12-15C
West Cork Chamber Music Festival live blog
Nicki ffrench Davis is live blogging from West Cork for this week-long festival
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It's a beautiful day in Bantry! As I made that magical sweeping corner into the town the sun was sparkling on the sea, and with the purple mountains behind and bobbing boats it was a perfect picture and a beautiful welcome.
The town square was packed with the Friday market and the sounds of cocks crowing, music playing and plenty of lively banter. A kind stranger waited on the Glengarriff Road while I held up traffic to park awkwardly outside West Cork Music's offices on the Glengarriff Road. I had barely stepped onto the pavement when I bumped into Finola Merivale who will be my team mate for the Town Concerts this year, accompanied by Maike Lasseur who is fresh off the plane from Amsterdam for her annual trip to Bantry as another Festival Helper. ...Hugs all round of course!
As I head up towards the office I meet Guy Dalton, the brains and brawn behind this huge and complex production. Even on this surely most stressful of days he has his usual calm, collected way about him, his signature deadpan humour at the ready. And doesn't he only have his van right here! Grand job - I unload the emergency black music stands I've brought from Cork city, courtesy of Derek at All In Music in Cork, a Bantry man himself.
Up in the festival office Heather McDougall presents me with the all-important production schedule - this festival is by far the best organised production I have ever worked for and my schedule ensures I know where pretty much every musician and staff member is at ay time over the next 10 days.
I heave this year's Festival Programme off the shelf - at 144 pages long it is a weighty tome and one of the defining elements of this festival, full as it is of insightful programme notes that bubble over with the enthusiasm and sheer love of the music that inspired Festival Director Francis Humphrys to set up the Festival back in 1996.
After my obligatory splurge in the gorgeous O'Kanes Craft Shop (my annual shoe purchase there has come earlier in the week than usual and MAN am I glad to get out of those hot boots) it's time to get down to business.
I check into my gorgeous room at the Maritime Hotel and after lugging up the piles of clothes I won't wear up I crank up the computer, sort out the internet and yahey - we are live! -
Have arrived in Bantry and have delivered flautist Fiona Kelly to a rehearsal. Lunch in the Brick Oven in the Square in Bantry. This is the venue for Evelyn Grant's morning talks. Out the Sheepshead next to sort out the accommodation. I have been to every single festival and am looking forward to meeting the 'old' and not so old buddies! There was a great TV programme on Bantry House on channel 4. I love the photo of Eggerton with his trombone! -
I’m looking forward to dinner at in a few minutes and meeting up with the rest of the gang ahead of the opening concert at 8 - especially Harold Fish (whose copy of the Belfast film An Everlasting Piece DVD, which he lent me last year, I have somehow remembered to bring back). Mealtimes are an important part of the day at the Festival, it brings all the team and musicians together twice a day at the Maritime Hotel for much needed sustenance and the ironing out of all kinds of issues.
The silence this year will be broken by the seriously cool Polish quartet Apollon Musagete. Poland is a bit of a theme at this year’s festival so the quartet’s performance of Szymanowski’s String Quartet No. 1 to open 9 days of amazing music is highly appropriate. To get to know them a little better follow this link for a recent interview I did with the Quartet for the Examiner newspaper.
After that we’ll hear violinist Tanja Becker-Bender and pianist Peter Nagy play Bartok, and after the interval the RTE Vanbrugh Quartet, the lynchpin of the festival will play Mozart’s K.575 quartet. Bring it on!
Time to get moving! -
Hi all Valerie, Brendan (and three bears this year Duffy, Casey and Mountain Teddy) have arrived safely in Bantry via our traditional stopping off point Cafe Paradiso - wonderfull vegetarian food - very definitely not of the rice and sandles variety - Risotto with Ardrahan cheese - how good is that - currently in The Mill B&B enjoying some wine supplied by our gracious hostess Tosca Kramer - see you in Bantry House at seven bells Brendan Twomey
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Hello everyone welcome on behalf of my three colleagues Greg, Simon and Christopher to the West Cork Chamber Music Festival. As the founding ensemble we are unique because we get invited every year and traditionally close the festival on the final concert ten days hence. I will be giving an insider's view of things I notice and hope you enjoy reading. That's the formal bit now where did I leave my gig bag and black suit? Oh no...
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That was a great opening to this year's festival with a string quartet by Penderecki I'd never heard before. Played by the very easy on the eye and ear Appolon Musagettes who gave a sensuous and effortless performance. I missed the Bartok violin sonata because I was getting ready (i.e. nervous) for our performance of Mozart's K575 quartet. It's a stunning work but a scary piece to play and we have a nickname for it that should not be put in print ...tomorrow is a long day for me of coaching and reversals. Ciao.
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And we're off! I've been like a child waiting for Christmas. The West Cork Chamber Music Festival is simply my favourite week of the year - world-class players, top-class music - new and old; challenging and comforting - and all on our doorstep. No hassle with flights, foreign languages and all of that stuff. Oh, and then there's the scenery here and the West Cork food. I don't know which is better. Seeing all the 'regulars' again, over a glass of vino , was great tonight. (It is a tres friendly festival!) Good to see Leo Varadkar doing the opening. (Easy on the eye, as Keith Pascoe might say!) It's all 'tourism, tourism' - but, what the hell, being on the cultural tourism, if that's the new language we need to advocate for the arts. It seems to me that the arts have needed to change tack with each new 'economic climate'. We can easily handle 'cultural tourism'! I loved the way that by the interval, the audience was already at odds about whether they liked the Bartok Sonata for Violin and Piano or not. (The players were fab.) It's always the case here, that if you say "Now, that piece did nothing for me" - invariably, the person beside you will have been 'wowed' by it! There's just so much more music to come - and this will keep happening! It is like a big feast at which you simply couldn't love every dish on offer. (I can see already that food is going to feature, , too regularly, in my blog!) Also, I must point out that it is very difficult to blog when my chatty family are chattering! So, suffice it to say that it has been a great start. I'm really looking forward to interviewing the young men from the Apollon Musagete Quartet tomorrow morning and, therefor, should go to sleep now. (What's that story about how you know you're getting older when the gardai start looking young.) Well, that happened to me tonight, when the lads came on stage. They looked SO young...... Oh, and before I blog off, the Vanbrugh were, of course, just exquisite in the Mozart K575, in the 2nd half of tonight's opening concert. -
The Chamber Music 'Fanaticos' have arrived in Bantry. There is as much passion in the audience as there is on the stage. It's as well Duffy, Casey and Mountain Teddy were tucked up in bed before the 'games' began. Before a chord was struck in love, jealousy or anger, the factions were forming and sure enough in a concert with three different works I was anticipating the diverse reactions. ' I thought it was 'too hard', I thought it was 'too soft', I thought it was 'just right' and these opinions about each piece were backed up by sixteen years of listening. This is what makes this festival great! Magnificent programming, a menu that even a celebrity chef would not put together and an audience that knows what it likes but tolerates the views and passions of others, even though they can totally disagree with one another. Roll on tomorrow! Even the bouncer tolerated the guy in sneakers!
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Right on Gerry - it is all about the music - Concert 1 completed only c 50 events to go - the Bartok was right up my street full of pasion, pace bravura moments - to say nothing of the performers !! In the second movement of the Mozart the Vanbrugh, the music and I suspect most of the audience were totally in the zone - the sudience loved it. Only eight days to go but with Bantry's fantastic ourdoor gym I know that I can last the pace - before eight in the morning and there were three people burning clories - if you have not seen it yet have look at the outdoor gym with the best view in the world -don't just look take some exercise!! Great idea - well done Bantry Town Council -
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Today is breakfast day. If I don't have the bestest ever breakfast at my very nice Maritime hotel in Bantry, I will not survive the day I have ahead of me. Starting at 10am I will be giving a class to a young string quartet and it is open to the public and on the first floor of the hotel. As a performer it is a chance to for me to share the experience of thirty five years of professional music making with next generation of talent. Slán go fóil and enjoy the ceoil! (came up with that one last night in Ma Murphy's...) -
The serious audience member has been for his run. The teddy bears have had a lie in! They might make one of the afternoon concerts. Meanwhile back at the ranch I am preparing porridge for two ladies. I know they will need this to keep their strength up. I leave the kitchen momentarily and hear what I think are screams of delight. "Have they discovered the strawberries" I ask myself. Horror of horrors they found a big black slug in the black pot, which I hadn't spotted. Looks like porridge is off the menu this week Muesli to the rescue. The day can only get better. Thank god for chamber music. Off to Evelyn Grant 's 10 am morning talk! PS Speaking of ' Ma Murphy's ' where I had a sneaky one before the festival started, I must say Bill and Mary gave me a lovely 'Welome to Bantry'! -
There was a great crowd gathering in the lobby of the Maritime Hotel eager to get over to Evelyn Grant's Morning Talk with the Apollon Musagete Quartet, the first of her morning talks this year. These talks have been so popular since they were introduced a few years ago to the festival. They are a lovely opportunity for festival goers to get to know the artists and of course with Evelyn's broadcasting background for Lyric FM, her huge knowledge of music and the life of a musician and her relaxed charm the talks always flow very freely.
They are the perfect way to start a festival day before the music begins at 11! -
I'm off to young musicians the Westland Piano Trio's masterclass with Adrian Petcu. Looking forward to seeing Fiachra Garvey playing piano with this new trio after his fantastic performance last year (he went on to win the National Concert Hall's Rising Star award of 2011.) Also looking forward to hearing the wonderful violinist Roisin Walters again and Wicklow-born cellist Paul Grennan for the first time (his biog looks amazing - he's currently on trial with 2 BBC orchestras and has been working with the Irish Chamber Orchestra!).
What will Adrian Petcu have to say? I look forward to watching the masterclass in action! -
The morning talk has begun in Bantry. Evelyn Grant has just introduced the Appolon Musagete string quartet. The Brick Oven is full and Steve has given us all a good strong coffee to liven us up. This young Polish string quartet came together in Vienna, the chamber music capital of the world. -
The Westland Trio's masterclass with Adrian Petcu was fascinating and fun. As the musicians got settled Adrian those of us there to listen that the trio had picked 3 incredible and dramatic works (by Ravel, Brahms and Shostakovich) to work with for the festival. (They will continue to rehearse and masterclass them over the week, with a Town Hll performance on Thursday of the Ravel and Brahms, a performance of the Shostakovich in the big Young Musicians' platform in Bantry House on Saturday. Adrian suggested that 3 such big pieces will be a challenge for the audience as well as them and then with his gentle twinkling humour exclaimed 'we'll see how it goes!'
To begin Adrian pointed out to the musicians that they have many tutors and some of what he says may contradict what they've heard before. There are so many sides to a truth and he encouraged them to take whatever suits them, after all "you are the artists, you are the ones who will perform."
Adrian's insight and ability to communicate is wonderful. I was so impressed at the musicians who can lay themselves bare and open to criticism in this intimate, even oppressive environment. While Adrian is full of compliments ("beautiful!", "incredible!") he is also there to teach and the musicians all took what might be seen as his more negative observations with grace and humour.
One thing that he said struck a note with me - it's something that I think gives such an important insight to people who don't listen to much classical music, and regard it as something to 'relax to.' During the first movement of the Ravel he said to "look for colours that aren't only sweet" - I think that's so important to undertstand - so little of classical music is about sweetness and relaxing. This is a language that communicates everything - humour, terror, heartache, as well as sweetness and beauty...
The setting for the masterclass is beautiful, a first floor room in the Maritime Hotel. Behind the musicians we see the rippling waters of Bantry Bay where the seagulls bob on its surface and the changing sky goes through several seasons in the 90 minutes we are there. -
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Maria Keohane opened the 11 am concert with 'In furore intissimae irae' by Vivaldi. She sang of 'the dangers of sin' to a captivated audience in St Brendan's church. One devout audience member was heard to utter the immortal words 'I'm glad I went to spec savers'. This was a performance where it was truly better 'to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission'!
She was ably supported by Arte dei Suoanatori, Aiureliusz Golinski, Ewa Golinska, (violins) Anna Nowak, (viola) Tomasz Pokrzywinski, ('cello) Dohyo Sol, (arch lute) and Joanna Boslak-Gorniok, (harpsichord)
Dohyo Sol treated us to a stunning performance of Vivaldi's Lute concerto in D major.
Kate Hearne (recorder) and Peter Whelan (bassoon) shone in Vivaldi's chamber concerto in G minor.
The performance concluded with Vivaldi's 'Laudate Pueri Dominum' with Maria Keohane hitting a high 'D' to which the audience responded 'amen'. A truly stunning performance by Maria whose stage presence made the sun shine in Bantry. -
A nice English lady told me, after the talk this morning (with the Apollon Musagete Quartet), that she loved the way I called them 'the lads'. This is more of the kind of thing I do without even noticing. Hope 'the lads' didn't mind! Fascinated that it was Deutsche Gramophone that put them together with Tori Amos for the Night of the Hunter tour. They sold loads of their Syzmanowski CD on the Albert Hall gig! I'm determined I'm going to be able to pronounce tricky Polish composer names by the end of the week. 'Glorious', 'heavenly' - all those words in every language couldn't describe how beautiful the Vivaldi Coffe Concert was at 11. (Just enjoying a coffee in the Brick Oven after it - the prawns, mussels, and scampi on the menu are very enticing...) Maria Keohane, the Swedish soprano, was a huge surprise last year, what with everyone thinking she must be a local! She's actually totally other-worldly. I fell for the Theorbo player - Dohyo Sol - angelic look and such delicate improvised 'bits' (that's a technical term, btw - right up there with 'stuff'. I met the Austrian ambassador after, who is a big fan of Baroque music and of the Irish Barique Orchestra. Really looking forward to interviewing the Austrian composer-in-residence, Thomas Larcher, tomorrow morning. I think West Cork is the most lovely place in the world (and, as a Dub, that's an unbiased opinion.) But, I have seen a photo of Larcher's Tyrolean home and I think it may be a contender. If I find anything to complain about today , I'll keep the blog posted. All this positivity.... Exhausting.
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Awful to hear about the theft of the violin in Limerick. The Irish Chamber Orchestra are due in Bantry soon. Here's hoping it will have been recovered by then. The 24 Caprices was some feat, this afternoon. It's a bit like a high-wire act. Sat beside a lady who plays the ukelele! (I presumed she was a member of the West Cork Ukelele Orchestra, whose fame had already reached me, but, no, she was not from that parish at all.) I only managed the first half of the concert - just a dozen Caprices, instead of 2 doz., as the car boot still hadn't been unpacked and provisions had to be sorted. It is difficult to fit in the mundane things like grocery shopping around all the gigs. And now, it's already time to head out for some Schumann and Tchaikowsky. -
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A busy day for me today finished with our performance of a new work by Deirdre Gribbin 'What the Whaleship Saw' which is remarkable for the special sound world she creates. All four of us use 'practice mutes' to reduce the sound of our instruments to almost inaudible. Great audience reaction and especially from my next door neighbours from Cork, Peter and Louise who have lived through the rough rehearsal noise they have had to put up with. The day started with a very talented young quartet the Gildas Quartet. I coached them on a very challenging quartet by Michael Tippet composed in 1943. Now after the interval (and the one glass of wine!) and listening to a delicious performance of Schumann's piano piece 'Papillions ' played by Olga Solovieva. Can't wait for our concerts with her in Moscow in October. One correction to an earlier post: (thanks Gerry Kelly!) I incorrectly gave the composer Penderecki credit for a composition actually composed by Szymanowski! Slán go fóil, and enjoy the ceoil! -
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What a day - the Polish 'lads' telling us about stadning up during performance, magnificant Vivaldi, 24 full-on Caprices, Moby Dick, Schuman all rounded off by a Stravinski Tango - sure what else would youe be doing on a dull Saturday in June PS the two Polish ladies survived the experience of meeting with Gerry Kelly
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Concert 8pm Saturday 30th June Bantry House
The RTE Vanbrugh Quartet opened this evenings concert with an eerie performance of 'What the whaleship saw' by Irish composer Deirdre Gribbin. To quote the composer 'I question the listener. Shipwrecked, floating aimlessly in the vast open ocean with your ship mates dying of hunger, and you will be next, what would you do? This piece details the darkest human instinct for survival. It is not pure narrative, nor a voyeuristic morbid fascination for the primitivism of the human instinct' The inspiration for the composition is the gruesome true story of the whaleboat Essex on which the story of Moby Dick is based. This was an inspired performance enhanced by the maritime setting of Bantry Bay, itself no stranger to tragedy ranging from the ill fated Wolf Tone expedition to the Betelgeuse disaster at the Whiddy island oil terminal in 1979.
This was followed by a performance of Robert Schumann's second string quartet by the Signum quartet. This piece contrasts with the turmoil in his life and received a fresh and invigorating performance. Olga Solovieva was the first solo pianist to appear at the festival and performed Schumann's Papillions, a work completed when the composer was twenty. The performer guided us through the poetic image of the butterfly (papillons), a symbol of the masks we put on to hide our identities.
The finale was by the Appolon Musgate quartet. They performed first Tchaikowsky quartet in D major. Boy did they let rip! Again excellent programming by Francis Humphrys. The evening concluded with an encore, a tango by Igor Stravinsky which almost cleared the ballroom for a spot of dancing. Pity I was too shy to ask the lovely Polish ladies for a dance!
Looking forward to another great day of music, argument and discourse! If the winter weather is getting you down, make your way to Bantry, the festival runs till Saturday. Off to the Brick Oven for a strong coffee before Evelyn Grant's morning talk begins. -
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Actually writing this during the concert at St Brendan's church in Bantry this morning. A menu of music from the sixteen hundreds by the well- known composers Monteverdi (he invented Opera) and Frescobaldi (star organist at St Peter's in Rome). Obscure names too like Dario Castello (Dara Costello?) born around 1590! Great recorder playing from Kate Hearne by the way. But I want to talk about the Theorbo. Yes, the Theorrrrrbo. I love saying the word: very, very slowly. It's the dinosaur of the guitar family and, huge. Played brilliantly this morning by Dohyo Sol. I'll try post a pic of his enormous fabulous instrument for your amazement. Fiona Kelly and Ji Hye Jung (flute and marimba) ended the concert with good old JS Bach and simply stole the show. -
Like OMG Keith how can you talk about that concert (let alone blog from it) without mentioning Christina Zavalloni?! It's so great to have her back again - cripes, the colour, the darkness, the drama, the theatre in her voice... even from the volunteers seats at the back of the balcony with her face obscured by the church lights I was mesmerised by her gestures. I've never heard her singing early music but wow, the punch she packs into those Italian syllables...
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Up to 8 million people across Europe will hear great music from this weeks West Cork Chamber Music Festival in Bantry- runs until next Satby Margaretoreilly via twitter 7/1/2012 1:35:25 PM -
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Note from the festival:
Sold Out!
Tickets for the following concerts are now sold out:
Tuesday 3 July 11am
Wednesday 4 July 8pm
There are no Category 1 seats available for:
Sunday 1 July 8pm
Monday 2 July 8pm
Finale on Saturday 7 July 8pm
If you wish to book tickets please do so as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Book online www.westcorkmusic.ie or 027 52788 -
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Bantry July 2nd
The morning talk has just begun. Evelyn Grant is interviewing composer Charlotte Bray and tenor Robin Tritschler. Robin will perform Charlotte's composition Verre de Venise with Paavali Jumpannen (piano) and the Vanbrugh string quartet at 8 pm in Bantry House tonight. Charlotte is a very exciting young composer who initially studied 'cello in the Bermingham conservatory. Looking forward also to hearing New York based Irish clarinettist Carol McGonnell who is playing the Beethoven trio in B flat major with Pavalli and Andreas Brantelid on cello. The Appolon Musagete play the Penderecki quartet no. 3. This is a particular favourite of Keith Pascoe! Tonight's programme will conclude with the Signum quartet performing Weber's clarinet quartet with Christoffer Sundvquist. -
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