festival oudemuziek
28 aug | 06 sep 09 Utrecht
festival oudemuziek utrecht 2009
Three Germans in England: Handel, Haydn, Mendelssohn and a bit of Purcell
Three great German composers will be remembered in 2009: Handel has been dead for 250 years, Haydn died 200 years ago and Mendelssohn would be celebrating his 200th birthday. But centennials alone do not make a party. Fortunately we have that special cherry on top: Handel, Haydn and Mendelssohn all worked in England where they achieved great success. Yet later they all had serious image issues to deal with: Handel was overshadowed by Bach, Haydn by Beethoven and Mendelssohn by Wagner. Admittedly, several renowned musicians were behind the accusations levelled at Handel. Yet many of his defenders were also numbered among the high and mighty. Whatever the case may be, Handel has nothing to complain about as far as being in the spotlight goes: over the last few decades his operas have been experiencing a renaissance thanks to the work of René Jacobs, William Christie and Marc Minkowski. And besides the ever-popular Messiah, his other oratorios Saul, Israel in Egypt and Samson, are being performed more and more often these days. Haydn had the misfortune to excel in those genres in which Beethoven later overshadowed him: string quartets and symphonies. But if there is anything that the early music movement can take credit for, it’s making short work of the 19th century's philosophy of enlightenment. Haydn is no primitive Beethoven. With his come-back on period instruments, Haydn is demanding his rightful place in the canon as one of the greatest and most influential composers in the history of Western music. Mendelssohn suffered misfortune in another sense: from Wagner, who dismissed his work as superficial, Jewish sham music, and later from the Nazis, who torpedoed his oeuvre by banning it. But nowadays Mendelssohn is played much more often thanks to authentic performances. Moreover, Mendelssohn himself was an early music pioneer. In his twenties he performed the Matthäus Passion with a choir of about two hundred singers. Giving it a modern day interpretation was, to him, the obvious thing to do. It’s precisely this that makes him a model for the latest batch of early music specialists. They know that they make music that in its essence is modern yet born of a great love for the past. It is with this thought that I would like to close my nine years at the Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht. With heartfelt thanks to everyone who has played a role in it, and especially to you, dear audience, my gratitude. I hope once again to be able to greet a great many of you so that together we may enjoy another ten days of uninterrupted music pleasure. Jan Van den Bossche
1
28 Aug / Friday
Arie Abbenes, travelling carillon
19.00 hrs
Vredenburg Leidsche Rijn
Vivaldi: Le Quattro stagioni
Festival Oude Muziek opens with the so-called Travelling Carillon at Vredenburg Leidse Rijn. The carillon, complete with sixty bells and weighing in at twelve tons, is mounted on a truck. City carilloneur Arie Abbenes plays his own rendition of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons on this instrument.
Opening Performance: 4 Elements – 4 Seasons Midori Seiler, violin, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin Director/choreography/dance: Juan Kruz Diaz de Garaio Esnaola
Two completely different Baroque pieces, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons (1725) and Jean-Féry Rebels dance suite Les elemens (1737), are brought together in a choreography for a single Spanish dancer. Choreographer Sasha Waltz came up with the concept and Juan Kruz Diaz de Garaio Esnaola adapted the idea for a dance performance. In Les elemens the dancer symbolises creation, existence and passing away; in Le Quattro stagioni, the orchestra itself is involved in the choreography: musical structures are transformed into spatial movement. Violin soloist Midori Seiler plays a supporting role as mime artist. ‘Notwithstanding all the acrobatics, this is not a circus, but pure poetry’, wrote Der Tagesspiegel following the premier. After its foundation in what was then East Germany, the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin soon made a considerable name for itself..
free admission
20.00 hrs Vredenburg Leidsche Rijn order number 1
a € 30 / € 28 / € 15 b € 27 / € 25 / € 12 incl. parking and welcoming drink
this concert has no interval
Open air production: Summer Dream Eighteenth Century Orchestra & Netherlands Chamber Choir / Frans Brüggen Video art: Danielle Kwaaitaal; direction: Jeroen Kriek
‘Incidental music’ is the correct term for this collection of twelve individual pieces with a finale that Mendelssohn, celebrating his jubilee this year, composed in 1843 as incidental music to Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm IV commissioned it; Mendelssohn was in his service as Kapellmeister. Shakespeare’s play about the amorous adventures of various couples is set at night in a forest inhabited by fairies and other magical creatures. Preparations for a royal wedding are afoot, with the comic twist that enthusiastic incompetents are busy rehearsing Ovid’s Pyramus and Thisbe. Mendelssohn composed his overture Midsommernachtstraum as a seventeen-year-old in 1826. Since then it has often been used to introduce Shakespeare’s play. The new parts that he composed for A Midsummer Night’s Dream vary from a Scherzo, a Nocturne and a Wedding March that function as entr’actes between the various acts, to vocal music with choir that have been integrated into the play, in which thematic material from the overture has been ingeniously blended. Video artist Danielle Kwaaitaal, known for her titillating and poetical work, has designed this semi-theatrical open air production. The Orchestra of the 18th Century conducted by Frans Brüggen is this Festival’s orchestra in residence and will be performing in one form or another virtually every day of the Festival
23.00 hrs Park Lepelenburg free admission
co-production with vrede van utrecht
part of summer of utrecht
3
29 Aug / Saturday
11.00 hrs
Leo Samama
Theater Kikker
Summer school / Haydn’s Die sieben letzten Worte
order number 2
The composition that launched his career began in far-off Cádiz under the impossible title of Musica instrumentale sopra le 7 ultime parole del nostra Redentor in croce ossiano 7 sonate con un’introduzione ed al fine un terremoto, and ended up as one of Haydn’s possibly most popular pieces in four different versions. Leo Samama, musicologist and conductor of the Netherlands Chamber Choir, tells the finer points of this remarkable tale. The four versions of Die sieben letzten Worte, as the piece later became known, will all be performed on the first Festival weekend.
€5 in dutch
11.00 hrs
Arie Abbenes, carillon
Domtoren
free admission best spot: pandhof
Handel: Opera fragments
This programme given by City Carilloneur Arie Abbenes is dedicated entirely to Handel’s opera repertoire. Apart from overtures from Rinaldo and Teseo, the sounds of arias from Acis and Galatea, Alexander’s Feast and Hercules will be heard. Of special interest are the two well-known carillon pieces from the oratorios Saul and L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato. Handel composed these pieces for an as yet unknown predecessor of the current carillon orchestra.
12.00 hrs
Utrecht Bell Ringers Guild
Church Towers, City centre
free admission western route: d omplein, pieterskerk, janskerk, s int augustinuskerk, jacobikerk; southern route: maartensbrug (kruising oudegracht/ zadelstr.), buurtoren, lutherse kerk, st. catharinakathedraal, nicolaïkerk, geertek erk and bartholomeus gasthuis
4
Bell Ringing concert and walk
Straight after the carillon concert, members of the Utrecht Bell Ringers Guild will set the bells of the Domtoren in motion. At about quarter past twelve, the chimes will swell spectacularly to a ‘full peal’ of all thirteen bells. That is the point at which the towers in the nearby Domtoren will join the carillon concert. In relay, the bell chimes will flow in waves over the city. At 12:15 a bell walk will start that will follow the chiming of the bells under the leadership of two guides.
29 Aug / Saturday
Al Ayre Español / Eduardo López Banzo
Haydn: Die sieben letzten Worte unseres Erlösers am Kreuze orchestral version
Joseph Haydn spent most of his working life in the service of Nikolaus Esterházy. The prince had the exclusive contractual rights to all Haydn’s compositions , but had not taken into account the explosive popularity of his employee. Nikolaus was forced to loosen the reins, leaving Haydn free to take on commissions from all corners of Europe. One of these was from Cádiz in Spain: in celebration of Easter in Cádiz, a request came for Haydn to provide instrumental passion music for the last seven words, or rather sentences, spoken by Christ on the cross. The cathedral in Cádiz houses the Santa Cueva, an underground chapel, dedicated in 1783 to the last words of Christ. Haydn composed seven pensive symphonic sonatas, to be performed separately and interposed by sermons from the bishop. In line with the passion story, Haydn rounds off Musica sopra le 7 ultime parole del nostro Renedtore in croce, with an orchestral earthquake: il Terremoto, ‘presto e con tutta la forza’. Al Ayre Español deserve a long service medal when it comes to Festival performances. For this ‘Spanish’ Haydn composition, they were the obvious choice. This concert is the first in a series of four this weekend, dedicated to the various versions of the passion music of Haydn, and in honour of his bi-centennial.
13.00 hrs Jacobikerk order number 3
a € 25 / € 23 / € 15 b € 22 / € 20 / € 12 series 7 letzten worte 1
Le Petit Concert Baroque
15.00 hrs
Vredenburg Leeuwenbergh
Handel: Opera scenes arranged for two harpsichords Alongside Haydn and Mendelssohn, Handel also has a jubilee to celebrate this year. The French sisters, Chani and Nadja Lesaulnier performing under the name Le Petit Concert Baroque, honour the composer with a special concert. In fine 18th century tradition, they have arranged Handel’s music, both instrumental and vocal, for their harpsichords. Overtures and arias from Teseo, Rinaldo and Alexander’s Feast and arrangements from parts of the Music for the Royal Fireworks and Water Music will be presented. Le Petit Concert Baroque, armed with the requisite dose of girlpower, has already won several prizes. Younger sister Nadja Lesaulnier, a master of the baroque violin and bass as well, has also won prizes as a solo-harpsichordist.
order number 4
€ 15 / € 14 / € 10 handel series 1
Fabulous Fringe / Perola Barroca
15.30 hrs
Pieterskerk
From Germany to Italy
These talented Ukrainians are following the footsteps of the young Handel on a hike from Germany to Italy. They play one of the maestro’s violin sonatas, in addition to music from his followers Castello, Albinoni and Vivaldi, as well as a passacaglia by Muffat, who, like Handel, was a true European.
free admission
for more fringe information see page 41
5
29 Aug / Saturday
17.00 hrs
Phantasm / Laurence Dreyfus
Geertekerk
Purcell, Ward, Jenkins: Fantasias
order number 5
Shortly after his twentieth birthday, Henry Purcell composed fifteen three- to seven-part fantasias for gamba consort, a type of ensemble that had already ceased to exist some fifty years before his time. Old fashioned pieces? Not really, because even though Purcell used all kinds of renaissance composing techniques with flair, the feel of these pieces is pure Baroque. ‘The mood in these fantasias is often very intense’, ensemble leader Laurence Dreyfus explains in the Tijdschrift Oude Muziek. ‘Purcell goes through all kinds of keys, he uses sudden transitions and very emotional chromatics. If you perform it as intended, it would be very disturbing.’ Four-strong Phantasm, who have been together since 1994, will perform all Purcell’s fantasias spread over two concerts. They will be supported by three other gamba players and will also be performing other similar compositions by Purcell’s predecessors. The second concert will be on Sunday, August 30th.
a € 18 / € 17 / € 12 b € 16 / € 15 / € 10 series fantasias 1
17.00 hrs Theater Kikker order number 6
€ 15 / € 14 / € 10 series 7 letzten worte 2
Kristian Bezuidenhout, fortepiano
Haydn: Die sieben letzten Worte unseres Erlösers am Kreuze piano version
It is not known with any certainty when exactly Haydn composed Sieben letzten Worte. What is clear is that when the piece was published 1787, its advance across Europe began. Quite apart from the liturgical context that the seven melancholic sonatas were initially composed for – inspired by the last words of Christ – the music is self-contained in its own right. In Haydn’s own words, ‘Every sonata, or rather every text, is interpreted in such a way that the piece makes an unforgettable impression, even on the most inexperienced ear.’ Haydn’s Viennese publisher, Artaria, published Die sieben letzten Worte in three versions simultaneously: the original orchestral version, Haydn’s own arrangement for the string quartet and an anonymous arrangement for the keyboard. The latter came warmly recommended by the composer himself: ‘I’m very happy with this piano version, it is excellent and was written with the utmost care.’ Fortepianist Kristian Bezuidenhout is a charismatic musician and has made guest appearances at the Festival in the past. Later in the day he will also be performing with Collegium Vocale. This concert is the second in a series of four this weekend that will be dedicated to the various versions of Haydn’s passion music.
6
29 Aug / Saturday
Sonia Prina, alto La Sfera Armoniosa Orchestra / Mike Fentross
20.00 hrs
Sint Augustinuskerk
Handel-pasticcio: Opera-arias, ouvertures, concerti grossi
It is no secret that countertenors are no match for the eunuchs that made a furore in 18th century Italian opera. A falsetto, however brilliant it may be, misses the warmth and the strength that the lungs of an alto produce naturally. This realisation cleared the way for female altos, who for a few decades were less than welcome as interpreters for the ‘contralto’ voice in the baroque repertoire. This programme presents a Handel pasticcio, a musical potpourri drawn from the highlights of the composer’s opera repertoire. Alto Sonia Prins has a wonderful dark and rich timbre that lends the arias for Handel’s tormented heroes and heroines the requisite dramatic expression. Twelve-piece orchestra La Sfera Armoniosa Orchestra, conducted by Mike Fentross, will also be playing overtures and concerti grossi by Handel.
order number 7
a € 28 / € 26 / € 15 b € 25 / € 23 / € 12
with short break
Collegium Vocale Gent / Kristian Bezuidenhout
22.30 hrs
Geertekerk
Haydn: Partsongs Hob. XXV, piano music
By the time Haydn left his second home in London to return to Vienna in 1795, he had not composed vocal music for almost ten years. But, after turning sixty, this was all to change. Indeed, Haydn’s best vocal compositions were still to come: apart from Harmoniemesse (1802), he brought forth the oratorios Die Schöpfung (1798) and Die Jahreszeiten (1801). ‘My duties seem only to increase as the years go by, Haydn remarked to his publishers Breitkopf & Härtel in 1799. Yet he also found the time in those years to write somewhat less pretentious music: his thirteen sublime three and four voice part songs. These are masterpieces, full of humour, tenderness and wisdom, written by a composer that despite his age effortlessly engendered youthful enthusiasm. Fortepianist Kristian Bezuidenhout, like Collegium Vocale a newcomer to the Festival, also plays movements from several Haydn sonatas in this concert..
order number 8
a € 20 / € 18 / € 12 b € 18 / € 16 / € 10
7
29 Aug / Saturday
24.00 hrs
Ensemble Schönbrunn
Ottone
Boccherini, Haydn: Notturni
order number 9
In 1785, Haydn was commissioned by the King of Naples to write a series of double concerti for a remarkable instrument: the lira organizzata, or a lyre with a built-in organ. At the time, it was not only the ordinary Neapolitans that loved this instrument, Ferdinand IV himself played it passionately. Because the lyre was not that popular in the rest of Europe, Haydn later made an arrangement of these notturni for the flute and oboe. This arrangement was performed in 1791 in London, in concerts arranged by Salomon, when Haydn returned to England for his second sojourn there. At around the same time, Luigi Boccherini – who the violinist Giusepe Puppo mockingly called ‘Haydn’s wife’ because of his gallant manner – also wrote a number of notturni. Of these, only the octet in G major is suitable for large combined forces.. Ensemble Schönbrunn have made a name for themselves over the years as specialists in the field of classical repertoire in all its diversity. On this occasion will be appearing as a company of seven wind and six string players.
€ 10
8
30 Aug / Sunday
11.30 hrs
Brunchen met Brüggen
Theater Kikker
Frans and Joseph: the tale of a friendship
order number 10
Presenter Hans Haffmans (AVRO) interviews Frans Brüggen and Sieuwert Verster, respectively conductor and director of the Orchestra of the 18th Century, this year’s orchestra in residence. The occasion for this is the short documentary that Verster made about the intimate bond that Brüggen’s orchestra has created with Haydn’s music during its 25 years of existence.
€ 15 including brunch from de bakkerswinkel, utrecht nb: not available in combination with quartet albada; in dutch
13.00 hrs Vredenburg Leeuwenbergh order number 11
€ 18 / € 17 / € 12 series 7 letzten worte 3
Quartet Albada
Haydn: Die sieben letzten Worte unseres Erlösers am Kreuze Version for string quartet
As a string quartet arrangement, Die sieben letzten Worte unseres Erlösers am Kreuze is remarkably atypical of Haydn’s output. The enormous success of the original sacred composition for orchestra called for a limited version to be performed on more intimate and less formal occasions. But with seven consecutive slow movements, the piece does not at all resemble a conventional string quartet, the various movements of which contrast conspicuously with one another. Despite Haydn’s personal struggle with the piece – he called the composing of seven substantial adagios without falling asleep ‘a well-nigh impossible task’ – this version too found its way to an eager audience and made him even more famous. The members of the Quarter Albada hail from various corners of the world but perform mostly in Spain, where separately they play with such renowned ensembles as Al Ayre Español and Jodir Savali’s Le Concert de Nations. This concert is the third in a series of four to be performed this weekend, devoted to the various versions of this passion music by Haydn.
15.00 hrs
Ensemble Inégal / Adam Viktora
Ottone
Purcell: Liederen; Finger: Sonatas
order number 12
Orpheus Britannicus is the title of the famous two-part collection of Purcell’s songs that were published posthumously and reprinted several times in the course of the 17th century. The title awards the composer the highest possible honour: after all, with his singing, Orpheus was capable of taming wild animals, calming storms and even lulling Cerberus, vicious guard dog of the underworld, into a slumber, thus enabling him to search among the dead for his loved one. The melancholy and melodious soulfulness of Purcell’s songs is indeed intoxicating, as evidenced by ‘Sweeter than Roses’, ‘If music be the food of love’ and ‘Music for a while’, all part of this programme. Acclaimed throughout Europe, the four-piece Czech Ensemble Inégal comprises the leader and organist Adam Viktora, soprano Gabriela Eibenova, gamba player Petr Wagner and lutenist Jan Krejca. They will also be playing music by their compatriot, the gamba virtuoso Gottfried Finger, a highly regarded member of the London Chapel Royal at the start of the 18th century.
€ 18 / € 17 / € 12
10
30 Aug / Sunday
Miguel-Ángel Marín
15.00 hrs
Instituto Cervantes
Cervantes lecture: Haydn’s music in Spanish lands Haydn’s connection with Spain may seem at first sight to be restricted to Sieben letzen Worte, composed especially for Cádiz, but nothing could be further from the truth. This lecture focuses on the enormous impact that Haydn’s music had on Spanish audiences and on contemporary Spanish composers of the late 18th century. Miguel-Ángel Marín (University of La Rioja, Spain; Royal Holloway College, University of London) specialises in the music and culture of 18th-century Spain. His most recent publication is Joseph Haydn y el cuarteto de cuerda (Madrid, 2009).
order number 13
€5 in spanish with simultaneous dutch translation
Fabulous Fringe / Les Ombres
15.30 hrs
Theater Kikker
A tre: a quintessentially 18th-century phenomenon
Basle always has been a breeding ground for new ensembles: Les Ombres too found each other at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, the city’s renowned school of early music. With a complement of flute, viola da gamba, harpsichord and theorbo, the favoured instruments of the Baroque, they play trio sonatas by Telemann, Bach, Rameau and others.
complementary tickets can be collected beforehand from the festival ticket office
for more fringe information see page 41
Phantasm / Laurence Dreyfus
17.00 hrs
Geertekerk
Purcell, Ward, Tomkins: Fantasias
This concert presents the second set of Purcell fantasias, three to seven-part compositions for gamba consorts. They are ingenious pieces combining a basically archaic style with innovative composition principles. ‘The seven-part arrangement in particular is incredible!’ says gamba player and ensemble leader Laurence Dreyfus. ‘Purcell reflects the music of his predecessors, but at the same time goes entirely his own way. To demonstrate this, we alternate Purcell’s fantasias with compositions from the preceding period. John Ward is one of them: the inspiration for his music is entirely vocal.’ Phantasm performs all of Purcell’s fantasias, spread over two concerts and in an extensive complement of seven gamba players. The first of the concerts is on Saturday 29th August.
order number 14
a € 18 / € 17 / € 12 b € 16 / € 15 / € 10 series fantasias 2
11
30 Aug / Sunday
17.00 hrs Sint Augustinuskerk order number 15
a € 25 / € 23 / € 15 b € 22 / € 20 / € 12 series 7 letzten worte 4
Orchestra of the 18th Century & Nederlands Kamerkoor / Frans Brüggen
Haydn: Die sieben letzten Worte unseres Erlösers am Kreuze version for choir and orchestra
In 1795, passing through Passau on his way back from his second journey to London, Haydn heard an oratorio arrangement of his Sieben letzten Worte unseres Erlösers am Kreuze. Friebert, the local Kapellmeister, had added vocal parts to this instrumental piece (published in 1787). These parts were based on words taken from the poet Ramler’s Der Tod Jesu. Haydn liked the idea but not the execution. Back at home, he busied himself with arranging a better version, inserting in the middle of it an intermezzo for woodwinds featuring a contrabassoon, a rare thing for its time. The requisite textual modifications were done by Baron van Swieten, whom Haydn subsequently called on for the German texts for his oratorios Die Schöpfung and Die Jahreszeiten. The new version of the already extremely successful orchestral Sieben letzten Worte exceeded all expectations: this oratorio became one of the most frequently performed of Haydn’s compositions. In this last concert of a series of four devoted to the various versions of this passion music, the Orchestra of the 18th Century performs together with the Netherlands Chamber Choir.
Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin & Cappella Amsterdam / Daniel Reuss 20.00-ca.22.45 hrs Vredenburg Leidsche Rijn order number 16
a € 30 / € 28 / € 15 b € 27 / € 25 / € 12 incl. parking and drink
19.00 introduction
12
Soloists: Mattijs van de Woerd, Joanne Lunn, Fflur Wyn, Thomas Walker, Iestyn Davies Handel: Saul
Handel’s success in the first two decades of his stay in England was thanks almost exclusively to the Italian operas which he used to introduce his audiences not only to a new genre but also to the phenomenon of prima donnas and uomos. By 1730, however, the tide had begun to turn: building on the music theatre hype, rival opera companies started to perform in English, a development that audiences welcomed with open arms. Nothing daunted, Handel went on to create an entirely new and equally popular genre: the English language oratorio. This sacred music had the added advantage that it could be performed during Lent, when theatres were closed. Although Handel tempted fate until a ripe old age with new operas, most of which were flops, these equally theatrical oratorios were his salvation. His oratorio Saul, composed in 1739, is in many respects an opera in disguise. King Saul’s gratitude to David for slaying Goliath transforms over time into jealousy, fear for his position and finally blatant murderous intent, which drives his children, the one a friend of David’s, the other in love with David, into impossible dilemmas. For this performance, Cappella Amsterdam appears with the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin conducted by Daniel Reuss.
31 Aug / Monday
11.00 hrs
Freek Borstlap
Theater Kikker
Lecture: Haydn’s baryton
order number 17
This Monday is the day of the baryton: a string instrument that Haydn’s employer, Prince Nikolaus Esterházy, positively adored. Gamba and baryton player Freek Borstlap demonstrates and talks about the peculiarities of this gamba-like string instrument: on the underside of the neck, for instance, it has a string strummed by the thumb.
€5 in dutch baryton series 1
11.o0 hrs
Fabulous Fringe / RicciCapricci
Lutherse Kerk
free admission
for more fringe information see page 41
Ma fin est mon commencement
At the centre of this programme by RicciCapricci are three chansons by Guillaume de Machaut, accompanied by pieces by Jacopo da Bolagna, Mateo de Perugia and music from the renowned Llibre Vermell. The ensemble considers practically all ancient music as belonging to their repertoire. At the start of their programme they are joined by soprano Elisabeth Pawelke.
13.00 hrs
Orpheon Consort / José Vázquez
Theater Kikker
Haydn, Lidl: Barytontrio’s, divertimenti
order number 18
Haydn composed no fewer that 126 baryton trios during his long years in the service of Nikolaus Esterházy. For the composer it was a personal challenge to write for this typical dilettante instrument: he learnt to play it himself and thus discovered its surprising versatility, which he went on to use in his trios. This was not always to the liking of the prince, however, who was but a mediocre player. For this reason Esterházy engaged professional baryton players who provided support in difficult passages. One of these was Andreas Lidl, two of whose divertimenti for the gamba will be performed. This is not the Orpheon Consort’s first appearance at the Festival, but they have not before performed here as a baryton trio.. Ensemble leader José Vázquez plays both the baryton and the gamba, and is joined by viola player Christa Oprießnig and cellist Lúcia Krommer.
€ 15 / € 14 / € 10 baryton series 2
14
31 Aug / Monday
Het Nederlands Baryton Trio / Freek Borstlap
15.00 hrs
Theater Kikker
Haydn, Abel, Tomasini: Divertimenti, trio’s
Nikolaus Esterházy’s preoccupation with the baryton becomes clear from a letter addressed to his Kapellmeister, betraying his irritation and ordering him to ‘apply himself with more fervour than he had shown hitherto to composing pieces that can be played on the baryton, of which we have not seen very many thus far.’ In the years that followed Haydn wrote, alongside his 126 trios, forty compositions for baryton solo, baryton duets, divertimenti for baryton and cello, divertimenti a otto voci, quintets for baryton, two horns, viola and bass, and concertos for one and two barytons. Nikolaus also commissioned other composers, such as Abel and Tomasini, to do the same, which resulted in around 350 works for baryton. The Netherlands Baryton Trio made their debut during the Amsterdam Haydn Festival. Since then, viola player Helena van Tongeren, baryton and gamba player Freek Borstlap and cellist Jan Insinger have promoted the baryton far and wide.
order number 19
€ 15 / € 14 / € 10 baryton series 3
Fabulous Fringe / Tercia Realidad
15.30 hrs
Lutherse Kerk
The Musick of Mr Shakespeare’s Plays
This Spanish Quartet, led by violinist Jorge Jimenez, complements the Festival theme with a suite from Purcell’s The Fairy Queen and one of his fantasias. Matthew Locke also wrote incidental music to Shakespeare’s plays: his Musick for The Tempest will be performed.
free admission
for more fringe information see page 41
Ricercar Consort / Philippe Pierlot
17.00 hrs
Theater Kikker
Haydn, Tomasini: Divertimenti; Bach: fugues
Nikolaus Esterházy’s Hungarian territory covered an area three quarters the size of the Netherlands. Initially, the court was only in residence there during the summer months, but after a visit to Paris in 1764 the prince ordered the construction of a palace and theatre with all the allure of Versailles, thus giving his country residence a more permanent character. Haydn conducted musical performances there on an almost daily basis and wrote several large-scale compositions. Yet the prince was just as taken by Haydn’s modest baryton music, which he had bound in five magnificent volumes. Haydn also considered his ‘divertimenti per il pariton’ important enough to have included in his catalogue of works. The fact that he managed to persuade the prince that it was possible to play the baryton in more than one key must have played a role in this. The Ricercar Consort are most welcome guests at the Festival. In this concert, gamba player Philippe Pierlot restricts himself to the baryton and, together with viola player Francoise Fernandez and cellist Rainer Zipperling, he even takes up the challenge of a three-part fugue by Bach.
order number 20
€ 15 / € 14 / € 10 baryton series 4
15
31 Aug / Monday
Academy of Ancient Music / Richard Egarr Vrienden Concert
20.00 hrs Vredenburg Leidsche Rijn order number 21
a € 30 / € 20 / € 15 b € 27 / € 20 / € 12 incl. parking and drink
19.00 hrs michel khalifa talks to richard egarr
Soloists: Liesbeth Devos, Barbara Kozelj, Marcel Beekman, Giles Underwood Handel: Concerto grosso, orgelconcert; Haydn: Nelsonmesse; Purcell: Praise the Lord O Jerusalem; Gibbons: Not unto us O Lord
Three out of four of this Festival’s composers in residence take centre stage in this concert. This makes for a remarkably diverse programme. Conductor and organist Richard Egarr is not one for ‘building barriers around composers’, as he puts it in Tijdschrift Oude Muziek (Magazine for Early Music). Instead, he’s one for reaching out: ‘As a choirboy at Westminster Abbey, Purcell must have come across the much older Christopher Gibbons. Two of their anthems, typical examples of Anglican church music, demonstrate their mutual ties. On arrival in England, Handel in turn immediately absorbed the music of the locals.’ Egarr finds Handel’s music decidedly ‘Purcellian’. On Haydn: that he was inspired by Handel is clear from his ‘skill at using as few resources as possible to extract colour from an orchestra. He wrote the Nelsonmesse in 1798, the year when Admiral Nelson dealt a lethal blow to Napoleon’s fleet. The fear and uncertainty shines through as it were. This piece is absolutely glorious.’ Richard Egarr succeeded Christopher Hogwood in 2006 as artistic director of the renowned Academy of Ancient Music. His recording of organ concertos by Handel received a commendation by the Radio 4 programme Viertakt and was nominated for an Edison award.
22.30 hrs
Narratio Quartet
Ottone
Beethoven: String Quartet in E-flat major Op. 127
order number 22
Nowadays the Classical string quartet repertoire is being played more and more frequently on authentic instruments. But this is not the case for Beethoven’s late quartets, which date from the beginning of the 19th century. This is why the recently founded Dutch Narratio Quartet have spent many long hours practising these most daunting and much admired masterpieces of the string quartet literature especially for the Festival Oude Muziek. They play five evenings in a row, from Monday to Friday: hence Ludwig Late, starting with Op. 127 in E-flat major. The work’s première in February 1825, led by violinist Ignaz Schuppanzigh, was not exactly a resounding success, judging by the highly negative review: ‘obscure, incoherent, vague, excessively long fantasias, chaos, with intermittent flashes of genius, like lightning in a thunderstorm.’ The Narratio Quartet was founded by cellist Viola de Hoog, who was joined by violinists Johannes Leertouwer and Anneke van Haaften, and viola player Sirkka-Liisa Kaakinen-Pilch.
€ 18 / € 17 / € 12 ludwig late series 1
16
1 Sep / Tuesday
11.00 hrs
Members of the Narratio Quartet
Theater Kikker
Summer school / The making of a string quartet
order number 23
Panel discussion chaired by music journalist Thea Derks about the adventure undertaken by four string players at the request of Festival Director Jan Van den Bossche. The players formed a string quartet and devoted two years to mastering Beethoven’s excruciatingly difficult late quartets on authentic instruments. The outstanding results of this can be heard five evenings in a row during the Festival. This evening they reveal the story behind this tour de force: the conquest of innumerable notes and the making of countless decisions. For the members of the quartet this was a journey of discovery, one which they have recorded in their personal diaries.
€5 in dutch
13.00 hrs Geertekerk order number 24
a € 18 / € 17 / € 12 b € 16 / € 15 / € 10
Van Swieten Society / Bart van Oort
Haydn: Flute trio in D major Hob. XV/16, Piano Concerto in G major Hob. XVIII/4, London Symphony in D major no. 104
Haydn not only composed for influential patrons, he also wrote many technically undemanding sonatas, trios and quartets for the enormous amateur circuit of his day. Particularly after the Viennese publisher Artaria contracted Haydn in 1779, a steady stream of these divertimenti flowed into the salons of music lovers. But this did not quench the thirst for Haydn’s music: his symphonies were also in demand in domestic circles, arranged as chamber music specially for this purpose. The London Symphony too was arranged by Haydn’s patron Salomon, for flute and four strings, in addition to a relatively simple piano part for the less accomplished fingers. Far less simple is the Piano Concerto in G major that is also part of this programme for smaller forces. On this occasion the Van Swieten Society, led by fortepianist Bart van Oort, perform in a sextet formation comprising Marion Moonen, flute, Igor Rhadze, violin, Daria Gorban, violin, Bernadette Verhagen, viola, and Job ter Haar, cello.
15.00 hrs
The Soloists of Catherine the Great / Andrei Reshetin
Ottone
Haydn: String Quartet Op. 33 no.1; Titz: String quartets
order number 25
The first time Haydn was officially heard of in Russia occurred when the St Petersburg Companion for Music Lovers 1795 edition dedicated an article to him that was full of the highest praise. In Vienna, Haydn was in touch with the Russian ambassador, Prince Galistin, who could think of nothing better than taking this elegant classical music back to Russia. Haydn did not go in person, but Anton Titz, presumably a pupil of his, did. He entered the service of Catherine the Great and introduced to St Petersburg the Viennese string quartet. Russian violinist Andrei Reshetin has played in Utrecht before. This afternoon his string quartet, The Soloists of Catherine the Great, make their debut at the Festival. This concert is the first of a series of five devoted to Haydn’s string quartets.
€ 18 / € 17 / € 12 haydn quartet series 1
18
1 Sep / Tuesday
Fabulous Fringe / Il Delirio Amoroso
15.30 hrs
Theater Kikker
Incontri frizzanti
Cellist Jonathan Pesek does not shrink from the occasional little experiment. Together with harpsichordist Chani Lesaulnier he has compiled a suite from Bach’s compositions for solo cello and harpsichord, each taking a movement in turn, supplemented with sonatas by Boccherini, Haydn, Alborea and Scarlatti. Exhilarating encounters!
complementary tickets can be collected beforehand from the festival ticket office
for more fringe information see page 41
Riccardo Minasi, violin / Musica Antiqua Roma
17.00 hrs
Lutherse Kerk
Handel: Violin sonatas
Of the twelve Sonatas pour un traversière un violon ou un hautbois that Roger published in Amsterdam around 1730 as Handel’s Op. 1, there is some doubt about the authenticity of at least half of them. At issue here is a so-called pirate edition, a publication made without the permission of either the composer or the publisher. But the edition published by Walsh of London two years later, this time with Handel’s blessing, is also less than perfect. Musicologists have pondered the matter long and hard, the only certain conclusion being that Handel did not concern himself unduly with the publication of his small-scale instrumental pieces. Riccardo Minasi conquered the hearts of Festival-goers several years ago with his interpretation of Biber’s Rosenkranz sonata. Since then he has visited Utrecht several times as concertmaster of various orchestras. Now he returns as a soloist in a small ensemble with cellist Klaus-Dieter Brandt and harpsichordist Giulia Nuti. Minasi plays in this concert what he considers to be the seven truly authentic violin sonatas by Handel, sonatas that are heavily influenced by the Italian pathos of Corelli and his followers.
Geert D’hollander, carillon Mendelssohn, Beethoven, Handel
This afternoon the music of Mendelssohn, Beethoven and violin sonatas by Handel rings out from of the carillon of the Domtoren. Our guest is carilloneur Geert D’hollander of Antwerp, a renowned interpreter of early music as well as composer of new carillon music. The arrangements on this programme are all his own work.
order number 26
a € 18 / € 17 / € 12 b € 16 / € 15 / € 10 handel series 2
18.30 hrs Domtoren free admission best spot: pandhof
19
1 Sep / Tuesday
20.00 hrs Vredenburg Leidsche Rijn order number 27
a € 30 / € 28 / € 15 b € 27 / € 25 / € 12 incl. parking and drink
19.00 hrs michel khalifa talks to sieuwert verster
Orchestra of the 18th Century / Frans Brüggen
Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 4 ‘Italian’, Symphony No. 5 ‘Reformation’ Overture The Hebrides
It would not be an exaggeration to call Felix Mendelssohn one of the last examples of homo universalis. Born into a privileged family, he was given free rein to develop his many talents to the full. But as a true 19th-century romantic, he drew inspiration mainly from his surroundings. The three works performed in this programme came about at the time of his Grand Tour of England, Wales and Scotland, and, after a short interval, Italy. The twentyyear-old composer made the first sketches of The Hebrides overture in 1829, after visiting the mysterious Fingal’s Cave on the islands. In the following year he started work on his ‘Reformation’ Symphony, written on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the founding of the Lutheran Church. Celebrations in Berlin were cancelled however, so the piece was performed for the first time in 1832. Mendelssohn completed the Italian Symphony after returning from his long Italian journey in the winter of 1832. Its contrasting movements strongly inspired by Goethe’s Italienische Reise, the work scored a resounding success. The Orchestra of the 18th Century is orchestra in residence for the Festival and will be performing almost every day in various venues.
22.30 hrs
Narratio Quartet
Ottone
Beethoven: String Quartet in A minor Op. 132
order number 28
On five consecutive evenings the recently founded Dutch Narratio Quartet will be performing the late string quartets by Beethoven on authentic instruments. On the music stands this evening is Op. 132 in A minor. It is a quartet of great appeal, for which Ignaz Schuppanzigh’s string quartet managed in July 1825 to raise applause despite having failed to do so a couple of months earlier with the same composer’s Op. 127. That same year Beethoven was working on the Missa Solemnis and the Ninth symphony, two creative processes that were clearly linked: the theme of the last movement of Op. 132 is recognisable as a sketch for the last movement of the Ninth Symphony.
€ 18 / € 17 / € 12 ludwig late series 2
20
2 Sep / Wednesday
11.00 hrs
Bart van Oort
Theater Kikker
Summer School / Stein or Steinway: Haydn on the piano
order number 29
A great deal of keyboard music by classical composers cannot, or at least only through compromise, be performed on the modern piano. Fortepianist Bart van Oort reveals the differences between the fortepiano and its modern equivalent and demonstrates the consequences for performance practice.
€5 in dutch
13.00 hrs
Stefanie True, soprano Contrasto Armonico / Marco Vitale
Geertekerk
Handel: Roman cantatas
order number 30
In his youth Handel travelled through Italy to learn the tricks of the trade. But very quickly he was the one being admired, not only for his organ playing but also for his compositions. Various socialites competed for his favour and commissions flew in thick and fast. His patron, Cardinal Pamphili, supplied the texts for his cantatas ‘Il delirio amoroso’ and ‘Tra le fiamme’, both passionate pieces for soprano solo with extensive instrumental accompaniment. Over the years there has been much speculation about the deeper meaning of the cantatas: the one is about a shepherdess who refuses to take leave of her expired lover, the other about the exhausted Icarus’ fatal flight. Whether it is politics, religion or merely the deep mysteries of the human condition that are at issue here, it is certain that Handel as Il Sassone soon became an icon in art-loving Rome. The new baroque orchestra Contrasto Armonico, founded by students of the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague, and for this concert joined by Canadian soprano, Stefanie True, have chosen to perform Handel’s music in the extra low Roman tuning.
a € 18 / € 17 / € 12 b € 16 / € 15 / € 10
14.00 hrs Nationaal Museum van Speelklok tot Pierement €5 tickets on sale at the museum visit www.museumspeelklok.nl for programming details
22
Symposium Haydn Live
In 1782, Haydn having been in the service of Esterházy for nearly twenty years, father Primitivus Niemecz was appointed librarian to the estate. He had an extraordinary talent for building music machines, for which Haydn in turn composed and arranged about twenty different pieces. There are four surviving Flötenuhren by the Haydn-Niemecz duo, one of which is housed in the Nationaal Museum van Speelklok tot Pierement in Utrecht. The museum has lent the other three musical clocks to the Haydn Live exhibition, so that for the first time in 200 years these instruments can be seen and heard together. This afternoon, a symposium chaired by Jan Nuchelmans, will throw some light on Haydn’s Flötenuhr compositions and on their significance for authentic performance. Speakers include Ton Koopman and Helmut Kowar. The clock music will be heard several times during the exhibition.
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tickets no. time concert
Seats A regular Vrienden students
Seats B regular Vrienden students amount
Friday 28 Aug
1
20.00
Akademie für Alte Musik
x € 30
x € 28
x € 15
x € 27
x € 25
x € 12
€
Saturday 29 Aug
2
11.00
ZS: Leo Samama
x € 5
x € 5
x € 5
€
3
13.00
Al Ayre Español
x € 25
x € 23
x € 15
€
x € 22
x € 20
x € 12
4
15.00
Le Petit Concert Baroque
x € 15
x € 14
x € 10
€
5
17.00
Phantasm 1
x € 18
x € 17
x € 12
€
x € 16
x € 15
x € 10
6
17.00
Kristian Bezuidenhout
x € 15
x € 14
x € 10
€
7
20.00
La Sfera Armoniosa
x € 28
x € 26
x € 15
x € 25
x € 23
x € 12
€
x € 18
x € 16
x € 10
8
22.30
Coll. Vocale / K. Bezuidenhout
x € 20
x € 18
x € 12
9
24.00
Ensemble Schönbrunn
x € 10
x € 10
x € 10
€ €
Sunday 30 Aug
10
11.30
Brunchen met Brüggen
x € 15
x € 15
x € 15
€
11
13.00
Quartet Albada
x € 18
x € 17
x € 12
€
12
15.00
Ensemble Inégal
x € 18
x € 17
x € 12
€
13
15.00
Cervanteslezing
x € 5
x € 5
x € 5
€
14
17.00
Phantasm 2
x € 18
x € 17
x € 12
x € 16
x € 15
x € 10
€
15
17.00
Orkest v.d. 18de Eeuw / NKK 1
x € 25
x € 23
x € 15
x € 22
x € 20
x € 12
€
16
20.00
Cap. A’dam / Ak. für Alte Mus.
x € 30
x € 28
x € 15
x € 27
x € 25
x € 12
€
Monday 31 Aug
17
11.00
Demo-lezing: Freek Borstlap
x € 5
x € 5
x € 5
€
18
13.00
Orpheon Consort
x € 15
x € 14
x € 10
€
19
15.00
Nederlands Baryton Trio
x € 15
x € 14
x € 10
€
20
17.00
Ricercar Consort
x € 15
x € 14
x € 10
€
21
20.00
Academy of Ancient Music
x € 30
x € 20
x € 15
22
22.30
Narratio Quartet 1
x € 18
x € 17
x € 12
x € 27
x € 20
x € 12
€ €
Tuesday 1 Sep
23
11.00
ZS: Narratio Quartet
x € 5
x € 5
x € 5
€
24
13.00
Van Swieten Society
x € 18
x € 17
x € 12
€
x € 16
x € 15
x € 10
25
15.00
Soloists of Catherine the Great x € 18
x € 17
x € 12
€
26
17.00
R. Minasi / Mus. Antiqua Roma x € 18
x € 17
x € 12
x € 16
x € 15
x € 10
€
x € 27
x € 25
x € 12
27
20.00
Orkest v.d. 18de Eeuw
x € 30
x € 28
x € 15
28
22.30
Narratio Quartet 2
x € 18
x € 17
x € 12
€ €
Wednesday 2 Sep
29
11.00
ZS: Bart van Oort
x € 5
x € 5
x € 5
€
30
13.00
Contrasto Armonico
x € 18
x € 17
x € 12
€
x € 16
x € 15
x € 10
31
15.00
Schuppanzigh-Quartett
x € 18
x € 17
x € 12
€
32
17.00
Benjamin Alard
x € 15
x € 14
x € 10
x € 13
x € 12
x € 8
€
x € 25
x € 23
x € 12
33
20.00
B’Rock / Innsbruck Fest. Choir
x € 28
x € 26
x € 15
34
22.30
Narratio Quartet 3
x € 18
x € 17
x € 12
Ticket sales information on page 42
€ €
no. time concert
Seats A regular Vrienden students
Seats B regular Vrienden students amount
Thursday 3 Sep
35
11.00
ZS: Marijke Schouten
x € 5
x € 5
x € 5
€
36
13.00
Gary Cooper
x € 15
x € 14
x € 10
€
37
15.00
Amsterdam String Quartet
x € 18
x € 17
x € 12
€
38
17.00
Erik Bosgraaf / Francesco Corti
x € 15
x € 14
x € 10
€
x € 13
x € 12
x € 8
39
20.00
Leo van Doeselaar
x € 15
x € 14
x € 10
€
40
20.00
Holland Baroque Society
x € 28
x € 26
x € 15
€
41
22.30
Narratio Quartet 4
x € 18
x € 17
x € 12
x € 25
x € 23
x € 12
€
Friday 4 Sep
42
11.00
ZS: Mathieu Heinrichs
x € 5
x € 5
x € 5
€
43
13.00
S. Istomin & V. Sofronitzki
x € 18
x € 17
x € 12
€
x € 16
x € 15
x € 10
44
15.00
London Haydn Quartet
x € 18
x € 17
x € 12
€
45
17.00
Unheimliches Weh
x € 25
x € 23
x € 15
€
x € 22
x € 20
x € 12
46
17.00
Jumpstart / Orkest 18de Eeuw
x € 18
x € 17
x € 12
x € 16
x € 15
x € 10
€
47
20.00
Orch. des Champs-Elysées
x € 30
x € 28
x € 15
x € 27
x € 25
x € 12
€
48
22.30
Narratio Quartet 5
x € 18
x € 17
x € 12
€
Saturday 5 Sep
49
11.00
ZS: Juul & Frans Muller
x € 5
x € 5
x € 5
€
50
13.00
Edding-kwartet
x € 18
x € 17
x € 12
€
51
15.00
S. Van Dyck / B. Vodenitcharov
x € 18
x € 17
x € 12
x € 16
x € 15
x € 10
€
52
17.00
Harmonie Universelle
x € 18
x € 17
x € 12
x € 16
x € 15
x € 10
€
53
17.00
Unheimliches Weh
x € 25
x € 23
x € 15
x € 22
x € 20
x € 12
€
54
20.00
A’dam Baroque Orchestra
x € 30
x € 28
x € 15
x € 27
x € 25
x € 12
€
x € 22
x € 20
x € 12
55
20.00
Unheimliches Weh
x € 25
x € 23
x € 15
56
22.30
Mammel & Schoonderwoerd
x € 18
x € 17
x € 12
€
€
€
Sunday 6 Sep
57
11.00
Jos van Immerseel
x € 15
x € 14
x € 10
58
13.00
Orkest v.d. 18de Eeuw / NKK 2
x € 10
x € 10
x € 5 (up to 15 jaar)
€
59
13.00
Unheimliches Weh
x € 25
x € 23
x € 15
€
x € 22
x € 20
x € 12
60
15.00
RIAS Kammerchor
x € 25
x € 23
x € 15
x € 22
x € 20
x € 12
€
61
17.00
Unheimliches Weh
x € 25
x € 23
x € 15
x € 22
x € 20
x € 12
€
62
17.00
C. Sampson / E. Kenny
x € 18
x € 17
x € 12
€
63
20.00
La Risonanza
x € 30
x € 28
x € 15
€
x € 27
x € 25
x € 12
series (see reverse side for information)
Sieben letzten Worte series
x € 70
x € 66
€
Fantasias series
x € 32
x € 30
€
Baryton series
x € 45
x € 42
€
Ludwig Laat series
x € 72
x € 68
€
Handel series
x € 56
x € 53
€
Haydn-kwartetten series
x € 72
x € 68
€
Fill in under A total kaarten
€
series Sieben letzten Worte series Sat 29 Aug 13.00
Al Ayre Español
Sat 29 Aug 17.00
Kristian Bezuidenhout
Sun 30 Aug 13.00
Quartet Albada
Sun 30 Aug 17.00
Orchestra of the 18th Century & Nederlands Kamerkoor
Fantasias series Sat 29 Aug 17.00
Phantasm 1
Sun 30 Aug 17.00
Phantasm 2
Baryton series Mon 31 Aug 11.00
lecture: Freek Borstlap
Mon 31 Aug 13.00
Orpheon Consort
Mon 31 Aug 15.00
Nederlands Baryton Trio
Mon 31 Aug 17.00
Ricercar Consort
Ludwig Late series Mon 31 Aug 22.30
Narratio Quartet 1
Tue 1 Sep
22.30
Narratio Quartet 2
Wed 2 Sep 22.30
Narratio Quartet 3
Thu 3 Sep
22.30
Narratio Quartet 4
Fri 4 Sep
22.30
Narratio Quartet 5
Handel series Sat 29 Aug 15.00
Le Petit Concert Baroque
Tue 1 Sep
17.00
Riccardo Minasi & Musica Antiqua Roma
Thu 3 Sep
13.00
Gary Cooper
Thu 3 Sep
17.00
Erik Bosgraaf & Francesco Corti
Haydn quartet series Tue 1 Sep
15.00
Soloists of Catherine the Great
Wed 2 Sep 15.00
Schuppanzigh-Quartett
Thu 3 Sep
15.00
Amsterdam String Quartet
Fri 4 Sep
15.00
London Haydn Quartet
Sat 5 Sep
13.00
Edding-kwartet
Festivalprogrammaboek Festival Programme Book The perfect companion for all Festival-goers. Approximately 180 pages, pre-Festival price € 8 (during the Festival € 10) fill in under B For more information see page 41
Send this form to: Organisation Oude Muziek / Festival orders / Postbus 19267/ 3501 DG Utrecht
2 Sep / Wednesday
Schuppanzigh-Quartett
15.00 hrs
Vredenburg Leeuwenbergh
Haydn: String Quartet Op. 77 no.1; Ries: String Quartet in C major The Schuppanzigh Quartet are named after violinist Ignaz Schuppanzigh and his similarly named early 19th-century string quartet, the first professional interpreters of this repertoire. Thanks to their efforts, the string quartet took off, having until then been seen as a rather dilettante phenomenon. Haydn - and later Beethoven - both started composing more demanding works in the genre. Ferdinand Ries, a pupil of Beethoven and copyist of his scores, responded to the challenge, and raised the quality of his own quartets. The Schuppanzigh Quartet, comprising violinists Anton Steck and Franc Polman , violist Christian Goosses and cellist Antje Geusen , perform compositions by Haydn and Ries. This is the second in a series of five concerts devoted to Haydn string quartets.
order number 31
€ 18 / € 17 / € 12 haydn quartet series 2
Fabulous Fringe / Ensemble Sarada
15.30 hrs
Theater Kikker
Alexander Agricola and his time
Agricola was a master of the Gothic style. Ensemble Sarada, joined by soprano Griet De Geyter, offer some choice examples of it. Winners of the 2006 audience prize at the International Young Artists Presentation, the group combines Agricola with Hayne van Ghizeghem.
complementary tickets can be collected beforehand from the festival ticket office
for more fringe information see page 41
Benjamin Alard, harpsichord Purcell and his contemporaries: compositions for harpsichord
As a child Henry Purcell was a choirboy at the Chapel Royal where his father was employed as a musician. His talent and versatility did not stay hidden for long. Organist John Blow took him under his wing, eventually ceding his post as organist at Westminster Abbey to Purcell. At the time a musician could hardly wish for more than to be in London. In 1660 Charles II returned to the city from exile in Paris and continued with musical reforms that he had modelled on examples from Versailles. The previous century had seen the world of music undergo some serious bloodletting: the Anglican Church had driven Catholic musicians from the country, including such great names as Bull and Dowland. Others, such as Catholic organist Byrd, held onto their positions at court with the greatest of difficulty. By the time the puritan Cromwell had completed his decade-long cultural reign of terror, little was left of English musical life. But Purcell had a soft spot for the traditional forms of the virginalists, as the English harpsichordists were known, and with renewed élan won audiences over to their variation forms and suites. Since Benjamin Alard won both first prize and the audience prize in 2004 at the Musica Antiqua competition in Bruges, he has become a major figure in the early music scene.
17.00 hrs Lutherse Kerk order number 32
a € 15 / € 14 / € 10 b € 13 / € 12 / € 8
23
2 Sep / Wednesday
B’Rock & Innsbruck Festival Chorus / Timothy Brown 20.00 hrs Jacobikerk order number 33
a € 28 / € 26 / € 15 b € 25 / € 23 / € 12 co-production with the innsbrucker festwochen der alten musik
Soloists: Judith van Wanroij, Maarten Engeltjes, Christopher Ainslie, Tom Raskin, Stephen Varcoe, Giles Underwood Purcell: Ode for St Caecilia’s Day; Clarke: Ode on the Death of Purcell; Handel: Te Deum
In this concert, two composers of completely different persuasions flank Henry Purcell. On the programme is Handel’s Te Deum, which he wrote in honour of Queen Caroline. It is modelled on the great odes of Purcell, such as his Ode for St Caecilia’s Day, which is also performed today. Handel’s unknown counterpart in this concert is Jeremiah Clarke, who in 1695 composed a large-scale and richly scored Ode on the Death of Purcell, on the occasion of Purcell’s sudden demise at the age of 36. This launched the 21-year-old as the hot favourite to become Purcell’s successor. But he did not enjoy his shining career path for long: suffering from depression, he committed suicide ten years later. The Belgian ensemble B’Rock, led for this concert by flautist Timothy Brown, are joined by the Innsbruck Festival Chorus and a selection of soloists.
22.30 hrs
Narratio Quartet
Ottone
Beethoven: String Quartet in B-flat major Op.130
order number 34
The third of Beethoven’s five late string quartets is a raft of contradictions and as such has evoked a wide range of responses. The fifth movement, the Cavatina, was met with unexpectedly rapturous applause at its première in November 1825 and had to be repeated immediately. But the long-winded Grosse Fuge, performed as finale on the same occasion, met with condemnation and incomprehension all round and was even labelled ‘Babylonian’ by reviewers. Furious, Beethoven nevertheless allowed himself to be persuaded to write a new finale, a light-hearted movement that received its première four weeks after his death. The Narratio Quartet perform on authentic instruments and focus on communicating the musical narrative with the rhetorical means that at the time were the tools of the composer. This is the third in a series of five concerts devoted to Beethoven’s late string quartets.
€ 18 / € 17 / € 12 ludwig late series 3
24
3 Sep / Thursday
11.00 hrs
Marijke Schouten
Theater Kikker
Summer School / Handel the European
order number 35
From an early age, Handel was enthralled by opera, which is why he headed for Italy, Mecca of the genre, at the age of 21. He picked up the local style so quickly that his writing became almost more Italian than that of the Italians. Musicologist Marijke Schouten uses a few examples to explain how Handel’s style developed and became all the rage in England. She will also talk about his work as an international impresario and businessman.
€5 in dutch
13.00 hrs
Gary Cooper, harpsichord
Doopsgezinde Kerk
order number 36
€ 15 / € 14 / € 10 handel series 3
Handel: Suites, overtures and opera arias
Only two anthologies of Handel’s harpsichord compositions have survived, which is very little when one takes into account that the composer was famous for his live keyboard performances. And even these two anthologies were published under duress, at least so it would seem if we are to believe the preface he wrote to the 1720 edition. Clandestine copies of Handel’s music were smuggled abroad, where the Amsterdam publisher Roger thought he could make a killing out of them. The authorised English version contained eight suites that were not only improved but which had been supplied with additional movements. A second anthology issued in 1733 was greeted with much less fuss, but this motley collection of pieces, attached later to loose publications of pieces in variation form and arrangements of opera arias, probably gives an accurate reflection of Handelian performance practice. Gary Cooper plays the harpsichord, organ and fortepiano. He caused a sensation when together with Rachel Podger he recorded the complete works of Mozart’s violin sonatas on the fortepiano. This solo performance will be his Festival debut.
15.00 hrs
Amsterdam String Quartet
Vredenburg Leeuwenbergh
Haydn: String Quartet Op.20 no.4, Op.64 no.6, Op. 103
order number 37
Haydn composed about sixty string quartets during the course of his long career. The difference between his earlier and his late work is enormous: it goes from quasi-Baroque suites and trio sonatas, still very much Gebrauchsmusik, to fanciful and harmonically intriguing dialogues between four equal partners. The Op. 20 quartets from 1771 are generally recognised as his first fully fledged contributions to the genre and, with their capricious character, slot into the tradition of Sturm und Drang. The Op. 64 quartets were written eighteen years later and are pure ‘esprit’. Haydn presents his argument with charm, erudition and humour, but above all perfect craftsmanship. In his last, unfinished quartet Op. 103, composed in 1803, this craftsmanship is ever present, but intimacy replaces the bravura of his previous work. The Amsterdam String Quartet, comprising Alida Schat, John Wilson Meyer, Jane Rodgers and Thomas Pitt, is one of the few Dutch quartets that plays authentic instruments. This year they will be performing Haydn’s complete string quartets. This is the third of a series of five concerts devoted to string quartets by Haydn.
€ 18 / € 17 / € 12 haydn quartet series 3
26
3 Sep / Thursday
Fabulous Fringe / Cuvilliés Trio München
15.30 hrs
Theater Kikker
Haydn and his followers
Named after Francois Cuvilliés, architect of the court theatre in Munich, this Armenian-Swiss-Austrian trio played the flute, cello and fortepiano for the first time in the Barocktage München in 2007. For their debut in Utrecht, they will combine a trio by Haydn with pieces by his pupils Pleyel and Hummel.
complementary tickets can be collected beforehand from the festival ticket office
for more fringe information see page 41
Erik Bosgraaf, recorder & Francesco Corti, harpsichord
17.00 hrs
Lutherse Kerk
Handel: Sonatas
Erik Bosgraaf’s recorder playing has been compared to that of Frans Brüggen, who calls Bosgraaf an ‘all-rounder’. By introducing contrast and surprising grace into his most recent CD recording, Bosgraaf has managed to breathe new life into the all too familiar and to a certain extent worn-out recorder sonatas by Handel. He particularly enjoys playing with intonation, articulation, mood and timing. In this concert he will be using various types of recorder, including the extremely low notes of the so-called voice flute. Harpsichordist Francesco Corti plays the continuo part without cello, giving himself plenty of opportunity to spar with Bosgraaf.
order number 38
a € 15 / € 14 / € 10 b € 13 / € 12 / € 8 handel series 4
Arie Abbenes, carillon
18.30 hrs
Domtoren
Handel: Instrumental music
Instrumental music by Handel will be peeling from the Domtoren carillon for three quarters of an hour, played by Arie Abbenes. Apart from a concerto grosso and a few keyboard sonatas, this Utrecht carillonist will also be playing Handel’s suite in E major, with the spectacular variations on The Harmonious Blacksmith.
Leo van Doeselaar, organ Mendelssohn, Bach: organ works
On the unveiling of a statue of Bach in Leipzig in 1840, Felix Mendelssohn presented an ode to the Baroque master. A copy of the concert’s programme has been preserved: apart from organ improvisations, Mendelssohn also played a number of keyboard pieces by Bach, which according to a review by Schumann were a little sparing in terms of changes in register. Leo van Doeselaar will be giving his interpretation of parts of this concert on the Domkerk’s romantic Bätz organ – as far as Bach is concerned it will therefore be a reconstruction of a reconstruction. Leo van Doeselaar, both organist and fortepianist, has a wealth of experience with 19th-century performance practice of 18th century music. He has also devoted much time and energy to playing piano duets with his wife Wyneke Jordans. In this capacity he will be playing in the Festival’s Unheimliches Weh, a music theatre production based on a chamber opera by Mendelssohn.
free admission best spot: pandhof
20.00 hrs Domkerk order number 39
€ 15 / € 14 / € 10
27
3 Sep / Thursday
20.00 hrs Geertekerk order number 40
a € 28 / € 26 / € 15 b € 25 / € 23 / € 12
nazit met musici o.l.v. michel khalifa
3 sep / donderdag
Holland Baroque Society / Sergio Azzolini Handel, Avison, Boyce, Geminiani: Concerti grossi Vivaldi, Bond: bassoon concertos
When, at the beginning of the 18th century, Handel arrived in London after his years in Rome, the Italian style was barely known there. But in England, as in the rest of Europe, anything Italian was welcomed with open arms: from composers to prima donnas, and from opera to concerto grosso. As this programme shows, contemporary English composers tumbled over themselves to keep up with the trend. Geminiani set the tone in London with his concerti grossi, but his pupil Charles Avison was at least his equal. Vivaldi, the foremost promoter of solo concertos in Venice, had a disciple from afar in Capel Bond. And Handel, grandmaster of all instrumental and vocal genres, inspired everybody all round, as is apparent from the Symphonys in 8 parts by William Boyce. The concert ends with the celebrated variations on the folia-bass by Corelli, this time in an arrangement by his pupil Geminiani. After three years, the Holland Baroque Society has easily transcended the epithet ‘promising’. Which says enough. Musical director for this project is the Italian bassoonist Sergio Azzolini, which explains why the bassoon as solo instrument plays a leading role in this concert.
22.30 hrs
Narratio Quartet
Ottone
Beethoven: String Quartet in C sharp minor Op. 131
order number 41
‘Mysterious’ is a word that may be used to describe Beethoven’s String Quartet Op. 131, composed in 1826. Comprising seven uninterrupted movements, this form was so unusual that second violinist in the Schuppanzigh Quartet, Karl Holz, felt compelled to ask when they could stop to tune the instruments. The answer came: ‘If at all, then before the presto!’ Beethoven himself resisted public performances by the Schuppanzigh Quartet, possibly because of the bad reception given previously to Op. 130. The première was held in 1835, eight years after Beethoven’s death. The Narratio Quartet will be performing Beethoven’s late quartets five evenings in a row. Their approach to his music is from an 18th-century perspective, using authentic instruments and a rhetorical approach to style.
€ 18 / € 17 / € 12 ludwig late series 4
28
4 Sep / Friday
4 sep / vrijdag
11.00 hrs
Mathieu Heinrichs
Theater Kikker
Summer School / Mendelssohn and the Bach Revival
order number 42
Early music lovers always have a soft spot for Mendelssohn. Mathieu Heinrichs, former director of the Music Centre Vredenburg and Mendelssohn expert, will be discussing Mendelssohn’s contribution to the Bach revival that started with his reconstruction of the Matthäus Passion in 1829. Joining him are Jos van Veldhoven, artistic director of the Netherlands Bach Society, and organist Leo van Doeselaar, who together with violinist Lidewij van der Voort will be providing musical demonstrations.
€5 in dutch
13.00 hrs
Sergei Istomin, cello & Viviana Sofronitzki, fortepiano
Lutherse Kerk
order number 43
a € 18 / € 17 / € 12 b € 16 / € 15 / € 10
13.00-17.00 hrs Nationaal Museum van Speelklok tot Pierement € 5 / free admission for vrienden
Mendelssohn: Lieder ohne Worte
Lieder ohne Worte – this description of early Romantic piano pieces speaks volumes about the way in which these intimate solo pieces were intended to be experienced: as a lyrical outpouring captured in notes à la Goethe or Byron. Mendelssohn only ever wrote one Lied ohne Worte for cello and piano, which does not mean that his other cello compositions – the Variations concertantes, the Cello Sonata Op. 58 and the Albumblatt assai tranquillo – require less poetic empathy from their listeners. Cellist Sergei Istomin and fortepianist Viviana Sofronitzki both began their studies in Russia, subsequently specialising in the United States.
Early Music Market
Instruments, sheet music, CDs and more
Dozens of stallholders will be presenting their wares at the Early Music Market, offering sheet music, instruments and recordings. They will be in the Nationaal Museum van Speelklok tot Pierement; admission is free for those who have an admission ticket for the Early Music Market.
15.00 hrs
London Haydn Quartet
Vredenburg Leeuwenbergh
Haydn: String Quartets Op.17 no.2, Op.42 and Op.76 no.5
order number 44
The six string quartets Op. 17 from 1771 are the earliest compositions by Haydn to be heard at this year’s Festival. The dancing and folk elements still underline the mainly divertimento character of these pieces. Only one quartet survives from Op.42 (composed in 1785), but it is clear from this piece that the transition to real bühne music had already taken place. The six Op.76 quartets were written in 1797 and show remarkable attention to the slower movements: the aging Haydn seemingly became more philosophical in his outlook as the years went by. The London Haydn Quartet, comprising violinists Catherine Manson and Michael Gurevich, violist James Boyd and cellist Richard Lester, are currently recording all of Haydn’s string quartets. This is the fourth in a series of five concerts devoted to string quartets by Haydn.
€ 18 / € 17 / € 12 haydn quartet series 4
30
4 sep / vrijdag
4 Sep / Friday
Fabulous Fringe / Esther Lee, harpsichord
15.30 hrs
Theater Kikker
Bach: French Suite BWV 816; Storace, Froberger, Forqueray
After spending her childhood in Seoul, South Korea, Esther Lee decided to further her studies in Amsterdam with Bob van Asperen. Since then she has attended masterclasses with Gustav Leonhardt, Andrea Marcon, Ketil Haugsand and Masaaki Suzuki, and plays throughout Europe and Asia. Today she performs a French Suite by Bach, a suited by Forqueray and other compositions.
complementary tickets can be collected beforehand from the festival ticket office
for more fringe information see page 41
Muziektheater: Unheimliches Weh
Soloists: Kitty de Geus, Marisa Ammann, Erik Slik, Joep van Geffen Leo van Doeselaar & Wyneke Jordans, piano duet director: Caecilia Thunnissen; text: Renée van Marissing
Although Mendelssohn had great aspirations in the field of music theatre, it was the one area in which success did not fall into his lap. His entr’acte music for plays such as A Midsummer Night’s Dream (see Friday 28th August) was well-received, but his only true opera, Die Hochzeit des Camacho, after Cervantes’ Don Quixote, flopped in 1827. Other plans for opera never got off the ground during the composer’s short lifespan. He had a much better grasp of the Singspiel genre, however, in which songs and spoken words alternate, although these compositions failed to reach the larger audiences. On the occasion of his parents’ silver wedding anniversary he wrote the chamber opera Die Heimkehr aus der Fremde, based on the story of the prodigal son. Singers for the performance, presented to an audience of 120 in the family home in Berlin, included the composer himself, his two sisters, and a very unmusical brother-in-law, whose entire contribution consisted of a single note. Producer Caecilia Thunnissen based this rendition of the opera on a new concept, inspired by the Danish film Festen, in which the prodigal son causes quite an uproar on his return to the family. Located in a suitably homely setting, the instrumental accompaniment for this musical theatre production is provided by piano duo Leo van Doeselaar and Wyneke Jordans, who play the silver wedding couple.
Spectacle coupé with music by J.Chr. Bach, C.Ph.E. Bach, Leo and Haydn
Soloists: Sophie Gent, violin; Bojan Cicic, violin; Catherine Jones, cello Orchestra of the 18th Century / Frans Brüggen
Rare baroque cellos and violins made by Rugeri and Gagliano are beyond the reach of young talent. The Jumpstart Jr. Foundation is trying to change this by means of a special loan arrangement. This year there are three lucky recipients: two violinists and one cellist are to be presented with their instruments in today’s ceremony. After the presentation, they will give solo performances of music by Haydn and the brothers Johann Christian and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach together with the Orchestra of the 18th Century.
17.00-18.20 hrs Maliebaan 12 order number 45
a € 25 / € 23 / € 15 b € 22 / € 20 / € 12
repeats on sat 5 sep 17.00 sat 5 sep 20.00 sun 6 sep 13.00 sun 6 sep 17.00
no wheelchair access
coproductie with tis theater
with thanks to lira fonds, sns reaal fonds, fentener van vlissingen fonds
17.00 hrs Geertekerk order number 46
a € 18 / € 17 / € 12 b € 16 / € 15 / € 10
n association with jumpstart jr. foundation.
31
4 Sep / Friday
20.00 hrs Vredenburg Leidsche Rijn order number 47
a € 30 / € 28 / € 15 b € 27 / € 25 / € 12 incl. parking and drink
19.00 hrs thea derks talks to met philippe herreweghe
22.30 hrs Ottone order number 48
€ 18 / € 17 / € 12 ludwig late series 5
32
4 sep / vrijdag
Orchestre des Champs-Elysées, Collegium Vocale & Coro dell’Accademia Chigiana / Philippe Herreweghe Soloists: Laia Cortés, Maximilian Schmitt, Florian Boesch, Matthew Brook Mendelssohn: Die erste Walpurgisnacht, Symphony no. 3 ‘Scottish’
At the beginning of 1830 Mendelssohn left for Rome where he completed his overture The Hebrides and started the Italian Symphony (see Tues 1 Sep, 20.00). In the meantime he worked on the idea for Die erste Walpurgisnacht, a cantata for chorus and orchestra based on a text by Goethe in which the pagan May rituals of an imaginary mountain folk are set to music. On hearing of the idea Goethe wrote to Mendelssohn saying, ‘This symbolic poem is in essence very realistic. Because time and again in the history of the world you see that things that are ancient and honourable come under pressure from modernists and, if not destroyed, they are completely constrained and rendered powerless. The Middle Ages, a period in which hatred actually provoked such reactions, are strikingly portrayed here, and a joyful and dignified enthusiasm flares up once more in all its pure ardour and lucidity.’ In 1843, Berlioz heard the revised version of the piece and in his memoirs wrote, ‘You have to hear Mendelssohn’s music to grasp the possibilities that this poem offers competent composers. Voices and instruments are completely integrated and bound together in the apparent chaos that is the characteristic of perfect art.’
Narratio Quartet
Beethoven: String Quartet in F major Op.135, second Finale for quartet Op.130
The shortest, most lighthearted and classical of Beethoven’s late quartets is his Op.135. Composed partly because he was short of money and partly because his publisher insisted on it, this quartet is the last one he completed. It was published in September 1827, six months after Beethoven’s death. Also on the programme is the Finale for the String Quartet Op. 30 that he composed in 1826 to replace the much maligned original finale, the Grosse Fuge. Violinists Johannes Leertouwer and Anneke van Haaften, violist Sirkka-Liisa Kaakninen-Pilch and cellist Viola de Hoog form the Narratio Quartet. Together they have mastered the five late quartets by Beethoven on authentic instruments. This concert is the fifth and last of the Ludwig Late series.
5 Sep / Saturday
10.00-17.00 hrs Nationaal Museum van Speelklok tot Pierement
Early Music Market
Instruments, sheet music, CDs and more
€ 5 / free admission for vrienden
See Friday 4 September, 13.00 hrs.
11.00 hrs
Juul and Frans Muller
Theater Kikker
Summer School / How French was English opera?
order number 49
When the English monarchy was restored to the throne in 1660, and the new King Charles II, who had grown up in the court of Louis XIV, returned to England, the artistic connection between the two courts remained in place. Juul Muller, lecturer in English Literature who wrote his thesis on Purcell’s Dioclesian, and Frans Muller, set designer and theatre historian, will contemplate the extent of French influence on English opera performances. Purcell’s role will of course be part of the discussion.
€5 in dutch
11.00 hrs
Arie Abbenes, carillon
Domtoren
free admission best spot: pandhof
13.00 hrs Vredenburg Leeuwenbergh order number 50
€ 18 / € 17 / € 12 haydn quartet series 5
34
Mendelssohn and Haydn
On the Domtoren’s carillon, city carillonist Arie Abbenes plays keyboard sonatas by Haydn, alternating with Mendelssohn’s Lieder ohne Worte and a Präludium. To crown the Festival’s last carillon concert, Abbenes performs his own arrangement of two movements from the Italian Symphony by Mendelssohn.
Edding-kwartet
Haydn: String Quartets Op.76 no.1, Op.76 no.3; Beethoven: String Quartet Op. 18 no.1
This programme combines two late quartets by Haydn from his Op. 76 and two early quartets by Beethoven. Haydn was not overly enthusiastic about Op. 18 no.1: he felt it lacked the core qualities of his younger colleague. According to violist Paul de Clerck, considering the tremendous development that Beethoven was to undergo, this is an interesting observation to say the least. With his Edding Quartet, he would like to give this neglected quartet the chance to confront Haydn’s work from the same period. Aside from De Clerck, the Edding Quartet is made up of violinists Baptiste Lopez and Caroline Bayet and cellist Ageet Zweistra. It is named after the Danish philosopher Søren Edding, a protégé of the French encyclopaedist d’Alembert, who studied a number of topics including Beethoven’s aesthetics. This is the last in a series of five concerts devoted to Haydn’s string quartets.
5 Sep / Saturday
Stephan Van Dyck, tenor & Boyan Vodenitcharov, fortepiano
15.00 hrs
Geertekerk
Haydn: Canzonettas
Like the Partsongs (see Saturday 29th August, 10:30pm), Haydn’s Canzonettas date from the last years of his life. He wrote these twelve songs during his second trip to England from 1794 to 95. Six of them are set to words by the poet Anne Hunter, whom Haydn was apparently very fond of. The subject matter is typical of the early Romantic period: love as well as death, loneliness and nature. The tone is also completely different from his early, strophic German songs. According to tenor Stephan Van Dyck, this had to do with the liberal and progressive atmosphere in London: ‘Haydn was still in the service of Esterházy’, he says in Tijdschrift Oude Muziek. ‘But in his canzonettas he was able to liberate himself from the formal musical conventions of the court.’
order number 51
a € 18 / € 17 / € 12 b € 16 / € 15 / € 10
Fabulous Fringe / Bravade Recorder Quartet
15.30 hrs
Theater Kikker
La Serafina
La Serafina, La Claudia … composers loved to dedicate their work to beautiful, influential women. Who were they? It is seldom known. The four recorder players of this Swedish quartet, who have been together since 2004, will play several of these character pieces by Ruffo, Cantone and Mortaro, as well as arrangements by among others De Rore and Lassus.
complementary tickets can be collected beforehand from the festival ticket office
for more fringe information see page 41
Harmonie Universelle / Florian Deuter
17.00 hrs
Pieterskerk
Purcell: Pavanes, sonatas, suites, grounds
Although Purcell showed his formidable talent as a composer before he turned ten, he was tasked with many chores at the court, which included looking after the keyboard instruments and copying out music. It was only once he had taken up his post as organist at Westminster Abbey and the Chapel Royal that he earned enough money to get married. He was then able to start delivering a steady flow of compositions. Published in 1683 was the anthology Sonnata’s of III Parts for two viollins and continuo, dedicated to Charles II. His Ten sonatas in Four Parts probably originates from the same time but these were only published by his wife two years after his early death in 1695. As was the case with much of his other chamber music, Purcell fell back on the old English style and treated his ‘basso continuo’ as an equal third voice. As it happens, one of the pieces in the collection is not a sonata at all, but a chaconne in which he draws on every imaginable variation technique. The five-member Harmonie Universelle, led by German violinist Florian Deuter, includes musicians from Argentina, France, Canada and Hungary.
order number 52
a € 18 / € 17 / € 12 b € 16 / € 15 / € 10
35
5 Sep / Saturday
17.00-18.20 hrs Maliebaan 12 order number 53
Music theatre: Umheimliches Weh
Theatre on location, based on Mendelssohn’s Die Heimkehr aus der Fremde. See Friday, 4th September, 17.00 hrs.
a € 25 / € 23 / € 15 b € 22 / € 20 / € 12
20.00 hrs
Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra / Ton Koopman
Vredenburg Leidsche Rijn
Haydn: Symphony no. 97, no. 98, Organ Concerto in D major
order number 54
Many of the more than one hundred symphonies by Haydn have a nickname. Some of them are named after the place where they received acclaim, like the London Symphonies, some of them because of their musical quirks – ‘Kettledrum Symphony’ for instance. Symphony no. 98, with harpsichord obbligato, was premièred in London in 1792. Haydn himself performed his Organ Concerto in D major Hob. XVIII/2 during church services in Vienna. It goes without saying that Ton Koopman will be the soloist on both organ and harpsichord, accompanied by his Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra.
a € 30 / € 28 / € 15 b € 27 / € 25 / € 12 incl. parking and drink
19.00 hrs thea derks talks to ton koopman
20.00-21.20 hrs Maliebaan 12 order number 55
Music theatre: Umheimliches Weh
Theatre on location, based on Mendelssohn’s Die Heimkehr aus der Fremde. See Friday, 4th September, 17.00 hrs.
a € 25 / € 23 / € 15 b € 22 / € 20 / € 12
22.30 hrs
Hans Jörg Mammel, tenor & Arthur Schoonderwoerd, piano
Ottone
order number 56
€ 18 / € 17 / € 12
36
Mendelssohn and Zelter: Songs ‘mit und ohne Worte’
In this concert, Mendelssohn is united with his teacher and a person he considered to be a great source of inspiration: Carl Friedrich Zelter. The latter was director of the Berlin Singakademie from 1800 for a period of thirty years and focused strongly on early spiritual music, including that of Bach. This is how his pupil Mendelssohn came to know Bach’s music and so hatched his plan to perform Matthäus Passion, a piece considered in his day to be impossible to play. That Zelter, after considerable hesitation, agreed had significant consequences for the Bach revival. In his Lied compositions Zelter was surprisingly modern: in his first collection he drew on Goethe’s poetry, which led to a lifelong friendship between the two men. This also provided inspiration for Mendelssohn, who had great admiration for the old poet. The programme also includes Lieder that meet with silence from tenor HansJörg Mammel: Lieder ohne Worte to be precise, and if Arthur Schoonderwoerd’s interpretation serves him well, this Romantic piano music makes all words superfluous.
6 Sep / Sunday
10.00-17.00 hrs Nationaal Museum van Speelklok tot Pierement € 5 / free admission for
Early Music Market
Instruments, sheet music, CDs and more
See Friday 4th September, 13.00
vrienden
11.00 hrs
Jos van Immerseel, fortepiano
Theater Kikker
order number 57
€ 15 / € 14 / € 10
Children’s performance
13.00 hrs Vredenburg Leidsche Rijn order number 58
€ 10 € 5 up to 15 years incl. parking
38
Haydn: London keyboard sonatas
Just like his other early chamber music, Haydn considered the keyboard pieces that he composed before about 1770 to be light entertainment, which is why he called them divertimenti. The development that Haydn underwent in this genre after this period is remarkable, and it resulted in the three London sonatas that are on the programme for this concert. The majority of the approximately sixty surviving keyboard sonatas were composed for the harpsichord, but after 1780 it is the fortepiano that comes to the fore. Not only were all the early works also performed on this instrument after that time, the newly composed keyboard sonatas also focus on the new technical possibilities for both instruments and performers. Haydn composed his Sonatas Hob.XVI/50-51 in 1794 to 1795 especially for the English fortepiano, with its keyboard that was larger than the Viennese instruments, and also with its richer, deeper sound. These extrovert pieces were dedicated to Thérèse Jansen, a pianist from London well known for her brilliance and virtuosity. As keyboard player and conductor of Anima Eterna, Jos van Immerseel has an admirable record of service. He is one of the historically oriented musicians who has dedicated himself the most to 19th- and early 20th-century music, with performances and recordings that include Tchaikovsky, Saint-Saëns and Poulenc.
Orchestra of the 18th Century & Nederlands Kamerkoor / Frans Brüggen
Soloists: Johanette Zomer, Marcel Beekman, David Wilson-Johnson; Narrator: Porgy Franssen Haydn: Die Schöpfung – arrangement for children
Inspired by Handel’s oratorios with which he made his introduction in London, Haydn composed his famous Die Schöpfung in the last years of the 18th century. True programme music, it not only carried away the audiences of his time but also those of today. Writer and director Ger Thijs has arranged the oratorio from the chaos ‘In the beginning …’ to ‘… and then there was light’ for a young audience. The story is narrated by Porgy Franssen, who takes on the role of the Devil in the battle with God, played by conductor Frans Brüggen, who, with the help of the Orchestra of the 18th Century and The Netherlands Chamber Choir, naturally wins hands down.
6 Sep / Sunday
Music theatre: Umheimliches Weh
Theatre on location, based on Mendelssohn’s Die Heimkehr aus der Fremde. See Friday, 4th September, 17.00 hrs.
13.00-14.20 hrs Maliebaan 12 order number 59
a € 25 / € 23 / € 15 b € 22 / € 20 / € 12
RIAS Kammerchor / Hans-Christoph Rademann
15.00 hrs
Geertekerk
Mendelssohn: Choral songs, choral motet, psalms
‘Songs to be sung out of doors’, is how Mendelssohn himself described his three anthologies Op. 41, 48 and 59, composed between 1830 and 1843, comprising a total of eighteen secular songs for four-voiced mixed choruses. Singing outside was a typically German activity that the amateur singer would naturally practise in healthy surroundings, in the sweet-scented spring sunlight of the forest, clad in hiking shoes and carrying sandwiches in a backpack. Somehow Mendelssohn managed to find the perfect balance between sing-along choral song and moody romantic poetry by the likes of Heine and Goethe. Drei Psalmen, published two years after his early demise in 1847, are for double choir, as is the choral motet Op. 23 no.3, ‘Mitten wir im Leben sind’, composed in 1830. The RIAS Chamber choir has a broad repertoire but has been concentrating more intensively on early music for two years now, under conductor HansChristoph Rademann.
order number 60
a € 25 / € 23 / € 15 b € 22 / € 20 / € 12
Fabulous Fringe / Concerto Antico
15.30 hrs
Theater Kikker
Purcell, Handel: Triosonatas
The Fabulous Fringe series closes this year with Concerto Antico, a group from Bulgaria. They are the ultimate proof that ‘new’ Europe knows what to do with early music. Their programme, linked to the Festival theme with pieces by Purcell and Handel, also contains a suite by Locke and a violin sonata by Thomas Arne, played by Zefira Valova.
complementary tickets can be collected beforehand from the festival ticket office
for more fringe information see page 41
Music theatre: Umheimliches Weh
Theatre on location, based on Mendelssohn’s Die Heimkehr aus der Fremde. See Friday, 4th September, 17.00 hrs.
17.00-18.20 hrs Maliebaan 12 order number 61
a € 25 / € 23 / € 15 b € 22 / € 20 / € 12
39
6 Sep / Sunday
17.00 hrs
Carolyn Sampson, soprano & Elizabeth Kenny, theorbo
Ottone
order number 62
€ 18 / € 17 / € 12
Final Concert
20.00 hrs Vredenburg Leidsche Rijn order number 63
a € 30 / € 28 / € 15 b € 27 / € 25 / € 12 incl. parking and drink
19.00 hrs thea derks talks to met fabio bonizzoni
40
Purcell, Lawes, Locke: Songs
Purcell’s genius is perhaps at its best in the tremendous number of solo songs he composed. Like those of his contemporaries, Lawes and Locke, his early repertoire consists of dance songs, the light-hearted version based on minuets and gavottes, the more declamatory one on the allemande. He soon went on to use what was to become the instrumental and vocal success formula of the 17th and 18th centuries: melodies with variations over a continually repeated bass line, which had reached England from Italy in the form of chaconnes or passacaglias, becoming known as grounds in England. The Da capo-like songs, with a return to the beginning, and multi-movement cantata forms can also be found in Purcell’s work, but always etched with his own special style: breathtaking melodies with melancholic undertones, seared by heartrending dissonances. His illustrious pseudonym, Orpheus Brittanicus, adorns the two anthologies in which most of his songs were published posthumously. Soprano Carolyn Sampson is in her element in both large- and small-scale settings, a fact she has demonstrated in earlier Festival appearances. She returns this time with lutenist Elisabeth Kenny for an intimate homage to Henry Purcell and his colleagues.
La Risonanza / Fabio Bonizzoni
Soloists: Gabriele Hierdeis, Maria Grazia Schiavo, Gabriella Martellacci, Makoto Sakurada, Sergio Foresti Handel: La Resurrezione
Amazing: a young German composer heads off at the beginning of the 18th century in search of wisdom, happiness and fortune in far-off Italy and achieves all his goals within four years. The Roman elite, dominated by fabulously wealthy men such as Cardinal Ottoboni and Marquess Ruspoli, bring him fame and fortune. But his knowledge he gathers entirely under his own steam. ‘During this period Handel wrote his best and most innovative pieces,’ says Fabio Bonizzoni, harpsichordist and ensemble leader of La Risonanza. ‘His very first oratorio, La Resurrezione, which deals with the resurrection, is perfectly attuned to his cultivated audience. Audible is the potency and vitality of a young genius who has put all his imaginative force into his music.’ Spiritual oratorios were performed during Lent, when the staging of operas was considered too frivolous. Musical life remained unsubdued, however, and no aspect of theatrics was shunned in the oratorios. In La Resurrezione Lucifer makes the loving Mary Magdalene’s life on earth very difficult from his position in hell. This creates a good deal of tension, which Handel exploits to the full. The orchestra too has its work cut out for it, including lavish trumpet parts, because his Handel’s Ruspoli wanted to go one better than Ottoboni, who three days before Easter had presented an oratorio by Alessandro Scarlatti. As Fabio Bonizzoni puts it, ‘An oratorio duel! Those were the days …’ La Risonanza has devoted the last few years to Handel’s Italian period. Meanwhile they have almost completed a highly acclaimed series of seven CDs including all the cantatas with extensive instrumental accompaniment and various vocal soloists.
Festival Programme Book At reduced price for advance orders
The Festival Programme Book is back after seven years and promises to be your perfect companion to this year’s event. A 180-page publication, it contains seven extensive background articles plus the programme and information about all the Festival concerts. The book also includes everything you need to know about the free Fringe concerts and stalls on the Oude Muziek Market. This ‘must have’ hardcover book is laid out thematically and has two marker ribbons for ease of reference. During the Festival it will cost € 10, but you only pay € 8 if you reserve it when placing an advance order for tickets using the order form. You will be sent a voucher, which you will be able to exchange for a copy of the book at various Festival locations. The Festival Programme Book will be replacing the loose programme pamphlets. Instead of these, the venues themselves will post the programmes to be performed together with any relevant vocal texts. Those who have Festival Programme Books will get the texts free of charge.
Free Fringe Concerts
Alongside the main schedule of events, the Festival Oude Muziek will be offering an ‘alternative circuit’ every day by way of the free Fringe concerts. These will be performed by young musicians who are close to graduating or have already started their careers as young professionals. It is quite common to find ideas in the Fringe that make their way to the ‘official’ performances in next season’s Festival. Lasting about 45 minutes, the concerts take place in historical locations all over the city centre. Because of limited capacity in a few of the smaller venues, you will need to collect complementary tickets (max. 2 per person) beforehand from the Festival desks located in Theater Kikker. These can only be collected on the day of the concert. After the performances, you can make a voluntary donation. The complete Fringe programme will be announced in the August edition of the Tijdschrift Oude Muziek. All Fringe concerts will also be shown in the Festival folder, which will be available from mid-August. The Fabulous Fringe is a special series of Fringe concerts. Every day at 15.30 hrs specially selected ensembles and soloists will be performing in Theater Kikker. Admission is free. For seven of the ten concerts, complementary tickets must be collected beforehand.
Festival Centre Theater Kikker Ganzenmarkt 14
Once again it’s all happening in Theater Kikker this Festival. Besides concert introductions and the Summer School, Fabulous Fringe concerts will also be held there nearly every afternoon. The whole of Monday 31st August is devoted to the baryton at Theater Kikker. The latest Festival news in the press and CDs by Festival artists will also be available at Theater Kikker. You can also enjoy a cup of coffee or tea at the Festival café on the first floor. Tickets for all Festival activities are available at the Festival desk on the ground floor. Theater Kikker: the meeting point for Festival-goers and musicians.
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Ticket sales
Orders in writing You can order tickets using the order form and a one-off payment. A ₏ 5 postage and administration charge will be levied per order form. Once we have sent off your tickets, the amount owed will be deducted from your account. Orders will be handled on a first come first served basis. Friends who donate ₏ 60 or more will be given preference upon reception of their form. It may take a few weeks for your order to be processed. Please take care of your tickets. Once issued, they cannot be returned. Online orders From Tuesday 2nd June you will be able to buy tickets via www.oudemuziek.nl. The Dutch-language online facility operates using personal accounts, for which login names and passwords are issued. Payments can be made by bank account authorisations and by using iDeal. Tickets will be forwarded to you within a few weeks of purchase. NB Friends can order one week ahead of non-Friends. In order to take advantage of this privilege this year, you will need to order in writing. Ticket desk opening hours and booking line During the Festival you can buy your tickets from the ticket desk or you can book by telephone. The ticket desk is in Theater Kikker, Ganzenmarkt 14. Opening hours: Mon 24 to Thurs 27 August from 10.00 to 15.00; during the Festival daily from 10.00 to 18.00; booking line: tel. 030 232 9010 NB Tickets are available at the ticket desk until two hours prior to the concert. After that you can only get tickets at the concert venue, which will open half an hour before the performance. Tickets that have not been collected fifteen minutes before the start of the concert can be sold. Reductions A Friend’s pass (Vriendenpas) allows you to buy tickets at discounted prices. This discount is valid for two people per concert. If you are ordering more than two tickets per concert, please supply the name of the other Friend you are ordering for. Holders of a youth card, student pass or U-pas are eligible for special low rates. Categories and seating In a few venues, seating is divided into two categories. Category A offers seating with the best view of the musicians, while seats in Category B are those in a less favourable position. For most of the concerts, tickets are sold by section, row and seat; at the lectures and some of the concerts, seating choice is free. This will always be indicated on the ticket. Wheelchair access Not all of the venues are wheelchair-friendly. Generally speaking, wheelchair access problems are not insurmountable. Please indicate wheelchair use on your order form. Duration of concerts All concerts last one hour. Concerts that start at 20.00 normally end before 22.00. Concerts times that deviate from this will be mentioned in the concert information. Sold-out concerts It is possible that some concerts will be sold out before the Festival begins. Notice of concerts that are sold out will be given on www.oudemuziek.nl/kaartverkoop and at the Festival desk.
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Enrol as a Friend For € 30 per year you qualify as donor to the Friends of the Oude Muziek Foundation. You then become eligible for a Friend’s pass that gives you access to discounted tickets for all the concerts in the Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht as well as the concerts in the 09/10 early music season. There are more advantages to becoming a donor: four free issues a year of the Tijdschrift Oude Muziek, for example. Would you like to know more about the various special rates and privileges that apply to donors? Visit www.oudemuziek.nl/vrienden. Would you like to order tickets and become a donor at the same time? Indicate your donation on the front of the order form and complete the ‘Friends’ column. Donors who give € 60 or more to the Friends of the Oude Muziek Foundation are given absolute priority. Keep informed You are not a Friend, but would like to be sent a season brochure and the Festival Programme automatically? Call +31 (0)30 232 9000 or send an e-mail to info@oudemuziek.nl. You can also sign up for the monthly digital newsletter on our website www.oudemuziek.nl/vrienden. Foreign visitors If you would like to order from abroad but you do not have a Dutch bank account, then we will reserve tickets for you. After we have processed your order, you will be sent confirmation. You can collect your tickets from the Festival desk at Theater Kikker.
Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht 2009 / 28th edition the Festival is a production of the Organisation Oude Muziek in collaboration with Vredenburg Utrecht, Instituto Cervantes, Nationaal Museum van Speelklok tot Pierement and Stichting Vrienden Oude Muziek; Radio 4 and AVRO zijn mediapartners van het Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht.
Board of Organisatie Oude Muziek Chairman: Mrs. P.C. Lodders-Elfferich Treasurer: J.H. van der Tol RA Members: J. Hillmann, Mrs. N.E.G. Ris, Mrs. M.J. Sanders-ten Holte, Mrs. B.E. Vucht Tijssen
with thanks to: Ministerie van Onderwijs, C ultuur and Wetenschap, Gemeente Utrecht, Provincie Utrecht, Vrede van Utrecht, De Bijloke in Gent, Stichting Jumpstart Jr., K.F. Hein Fonds, Lira Fonds, SNS Reaal Fonds, Fentener van Vlissingen Fonds, Orchestra of the 18th Century, Sieuwert Verster and Frans Brüggen, RASA Wereldculturencentrum, Theater Kikker, Utrechts Centrum voor de Kunsten, Utrechts Klokkenluiders Gilde, Utrechtse Klokkenspel Vereniging; Henk Klop klavecimbels & orgels and Jan Kalsbeek Klavecimbels; directors, patrons and staff of the aforementioned organisations and all Festival venues. The organisation would like to express its particular gratitude to all the volunteers that contribute so much to the Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht.
Board of Vrienden Oude Muziek: Chairman: P.A.R. Rijnders Treasurer: J.H. van der Tol Members: J.H.A. Tromp and D. Hoek Patron: Herman van Veen
Organisatie Oude Muziek Director: Xavier Vandamme Programming Festival 2009: Jan Van den Bossche Artistic assistant: Albert Edelman Producer: Tamar Brüggemann Production assistant: Cato Ootes, Ingeborg Felperlaan, Go Bruêns and Brigitte Nuchelmans Editor-in-Chief publications: Jolande van der Klis DTP: Hilde Wolters Treasurer: Frank Rijnders Ticket sales: Wilmer de Jong, Marijse Poutsma-van Dijken, Julia Zoet, Krista de Jong, Floor Groeneveld and Anne Boeschoten Office manager: Marijse Poutsma-van Dijken Festival tuners: Eduard Bos and Edwin Beunk
Publisher: Organisatie Oude Muziek Postbus 19267 3501 DG Utrecht t. 030 232 9000 f. 030 232 9001 info@oudemuziek.nl www.oudemuziek.nl Editor: Jolande van der Klis Cover: Marco Borggreve and Hans van der Woerd Photography: Marco Borggreve Design: Hilde Wolters Printing: Thieme MediaCenter Nijmegen
Festival brochure © Utrecht, 2009 For latest news: www.oudemuziek.nl
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Theater Kikker, Ganzenmarkt 14 Festivalkassa and FestivalcafĂŠ Domkerk & Domtoren, Domplein Doopsgezinde Kerk, Oudegracht 270 Geertekerk, Geertekerkhof 22 Instituto Cervantes, Domplein 3 Jacobikerk, St.-Jacobsstraat 171 Lutherse Kerk, Hamburgerstraat 9 Maliebaan 12 Nationaal Museum van Speelklok tot Pierement, Steenweg 6 Ottone, Kromme Nieuwegracht 62 Pandhof, ingang Domplein Park Lepelenburg Pieterskerk, Pieterskerkhof 3 Sint Augustinuskerk, Oudegracht 69 Vredenburg Leeuwenbergh, Servaasbolwerk 1a parking
Directions to Vredenburg Leidsche Rijn, J.C. Verthorenpad 100 Bicycle: Leave town on Vleutenseweg. Cross the bridge over the Amsterdam-Rijnkanaal at the Douwe-Egberts factory. After the bridge, pass the bus stop and turn left down the slope, and you will be at the hall. Bus: Vredenburg Leidsche Rijn is a 10-minute bus ride from Central Station. Lines 28 (Vleuten Station), 39 (Maarssen Station) and 26 (Vleuterweide) stop every six minutes practically outside the front entrance (bus-stop Vredenburg Leidsche Rijn, 1 zone). From Maarssen Station (Line 39) and Terwijde Station (Line 26), it is also within easy reach by bus. Car: From the A2 take the Lage Weide/De Wetering exit (no. 7). Follow signs to Muziektheater Vredenburg. Parking is free. Information about road works: www.utrecht.nl/bereikbaar Taxi: Prestige Taxicentrale offers Festival-goers 20% discount, or a fixed reduced rate of â‚Ź 12,50 between Central Station and Vredenburg Leidsche Rijn, tel. 030 287 5050
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