Cheltenham Music Festival 2007: a preview by John Quinn

 

The sixty-third Cheltenham Music Festival runs from 6 to 21 July, a week later than was the case last year.

In 2006, Festival Director, Martyn Brabbins, chose Scotland as the theme running through the Festival. This year the focus is on America and the diversity of American music. Although this is mainly a matter of subjective taste I find the programmes this year much more enticing. Last year the festival had a composer-in-residence, Sally Beamish. No composer is featured in such a way this time round.

One thing that strikes me quite forcibly this year is the almost complete absence of British professional orchestras. The BBC Concert Orchestra gives the opening concert and that’s it. The Brno Philharmonic Orchestra is in residence for the final weekend, taking part in three events, including two formal evening concerts, but that’s the extent of the participation by professional orchestras. If that’s come about for budgetary reasons then it’s a matter for regret – and, perhaps, a sign of the times. However, if it’s a conscious decision by Martyn Brabbins and the Festival organisers then I think it’s a misjudgement; the programme feels a bit unbalanced as a result.

However, there are many other enticing events on offer and if what follows is, inevitably, a bit of a personal list of preferences I can say that there should be something to most tastes.

Dealing first with the aforementioned orchestral concerts, the BBC Concert Orchestra programme, under Rumon Gamba features deservedly popular American repertoire (July 6). Barber’s Violin Concerto will be played by Chloë Hanslip while Nancy Gustafson sings the gorgeous Knoxville: Summer of 1915. Bernstein’s West Side Story Overture will be played and Robert Russell Bennett’s colourful ”Symphonic Portrait” from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess promises to be great fun. At the other end of the festival Wayne Marshall will conduct the Brno Philharmonic in more Bernstein (the effervescent Candide Overture and the Symphonic Dances from West Side Story) and Gershwin, including the Rhapsody in Blue, in which he’ll also play the piano solo (July 20). The following night the orchestra brings down the festival curtain under the direction of Petr Altrichter. Their Anglo-American programme includes Delius’s Appalachia and Elgar’s Sea Pictures. In the Elgar the soloist will be Sarah Connolly, whose recent recording I much admired (review) and it will be good to hear her sing the work live. The final work in the concert will be Dvořák’s ‘New World’ Symphony. It’s a glorious work but, dare I say, just a little routine as a festival finale?

The Festival usually comes up with some enticing song recitals and this year is no exception. Top of the list for me is a programme of French and American song by Dame Felicity Lott, making one of her always-welcome visits to her home town (July 8). Accompanied by Malcolm Martineau she’ll be offering a selection of mélodies by composers including Gounod, Fauré and Chabrier. Since Dame Felicity is one of the finest exponents of French mélodies this is a prospect to savour. However, the second half lures me even more strongly for it features songs by Cole Porter and by the two finest American art song composers, Samuel Barber and Ned Rorem.

Malcolm Martineau will also be involved in another very attractive song recital, when he accompanies Jonathan Lemalu in recital (12 July). On the bill will be songs by Britten, Copland and Quilter. There’ll also be a selection of William Bolcom’s Cabaret Songs and more Samuel Barber, his wonderfully evocative Dover Beach. To complete a trio of must-hear singers, Sir Willard White presents a Tribute to Paul Robeson (July 18). This event includes music by Gershwin and Kern; a selection of Spirituals and some other traditional songs. The evening will be bound together by a narrative of Robeson’s life story.

One of the highlights of last year’s festival was a recital of Beethoven piano sonatas by Paul Lewis (see review.)   Lewis is back this time with an even more challenging Beethoven programme, comprising the last three sonatas, Opp 109-111. That, for me, will be unmissable.

I’m equally keen to hear the City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus in a programme of English and (mainly) American music (July 11). Under their Director, Simon Halsey, they’ll perform Bernstein’s marvellous Chichester Psalms and Tippett’s Spirituals from A Child of Our Time. There’ll also be music by the highly regarded British composer, Julian Anderson, and by two Americans whose music has come in for a good deal of attention recently, Morten Lauridsen and Eric Whitacre.

The weekend of 14-15 July will showcase some of BBC Radio 3’s New Generation artists. The four concerts will include appearances by flautist Sharon Bezaly and baritone Ronan Collett (July 14) in a programme which will include the première, by Mr. Collett, of a new work by the distinguished American composer, Dominick Argento. In another of these concerts tenor Andrew Kennedy will be joined by the Aronowitz Ensemble in Housman song cycles by Gurney (Ludlow and Teme, which deserves to be much better known) and Vaughan Williams (On Wenlock Edge). The underrated Elgar Piano Quintet will also be on the menu. (July 15)

There are a few intriguing events, as there should be at any festival. Top of that particular list is the appearance of The King’s Singers at Tewkesbury Abbey (July 9). They’ll be joined by period ensemble L’Arpeggiata in a programme entitled “Los Impossibles”. This is devoted to music from eighteenth century Mexico that represents a fusion of local indigenous music and European music of the High Baroque. More familiar fayre, but no less enterprising, is offered in the shape of an evening of Broadway Cabaret by Kim Criswell and Wayne Marshall. This event, in the wonderful surroundings of the Pittville Pump Room also includes a three-course supper (July 16).

And finally, as they say, aficionados of chamber music will have much to engage their attentions. My pride of place goes to two marvellous British artists, cellist Natalie Clein and pianist Kathryn Stott, who come together for a morning recital of music by Shostakovich, Britten, Bridge and Elgar (July 20). With artists of that calibre distinction is guaranteed.

With fifty-nine major concerts and a plethora of other events going on it’s impossible, in a short preview such as this, to do more than scratch the surface of the festival programme. It promises to be a fascinating, varied and richly entertaining couple of weeks in the gracious town of Cheltenham.

Full details of the complete festival programme can be obtained at www.cheltenhamfestivals.com or from the Festival Box Office at Town Hall, Imperial Square, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL50 1QA, United Kingdom. The Box Office telephone number is 01242 227979

 

John Quinn