2013 Festival Newsletter
Issue 12, May 2013
I've programmed six Lufthansa Festivals now, but I can honestly say that 2013 caused me special enjoyment. Partly it was the theme, for nature and the outdoors have in recent years become passions of mine no less than music. I like to be out in it, but I also enjoy visiting it in the imagination, both in literature (my favourite writers of the moment include Richard Jeffries, Edward Thomas, Robert MacFarlane and this year's guest lecturer Richard Mabey) and in music. Discovering just how much and how directly Baroque composers responded to nature has been a particular pleasure of putting this year's Festival together. People have always tended to think of nature as an obsession of later ages, but as I hope our concerts showed, birdsong, pastoral scenes and the passage of the seasons were celebrated by composers from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries with no less a sense of keen observation and love.
But of course all this would be of no more than passing interest if the music itself had not been up to scratch. And in that respect I think we've had a vintage year, with every concert offering an interesting and skilfully made programme backed up by first-rate musicmaking. For that I thank the musicians, some of whom dazzled us with their virtuosity, some of whom stimulated us with the depth of their musical communication, and some of whom simply tickled our ears and made us chuckle. I give extra thanks to those who devised programmes especially for us (to see an artist inspired by the opportunity to play music they wouldn't normally be asked to perform is an exquisite pleasure for an artistic director) and am also grateful to those who had kind words for our Festival, our beautiful venues and our keen and attentive audiences.
And last but not least, I thank everyone who has offered the Festival team such heartening warmth and support this year.
Until next year,
Lindsay Kemp
Artistic Director, Lufthansa Festival of Baroque Music
FESTIVAL REVIEW HIGHLIGHTS
Gabrieli Consort & Players/Paul McCreesh
'Ashley Riches' bass was so coruscatingly powerful ... while the antiphonal duet between Webster and flautist Katy Bircher allowed the exquisite 'Sweet bird' aria to create a bewitching effect. But what set off the excellence of these adults was the astonishing singing of Laurence Kilsby, who is a treble like no other.'
Michael Church, The Independent, 5 stars
'Paul McCreesh's Gabrieli Consort & Players and his vigorous soloists frisked like lambs through Handel's rhythms on Friday.'
Geoff Brown, The Times
'McCreesh's Gabrieli Consort and Players (here in reduced forces) brought colour and life to Handel's vivacious score, with chorus in particular making their contribution count with some delicate phrasing touches and diction ... this was a perfect beginning to this year's Lufthansa Festival of Baroque Music.'
Alexandra Coghlan, TheArtsDesk.com
Pavlo Beznosiuk and Friends
'A delightful afternoon concert of English "Cavalier composer" Christopher Simpson's The Seasons had presented something altogether more relaxed. This rarely heard cycle of Fantasia-suites for viols is gently virtuosic; Pavlo Beznosiuk and friends captured its mellow beauty wonderfully.'
Hugo Shirley, The Daily Telegraph
IMAGINARIUM Ensemble/Enrico Onofri
'Onofri made his fiddle croack, meow, peck and crow with deadpan brilliance.'
Hugo Shirley, The Daily Telegraph
Theatre of the Ayre/Sophie Daneman/Matthew Brook
'Daneman - her swallow-like soprano wonderfully pure and true, but never spindly in the stereotypical baroque mould - was in her element in Lawes' "I'm Sick of Love" ... Brook's fine bass-baritone was a perfect foil in the duets, not least the "Dialogue on a Kiss", which profited from both singers' gift for taking the audience into their confidence.'
Andrew Clark, Financial Times
Freiburg Baroque Orchestra/Carolyn Sampson
'Tender and glowing, Sampson was underpinned by the most intimate of accompaniments from the Freiburg orchestra. This was remarkable singing, and from the orchestra, remarkable playing. A most memorable concert.'
Colin Clarke, Seen and Heard International
PHOTOS FROM THE FESTIVAL
credit: Jonathan Rose
credit: Andrea Liu
credit: Claire Hammett
credit: Paul James
credit: Andrew Dunsmore/Picure Partnership
credit: Andrea Liu
RE-LIVE THE FESTIVAL ON BBC RADIO 3
You can still enjoy some highlights of the Festival on BBC Radio 3 this weekend.
Saturday 25th May, 1pm
The Early Music Show
Seasons Double Bill (Take 2): 'The Four Seasons' come home!
Enrico Onofri & IMAGINARIUM Ensemble
Sunday 26th May, 1pm
The Early Music Show
'Il canto degli uccelli' - The Song of the Birds,
Ensemble La Fenice & Jean Tubéry
These Festival broadcasts will be available for you to listen to for seven days via the Radio 3 website and the BBC iPlayer Radio app.
2014 FESTIVAL NEWS
We are delighted to announce that the Lufthansa Festival of Baroque Music will be returning in 2014 to celebrate its 30th year. The Festival will be taking place 16 - 24 May 2014, but full details will be announced in the Autumn.
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