which Widmann herself conducted from the violin.
TIME: 7:00 PM
PRESS ARRIVAL: 6:30 PM
VENUE: PLOIESTI PHILHARMONIC
PAUL CONSTANTINESCU PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA OF PLOIESTI
RADU POSTAVARU conductor
JOSU DE SOLAUN piano
CRISTIAN CUCU trumpet
Program:
Shostakovich Concerto in C minor for Piano, Trumpet, and String Orchestra Op. 35
R. Strauss Le bourgeois gentilhomme Op. 60
As a First Prize winner of the XIII George Enescu International Piano Competition in Bucharest (founded in 1958 and won by legendary pianists such as Radu Lupu, Elisabeth Leonskaja, and Dmitri Alexeev), the XV José Iturbi International Piano Competition, and the First European Union Piano Competition, held in Prague, Spanish pianist Josu de Solaun has been invited to perform in distinguished concert series throughout the world, having made notable appearances in Bucharest (Romanian Athenaeum), Venice (Teatro La Fenice), St. Petersburg (Mariinsky Theatre), Washington, D.C. (Kennedy Center), New York (Carnegie Hall, Metropolitan Opera), Princeton (Taplin Hall), London (Southbank Centre), Paris (Salle Cortot), Leipzig (Schumann-Haus), Taipei (Novel Hall), Mexico City (Sala Silvestre Revueltas), Prague (Nostitz Palace), Rome (Academia de España), Menton (Festival International de Musique), and all major cities of Spain. He is the only pianist from Spain to win the Enescu and Iturbi competitions in their respective histories, and was invited to a private reception with the King and Queen of Spain at the Royal Palace after winning the coveted Bucharest prize.
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.
