The Art of the Gypsy Fiddler, on the stage of the Enescu Festival through the music of George Enescu
Violinist Dmitry Sitkovetsky, an outstanding personality with a magnetic creative force, President of the Violin Jury at the Enescu Competition 2020/2021, returns to the stage of the Romanian Athenaeum with an opus by Enescu that takes inspiration from gypsy folk music, the Caprice Roumain for Violin and Orchestra. In the same concert starting at 4:30 PM, by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of renowned conductor Vasily Petrenko, the audience will also hear works by Ravel and Beethoven.
Maurice Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite opens the afternoon concert. The work was composed in 1910, originally as a piano duet, and orchestrated by the composer a year later. It is structured in 5 parts, to which the composer added a Prelude as the first part and Interludes between each of the 5 tableaus. The suite is inspired by a collection of fairy-tales and masterfully illustrates the enchanted world of fantasy characters.
The next work on the program is George Enescu’s Caprice Roumain for Violin and Orchestra, which will be performed by violinist Dmitry Sitkovetsky. 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 concert concludes with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C minor “Fate” Op. 67, composed between 1804 and 1808. The Fifth Symphony, at the junction of two eras (Classicism and Romanticism), is probably the best known work in the classical music repertoire.
At the Grand Palace Hall, from 7:30 PM, the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Edward Gardner delights the audience with enchanting sonorities from Wagner, Enescu, and Sibelius, in a Romantic program.
The overture to Wagner’s Tannhäuser, an opera written in 1845, presents historical events interwoven with legends. It is inspired by two medieval legends illustrating the conflict between two opposing forces. The solemn introduction is a prayer for salvation, while the second main theme, bright, playful, and dynamic, depicts the magical realm of fairy-tale characters. Wagner, creator of the infinite melody, is known for his vast output in the opera genre, which he considered the only genre that can faithfully reflect human existence.
The Symphonie Concertante for Cello and Orchestra in B minor Op. 8 is the only work by Enescu for solo instrument and orchestra that the composer completed himself. This year we celebrate the 120th anniversary of its composition in 1901, with a performance by renowned cellist Nicolas Altstaedt.
The final work of the evening is Jean Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2, begun in the same year as the aforementioned Enescu work, 1901. It was finished in 1902, while Sibelius was in Italy. About this symphony the composer said, “it is the confession of my soul.”
DAILY AGENDA
SERIES: Concerts and Recitals
TIME: 4:30 PM
PRESS ARRIVAL: 4:00 PM
VENUE: ROMANIAN ATHENAEUM
ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
VASILY PETRENKO conductor
DMITRY SITKOVETSKY violin
Program:
Ravel Ma Mère l’Oye Suite
Enescu Caprice Roumain for Violin and Orchestra
Beethoven Symphony No. 5 in C minor Op. 67
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra celebrates this year its seventy-fifth anniversary; its mission to enrich lives through orchestral experiences that are uncompromising in their excellence and inclusive in their appeal places it at the forefront of music-making in the UK and internationally. Typically performing approximately 200 concerts each season and with a worldwide audience of more than half-a-million people, the Orchestra embraces a broad repertoire that enables it to reach the most diverse audience of any British symphony orchestra.
A true Renaissance man and a magnetic creative force, Dmitry Sitkovetsky is recognized throughout the world as having made a considerable impact on every aspect of musical life. A prolific recording artist, with a career spanning more than four decades, he is celebrated globally as a violinist, conductor, creator, transcriber, and facilitator – and holds an undisputed and venerable position in musical circles as a giant personality and educator. He was President of the Violin Jury for the 2020/2021 Enescu Competition.
SERIES: Great Orchestras of the World
TIME: 7:30 PM
PRESS ARRIVAL: 7:00 PM
VENUE: GRAND PALACE HALL
LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
EDWARD GARDNER conductor
NICOLAS ALTSTAEDT cello
Program:
Wagner Tannhäuser Overture
Enescu Symphonie Concertante for Cello and Orchestra in B minor Op. 8
Sibelius Symphony No. 2 in D major Op. 43
The London Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in 1932 by Sir Thomas Beecham. Since then, its Principal Conductors have included Sir Adrian Boult, Bernard Haitink, Sir Georg Solti, Klaus Tennstedt, and Kurt Masur. In September 2021 Edward Gardner became the Orchestra’s Principal Conductor, succeeding Vladimir Jurowski, who became Conductor Emeritus in recognition of his extraordinary impact on the Orchestra as Principal Conductor from 2007–21. The Orchestra broadcasts regularly on television and radio, and has recorded soundtracks for numerous blockbuster films including The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It has made many distinguished recordings over the last eight decades and in 2005 began releasing live, studio, and archive recordings on its own CD label.
German-French cellist Nicolas Altstaedt is one of the most sought-after and versatile artists today. As a soloist, conductor, and artistic director, he performs a repertoire spanning from early music to the contemporary, playing on period and modern instruments. Nicolas Altstaedt performs regularly with the most renowned orchestras around the world, including the Vienna Philharmonic and Symphoniker, Tonhalle Orchestra Zürich, London Philharmonic, OPRF and ONF Paris, and all BBC orchestras, with conductors such as Gustavo Dudamel, Sir Roger Norrington, Lahav Shani, Francois-Xavier Roth, and Robin Ticciati. In 2012 Nicolas Altstaedt succeeded Gidon Kremer as Artistic Director of the Lockenhaus Chamber Music Festival, and in 2014 he succeeded Ádám Fischer as Artistic Director of the Haydn Philharmonic.
Nicolas Altstaedt is winner of the BBC Music Magazine 2020 Chamber Award and Gramophone Award 2020. He received the BBC Music Magazine Concerto Award 2017 for his recording of the CPE Bach Concertos on Hyperion with Arcangelo and Jonathan Cohen and the Edison Klassiek 2017 for his latest Recital Recording with Fazıl Say on Warner Classics. Nicolas was recipient of the Credit Suisse Award in 2010 and was a BBC New Generation Artist 2010-2012.
SERIES: Enescu in Other Cities
TIME: 6:30 PM
PRESS ARRIVAL: 6:00 PM
VENUE: DINU LIPATTI STATE PHILHARMONIC SATU MARE
DINU LIPATTI PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA SATU MARE
MIHNEA IGNAT conductor
VALENTIN SERBAN violin
Program:
Enescu Dixtuor à vents in D major Op. 14
Sibelius Violin Concerto in D minor Op. 47
Valentin Serban is winner of the grand prize in the Violin Section of the George Enescu International Competition (2020/21 edition), after a final that brought the audience to its feet and in which he performed Sibelius’ Concerto in D minor for violin and orchestra Op. 47, at the Romanian Athenaeum. He has performed in Romania, France, Germany, Austria, and Italy. He has been a member of the orchestra Les Dissonances since 2018 and guest concertmaster of the Romanian Youth Orchestra.
TIME: 7:00 PM
PRESS ARRIVAL: 6:30 PM
VENUE: BANATUL STATE PHILHARMONIC TIMISOARA
BANATUL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA OF TIMISOARA
RUMON GAMBA conductor
PETER JABLONSKI piano
Program: In Memoriam Remus Georgescu
Remus Georgescu Triads Symphony
Patrick Hawes Piano Concerto
Tim Benjamin Symphony
Peter Jablonski is an award-winning internationally acclaimed Swedish pianist. Discovered by Abbado and Ashkenazy, he has forged a remarkable career. He performs, collaborates, and records with many of the world’s leading orchestras and conductors, which include the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Kirov (now Mariinsky), La Scala Philharmonic, Tonhalle Zürich, Orchestre Nationale de France, NHK Tokyo, DSO Berlin, Warsaw Philharmonic, Philadelphia, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Cleveland Orchestra; Vladimir Ashkenazy, Valery Gergiev, Andris Nelsons, Daniel Harding, Kurt Sanderling, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Riccardo Chailly, Daniele Gatti, and Myung-Whun Chung. He is a supporter of today’s composers and regularly gives world premieres of new works, together with those that have been neglected by music history.
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.
