Classical music, contemporary music, and jazz meet in a wealth of events at the Enescu Festival
Cellist Alisa Weilerstein, conductors Paavo Järvi, Tito Ceccherini, and Tiberiu Soare, violinist Carolin Widmann, the Zürich Tonhalle Orchestra, the Radio Chamber Orchestra are just some of the artists headlining today’s Enescu Festival concerts, with a program of classical and contemporary music. In addition, there will be a children’s show – Enescu’s Childhood – hosted at the Odeon Theatre; a concert of vocal performances of Enescu Rhapsodies and other classical works by Teodora Enache-Brody at the National Opera House; the Composers’ Forum in Bucharest; and a jazz concert with reinterpretations of classical music in Focsani.
The Radio Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Tiberiu Soare, will perform at the Romanian Athenaeum from 4:30 PM. The program includes works by Haydn and Tchaikovsky and the soloist for the afternoon will be cellist Alisa Weilerstein. The Serenade for Strings in C major Op. 48 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky opens the concert with the breath of Russian Romanticism characteristic of the composer’s work. Written in 1880 and dedicated to cellist Karl Albrecht, the Serenade for Strings was inspired by Mozart’s work. It is a piece full of energy, romanticism, tenderness and pathos, and a great diversity of characters.
The program then continues with Haydn’s Concerto No. 1 in C major for cello and orchestra, an early work from the time of his first symphonies. Written between 1761 and1765, when Haydn was a court musician in the service of Prince Esterházy, the concerto is dedicated to cellist Joseph Franz Weigl, a member of the princely court orchestra. The concerto is an emblematic work in the cello repertoire. A masterpiece that had been lost for 200 years and has now been rediscovered and is often performed, Haydn’s Concerto still enjoys the same success as it did during the composer’s lifetime, illustrating well the image of 18th century royal courts.
The evening at the Athenaeum concludes with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations for cello and orchestra. The work was dedicated to Wilhelm Fitzenhagen, cellist and professor at the Moscow Conservatory, and premiered in 1877. The term “Rococo” in the title is explained by Tchaikovsky’s admiration for musical classicism, which he viewed as a pure style, undamaged by the coloristic excesses of Romanticism. In a dialogue with cellist Wilhelm Fitzenhagen, Tchaikovsky characterized the Rococo style as “a feeling of well-being, in the absence of worries,” after which he began to hum a melody to the rhythm of a gavotte.
The Tonhalle Orchestra Zürich, under the baton of by Paavo Järvi, will take the stage at 7:30 PM at the Grand Palace Hall, together with the George Enescu Philharmonic Choir conducted by Iosif Ion Prunner and the Children’s Choir of the Romanian Radio Broadcaster, conducted by Razvan Rados. The program is entirely dedicated to Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 in D minor, a large and complex work, the largest symphony of the composer’s creation. Mahler worked on his Third Symphony between 1893 and 1896 and it was premiered in 1902 in Germany. Mahler’s symphonies are renowned for their deeply reflective and meaningful musical content.
DAILY AGENDA
SERIES: ENESCU AND HIS CONTEMPORARIES
TIME: 10:30 AM
PRESS ARRIVAL: 10:00 AM
VENUE: AUDITORIUM HALL of the National Museum of Arts
Recital SINA KLOKE piano
Program: Patience et courage
Janáček In the Mists
Enescu Sonata in D major Op. 24 No. 3
Enescu Mélodie Op. 18 No. 1
Brahms Three Intermezzi Op. 119
Debussy Pour le Piano L. 95
The 2021/22 season will see Sina Kloke continue her ascent as one of the most promising pianists on the international classical music scene. Born in Detmold (Germany), Sina Kloke studied with Matti Raekallio (The Juilliard School), Arbo Valdma (Conservatory of Music Cologne), and Pavel Gililov (Conservatory of Music Cologne). Acclaimed musicians such as Karl-Heinz Kämmerling, Elisabeth Leonskaja, Dimitri Bashkirov, Emanuel Ax, and Paul Badura-Skoda have substantially influenced her artistic development. Sina has been awarded prizes from The German Music Association, the publisher Schott, the International Piano and Strings Competition New York, the International Piano Competition in Munich, the International Concerto Competition Hastings/UK, the Metropolitan International Piano Competition, and most recently the soloist prize of the Chamber Orchestra of New York.
SERIES: MUSIC OF THE 21ST CENTURY
TIME: 1:30 PM
PRESS ARRIVAL: 1:00 PM
VENUE: RADIO HALL
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.
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.
SERIES: CONCERTS AND RECITALS
TIME: 4:30 PM
PRESS ARRIVAL: 4:00 PM
VENUE: ROMANIAN ATHENAEUM
RADIO ROMANIA CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
TIBERIU SOARE conductor
ALISA WEILERSTEIN cello
Program:
Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings in C major Op. 48
Haydn Cello Concerto No. 1 in C Major Hob. VIIb:1
Tchaikovsky Variations on a Rococo Theme for Cello and Orchestra Op. 33
Tiberiu Soare is a graduate of the National University of Music Bucharest, having had among his teachers Ludovic Bacs, Petru Andriesei, and Horia Andreescu. He was awarded a PhD in Music in 2018, after presenting his dissertation The Lyrical Tragedy Oedipe by George Enescu – A Conductor’s Perspective, under the supervision of Prof. Dan Dediu. He is currently associate professor at the National University of Music Bucharest, Faculty of Composition, Musicology, and Music Pedagogy, Department of Orchestra Conducting. In May 2018 the Royal House of Romania awarded Tiberiu Soare the distinction of the Order of the Crown of Romania in the rank of Officer. He has been working as a conductor since 1999, collaborating over the years with numerous philharmonic orchestras and opera houses. Since 2003 he has been conductor of the New Music Ensemble Profil. In 2007 he founded the Ludovic Spiess Opera and Ballet Experimental Studio within the Bucharest National Opera. Between 2012 and 2015 he was Principal Conductor of the Radio Romania Orchestras and Choirs. Tiberiu Soare is currently engaged as conductor at the Bucharest National Opera.
“A young cellist whose emotionally resonant performances of both traditional and contemporary music have earned her international recognition, (…) Alisa Weilerstein is a consummate performer, combining technical precision with impassioned musicianship.” So stated the MacArthur Foundation when awarding Alisa Weilerstein a 2011 MacArthur “genius grant” Fellowship, prompting the New York Times to respond: “Any fellowship that recognizes the vibrancy of an idealistic musician like Ms. Weilerstein (…) deserves a salute from everyone in classical music.” In performances marked by intensity, sensitivity, and a wholehearted immersion in each of the works she interprets, the American cellist has long proven herself to be in possession of a distinctive musical voice.
COMPOSERS’ FORUM
TIME: 4:30 PM
VENUE: AUDITORIUM HALL of the National Museum of Arts
International Composers’ Forum
Moderator: Dan Dediu
Free access event
4:30-5:00 PM Ars Poetica Conference: Salvatore Sciarrino
5:00-5:30 PM Ars Poetica Conference: Francesco Filidei
5:30-5:50 PM Coffee Break
5:50-6:30 PM Round-table with Salvatore Sciarrino, Francesco Filidei, Mihnea Brumariu
SERIES: GREAT ORCHESTRAS OF THE WORLD
TIME: 7:30 PM
PRESS ARRIVAL: 7:00 PM
VENUE: GRAND PALACE HALL
TONHALLE ORCHESTER ZÜRICH
PAAVO JÄRVI conductor
WIEBKE LEHMKUHL alto
CHOIR OF THE GEORGE ENESCU PHILHARMONIC
IOSIF ION PRUNNER conductor of the choir
RADIO ROMANIA CHILDREN CHOIR
RAZVAN RADOS conductor of the choir
Program:
Mahler Symphony No. 3 in D minor
Following the celebrations for the 150th anniversary of the Tonhalle Society Zürich over the past two seasons, which also featured numerous world premieres and staged performances, the Tonhalle Orchestra Zürich has begun a new chapter of the orchestra’s history as of the 2019/20 season together with Chief Conductor and Music Director Paavo Järvi. David Zinman directed the Tonhalle Orchestra Zürich until the 2013/14 season and is now its Conductor Laureate; Lionel Bringuier was Chief Conductor until the 2017/18 season. A successful tour of Asia with Paavo Järvi in the autumn of 2018 was followed by live recordings for the first CD, with orchestral works by Olivier Messiaen. Recordings of all the Tchaikovsky symphonies are among the achievements of the 2019/20 season, complementing the Tonhalle Orchestra Zürich’s more than 40 CD productions. These include complete recordings of all the Beethoven, Mahler, Brahms, and Schubert symphonies, as well as Ravel and anniversary box sets.
Estonian Grammy Award-winning conductor Paavo Järvi is widely recognized as the musicians’ musician, enjoying close partnerships with the finest orchestras around the world. He serves as Chief Conductor of the Tonhalle Orchester-Zürich and the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo. In addition to his permanent positions, Järvi is much in demand as a guest conductor, regularly appearing with the Berliner Philharmoniker, London’s Philharmonia Orchestra, Münchner Philharmoniker, Staatskapelle Dresden, and the Orchestre de Paris.
On the international concert stage Wiebke Lehmkuhl is a highly sought-after soloist and gives regular guest appearances with major orchestras, for instance the Tonhalle-Orchester in Zürich, the Leipzig Gewandhausorchester, the Bamberg Symphony, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Orchestre de Paris, as well as in Bilbao, Tokyo and Shanghai, and with the Swedish Symphony Orchestra. She sang at the inauguration concert of the Elbphilharmonie with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra conducted by Thomas Hengelbrock. She is also highly in demand at festivals, including the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, the Lucerne Festival and the festival La folle journée in Nantes.
SERIES: ENESCU IN OTHER CITIES
TIME: 7:00 PM
PRESS ARRIVAL: 6:30 PM
VENUE: MAJ. GH. PASTIA PEOPLE’S ATHENAEUM FOCSANI
“Impressions de voyage en jazz: Enescu, Ellington, Ravel” – Focsani concert
RAMONA HORVATH piano
NICOLAS RAGEAU double bass
The third concert of the national tour “Impressions de voyage en jazz: Enescu, Ellington, Ravel.” Participation will be subject to availability and the health regulations in place. Reservations are mandatory and can be made via email 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.
Further information about the national tour Impressions de voyage en jazz: Enescu, Ellington, Ravel can be read on the website www.jazzimpressions.ro.
CREATIVE BUCHAREST
TIME: 6:30 PM
PRESS ARRIVAL: 6:00 PM
VENUE: ODEON THEATRE
ENESCU’S CHILDHOOD
Enescu (puppet) – Selina Colceru
Sol – Alexandru Unguru
Sica – Valeria Cristia
Rica – Irina Sarbu
Lola – Mona Ciuta
Violinist – Monica Bustean
Pianist – Raluca Ouatu
Scriptwriter – Emanuel Ciocu
Artistic consultant – Cristina Sarbu
Director – Mona Ciuta
Stage design and costumes – Sanziana Tarta
Music – Irina Sarbu
It is the turn of the greatest Romanian composer, George Enescu, to be the subject of the amusing and special musical stories told with such talent, ease, and charm by the two little mice, Sica and Rica, the cat Lola and the old rat Sol who, for 11 years, have become the best friends of children (of grandparents and parents!) eager to step into the wonderful world of classical music. From a small village in Moldova, Liveni, George Enescu became one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century, an acclaimed and respected violinist, pianist, composer, and teacher. In his parents’ home in Cracalia, then during his studies in Vienna and Paris, his little friends were always by his side and can recount how the little boy from Liveni became one of the world’s greatest musicians.
An event supported by Dacia
TIME: 8:30 PM
PRESS ARRIVAL: 8:00 PM
VENUE: NATIONAL OPERA BUCHAREST
Unifying Worlds – From Beethoven to Enescu
Concert by TEODORA ENACHE-BRODY, CALIN GRIGORIU, ANDREI MAXIM, JOCA PERPIGNAN, and the CHOIR OF THE ROMANIAN NATIONAL OPERA
Organizers: E-Multimedia and the Romanian National Opera
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.
