Plans for 2006: Nuova Harmonia, Bach Academy

Nuova Harmonia remains backed by the Italian Government, which heavily defines an Italian orientation as to the choice of interpreters, although there are exceptions. The venues as usual will be the Colón and the Coliseo. Their season starts on May 8 (Colón) with the augmented Camerata Bariloche under Ross Pople doing a standard programme of Mozart, Grieg, Mendelssohn (the Violin Concerto with Domenico Nordio, debut) and Beethoven (the Fifth Symphony). The excellent cellist Enrico Dindo is back leading a group he founded, I Solisti di Pavia, at the Coliseo on May 26: Mozart, Haydn and Tchaikovsky. The Orchestra Giovanile Italiana visited us in 2002 with Gabriele Ferro; they are back, though with Roberto Abbado (debut, nephew of Claudio), in a frankly hackneyed German programme: Brahms’ Concerto No. 1 for piano (Simone Pedroni, debut) and again Beethoven (the Third). Colón, June 10. The debuts of the Cuarteto Cremona and of violist Giuseppe Russo Rossi will occur on June 29 at the Coliseo with a solid programme of Haydn (op.77 No.1), Shostakovich (Quartet No.8) and Mozart (Quintet in G minor). I’m not happy with the change of concept for the fifth date: the splendid Athestis Choir (who had given a notable Baroque concert here two years ago) for the second consecutive year is announced and then scrapped, both for financial and organisational reasons. Instead of a very attractive programme with the Choir (Vivaldi’s “Kyrie”, Galuppi’s “Gloria” and Marcello’s “Requiem”) we shall have just four soloists of the Athestis improperly doing choral works (Galuppi’s “Dixit”, a B. Marcello Psalm and Albinoni’s “Magnificat”). The supporting instrumental group, Tempio Armonico (debut) will play on its own Dall’Abaco’s Concerto op.V No.6, Vivaldi’s Concerto “Il favorito” and Galuppi’s Sonata a 4 in D. Coliseo, July 31. I welcome instead the first visit of the Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, a distinguished big orchestra under its chief conductor, the Brazilian Isaac Karabtchevsky (long absent from the River Plate). French music in the First Part: the Overture to “Benvenuto Cellini” by Berlioz and Saint-Saens’ brilliant Concerto No. 2 for piano with Roger Muraro (debut). Mahler’s First will complete the evening. Colón, August 12. Horacio Lavendera will offer an all-Mozart piano occasion, with the originality of playing solo in the First Part and with members of the National Symphony under Pedro Calderón in the Second. Coliseo, August 17. A lightish night follows: flutist Andrea Griminelli and guitarist Emanuele Segre (debut of the latter) will be on the Coliseo stage the 12th of September playing J.S.Bach, Rossini, Giuliani, Paganini, Villa-Lobos and Bizet-Borne. I disagree with the presence of ballet in a concert season, but such has been the policy of Harmonia and Nuova Harmonia lately. Tangokinesis , led by Ana María Stekelman, is at the Coliseo on September 28 with “Garello Tango”, “Aria tango” (operas by Handel and Vivaldi, !?) and Ravel’s “Bolero”. The season ends with the fourth visit of the Orchestra della Toscana under Gabriele Ferro (Colón, October 9). A premiere by G.A.Battistelli, “Hommage to M.Ravel” will be followed by Ravel’s own Concerto for piano (Roberto Cominati, debut). In the Second Part, Prokofiev’s “Classical Symphony” and De Falla’s “El amor brujo”. A P.S. on my article of a few days back detailing the season of Festivales Musicales. There remains to mention two non-subscription occasions. It will be fascinating to hear the premiere of Salieri’s opera “Les Danaides”, in the mold of Gluck’s French tragedies; a concert version at the Museo de Arte Decorativo on October 18. The artists will be the Compañía de las Luces under Marcelo Birman with singers Norberto Marcos, Ana Moraitis and Pablo Pollitzer. And on October 27 the Colón will welcome the celebration of Festivales’ 30th anniversary. The Camerata Bariloche and the Orfeón de Buenos Aires will offer under Mario Videla J.S. Bach’s Suite No.3, Vivaldi’s “Gloria” RV 589 and Handel’s Foundling Hospital Anthem (Alleluia); soloists, Graciela Oddone (soprano) and Franco Fagioli (countertenor). The Bach Academy is Festivales’ sister institution and again offer very attractive programming with six concerts featuring Mario Videla’s useful comments (he is the Artistic Director ). On April 1 at the Iglesia Metodista Central the ensemble Selva Vocal e Instrumental under Andrés Gerszenzon gives us a splendid combination: the premiere of Bach’s Cantata No. 196 and the rarely heard “Confessors’ Solemn Vespers” K.339 by Mozart. Mario Videla offers an all-Bach organ recital on May 13 at the church Nuestra Senora de Luján. Ricardo Sciammarella has played before in BA the six Cello Suites by Bach, but then he had played them all in one session; now he does the sensible thing, Suites 1, 3 and 5 on July 29 and Nos. 2, 4 and 6 on August 6 at the Museo Fernández Blanco. Back to the Iglesia Metodista Central for the final two concerts. The Cappella Seicento under Federico Ciancio will perform Mozart’s Mass K.194 and Bach’s Mass BWV 235 (one of his four short masses) on August 12. And on September 9, La Barroca del Suquía under Manfred Kraemer will do some Bach fugues transcribed for strings by Mozart and the premiere of Bach’s Cantata No. 199 with soprano Silvina Sadoly. There will be a bonus concert on June 17 at the Museo de Arte Decorativo when three specialists tackle four Marin Marais pieces and Bach’s Four Duets: Kraemer, violin; Juan Manuel Quintana, viola da gamba; and Ciancio, harpsichord. 18/04/06 para el Buenos Aires Herald