Interesting plans from the Big Three

As you well know, devaluation is still with us. And of course it makes things very difficult for our private musical institutions of international vocation. The Big Three have managed even in 2002 to go on in a sea of troubles, and they have gritted their teeth and held fast in recent years; so they do this year. The strongest was and is the Mozarteum Argentino. As usual, they offer two subscription series at the Colón, and will continue their Midday Concerts at the Gran Rex, apart from the activities of their branches in the provinces. The Colón concerts start on April 3 and 4 with the valuable debuts of all concerned: the BBC Scottish Orchestra under Ilan Volkov, soprano Barbara Hannigan (Britten’s “Les Illuminations”) and clarinettist Michael Collins (Mozart). Programmes are interesting: the Britten is framed by Stravinsky’s Divertimento from “Le baiser de la fée” and Mahler’s Fourth; and Mozart by the fascinating Elgar tone poem “In the South” and the Schumann “Rhenish” Symphony. Well-known Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Montero offers a difficult though conventional programme on April 17 and 18: Beethoven’s “Waldstein” Sonata, Rachmaninov’s Second Sonata and Schumann’s “Carnaval”. Those very habitual visitors, the Rome Beethoven Quartet, will be accompanied by violist Cristina Dancila (debut) and will play on May 29 the quintets by Shostakovich and Brahms and on the 3lst , Franck and Schumann. On June 5 and 6 there will be return visits by beloved artists: the Czech Philharmonic under Gerd Albrecht with pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja. Programs certainly could be less trodden: the Beethoven “Emperor”Concerto, the Schumann Concerto, the two most popular Dvorak Symphonies (8th and 9th) . Saving graces: Ligeti’s “Lontano” and Dvorak’s “Otello”. That big success of 2004, the Akademie fuer Alte Musik Berlin, will be back on July 1 and 3. Mozart in the first date, concerti with Christian Beuse (bassoon) and Midori Seiler (violin No.2), “Exsultate jubilate” with soprano Yeree Suh and Symphony No. 27. On the second concert, Mozart’s Symphony No. 32, Beck’s Symphony in G minor , again the “Exsultate jubilate”, one of Mozart’s Flute Concerti (Christoph Huntgeburth) and Haydn’s Third Symphony. A great event: on August 7 and 8 we shall hear a momentous complete “Peer Gynt” by Grieg on Ibsen. We will have authentic performers in the Orchestra of the Norwegian National Opera under Olaf Henzold (debuts), with soloists and the Grupo de Canto Coral under Néstor Andrenacci. In this form “Peer Gynt” will be a South American premiere. Return visits from the Bach Mainz Chorus, this time with the Orchestra of the Rheinland-Palatinat under Ralf Otto with soloists in Mozart’s Mass No. 18 (August 28) and Handel’s “Messiah” in Mozart’s orchestration (August 30). A great artist comes back on September 18 and 20: baritone José Van Dam, accompanied by Maciej Pikulski, will sing French songs and opera arias. The season ends on October 16 and 18 with the first visit of Les Musiciens du Louvre-Grenoble under Marc Minkowski in all-Mozart programmes: Symphonies 40 and 41 and the “Idomeneo”Overture. Mario Videla, Artistic Director of Festivales Musicales, has had a bold and I hope rewarding idea: he calls this year’s season “Mozart and Salieri”, and for the first time we will be able to hear a fair sample of the music of the latter, an unjustly maligned composer, with plenty of premieres. On April 10 at the Colón Carmen Piazzini will offer Mozart’s Concerto No. l8 and will premiere Salieri’s in C ; the Camerata Bariloche will also play Salieri’s Concerto for flute and oboe (Claudio Barile and Andrés Spiller). Pianist Horacio Lavandera will give us the great Fantasy and Sonata K.475-457 by Mozart along with his Variations on a theme by Salieri, and by the latter, the premieres of an overture and a sonata. Auditorio, May 3. Back at the Colón with the Virtuosi di Praga under Oldrich Vlcek on May 22. Mozart: Flute Concerto K.313; the Concertante Symphony for violin and viola; Symphony No. 29. Salieri: “Venetian Symphony”. A very promissing session on June 14 at the Colón: great choral conductor Michel Corboz will be back, this time with Mozart’s Requiem and the premiere of Salieri’s “Emperor Mass”, and with brilliant local singers. Also at the Colón, with the same groups Corboz will have (Camerata Bariloche, Orfeón de Buenos Aires), Viennese specialist Uwe Harrer will premiere Salieri’s Requiem and do Mozart’s Concerto for flute and harp (Barile and Jancsa), and “ Exsultate jubilate” with Soledad de la Rosa. The Ensemble Florilegium from London will also combine Salieri and Mozart : fugues, an ode, a sonnet, 3 arias, a divertimento and several duos; Katia Escalera will sing and Ashley Solomon will conduct and play flute. Avenida, August 1st. The Trio Guarneri from Prague avoids Salieri: Mozart’s Trios K.548 and 564, a Haydn Divertimento and a Reicha Trio. Auditorio, September 12. At the Convento de Santo Domingo Mario Videla will play on October 3 Mozart’s complete organ works and a Bach Prelude and Fugue; and the Estudio Coral de Buenos Aires under Carlos López Puccio will sing four motets by Salieri and Bach’s mighty motet “Singet dem Herrn”. The season will be completed with the Juventus Lyrica production of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” at the Avenida. In a further article I will give other details on Festivales and its sister institution, the Bach Academy, and will tell you about Nuova Harmonia. 21/03/06 para el Buenos Aires Herald