SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

SEEN AND HEARD UK MUSIC FESTIVAL PREVIEW
 

Chipping Campden Music Festival 2010: A preview from Roger Jones (RJ)

 

The Chipping Campden Festival, now in its ninth year, deserves a place in every music-lover's diary. It runs from May 10th to 22nd when the Cotswolds area is at its loveliest and in the relaxed atmosphere of this small town there is the chance to hear performances by some of the world's finest musicians.

Chopin's bi-centenary falls right in the middle of the Festival, and the organisers are celebrating in style with a recital by Chritina Ortiz, who features two of the composer's ballades and scherzos.

The Festival's president, Paul Lewis, makes two appearances this year; first in a recital of Mozart, Schumann, Liszt and Beethoven, and then in a concert with the Festival's Academy Orchestra in which he plays Beethoven's first two piano concertos.

A number of promising young pianists will be giving lunchtime recitals, notably the winner of the 2009 Leeds International Piano Competition, Sofya Gulyak. Ina Charuashvili, winner of the 2009 RCM Chappell gold medal, will also perform, as will two past winners of the Sudley International Piano Competition, Alexander Karpeyev and Emmanuel Despax.

The vocal element is particularly strong this year, starting with a candlelit concert by Stile Antico of Monteverdi's Missa in illo Tempore published 400 years ago at the same time as his Vespers. It is by way of a tribute from the composer to his Renaissance predecessors. Stile Antico have programmed works by Palestrina and plainchant between the movements of the Mass, which is an inspired touch.

Another clever juxtaposition occurs in the performance of Vivaldi's Four Seasons by the Academy of Ancient Music, Alongside each of the concertos the Welsh soprano Elin Manahan Thomas will sing arias by Purcell and Handel which reflect the different seasons.

Elizabeth Watts, who won the Rosenblatt Lieder Prize at the 2007 Cardiff Singer of the World Competition has an equally adventurous programme with the Festival Academy Orchestra. After singing arias by Mozart, Handel and Arne she will perform Les Illuminations, Britten's settings of poems by Rimbaud. There is more Britten in Toby Spence's lieder recital: his Michelangelo Sonnets.

The Takacs Quartet open this year's Festival with two of Beethoven's greatest string quartets, and are closely followed by the Leopold String Trio playing Francaix plus more Beethoven. Thomas Trotter will be displaying his virtuosity on the organ of St James' Church is a typically eclectic programme, and Robert Cohen will play Bach's Suites for unaccompanied cello by candlelight.

The versatile Nicola Benedetti will pop in to perform concertos by Vivaldi and Bach with the Festival Academy Orchestra, and earlier in the Festival Norika Ogawa joins Martin Roscoe for an evening of piano duets.

If you arrive a little early for the Festival you may just catch the end of the town's first literature festival which runs from May 5th to 8th. Regulars do not need to be reminded of other attractions near to Chipping Campden, such as Stratford on Avon and Hidcote Manor Gardens.

Roger Jones

 

Details available from www.campdenmusicfestival.co.uk and campdenlitfest.co.uk. Telephone: 01386 840392.