On Wednesday 19 July, the Aurora Festival, the largest chamber music festival in the Northern Netherlands, will start, with 41 concerts, a summer academy for young talents, public masterclasses and presentations. Artistic director Paul Coman offers a preview of the festival based on six themes.
1. Pleal wing
“Five years ago, the Prince Claus Conservator was presented with a pliable wing from 1842, which was restored this year.” Be Saturday 21st July in Groningen Seven pianists, including Coman, played all of Frédéric Chopin’s Nocturnes (‘Night Pieces’) during a ‘Night Concert’. The clarinet was Chopin’s favorite instrument.
,, It plays very differently than a modern grand piano. You feel a lot of movement under the keys. It’s like driving a car with normal shock absorbers, without power steering. And the sound is very different: as a player you have to be in tune with the instrument, as arrangers always have to do. It stimulates your creativity because you can’t fall back on a pre-planned explanation.”
2. Young musicians
Clarinetist Femke van den Berg, pianist Jorien van Nie, violinist Peter van Loenen, violist Lotus de Vries – many young musicians have joined the permanent group of festival musicians. “It’s part of talent development.” And if they have the ambition to teach, that too has a place. “For example, Floor Le Coultre now also teaches participants of the Summer Academy.”
This year, 33 young musicians are participating in the summer academy at the Prince Claus Conservatory in Groningen. They give in the afternoon Freely accessible Lunch Concerts. There are no further prizes or scholarships this year. “We wanted to get away from the competitiveness. Competitors often brought pieces they had done before to increase their chances of winning prizes. It was important that we work on their development.”
3. Latin America
“I once wanted to highlight Latin America musically. It’s uncharted territory. You often hear Aster Piazzolla, but I wanted to do more. In three concerts we zoom in on three big countries: Argentina , Brazil Inside Mexico We also play music by contemporary composers.
,, I hope that those who visit these concerts will think: ‘Wow, how good! I want to know more about it.’ We often talk about talent development, rightly so, but listener development is also important. We try to make people curious and think by doing unexpected things. I consider this essential.
4. North America
Aurora Festival
The Aurora Festival takes place from July 19 to 28 at various locations in Groningen, Trento and Friesland. Check out the full schedule aurorafestival.nl .
“We establish a link with North America through Antonin Dvorak.” Czech composer who worked in America from 1892 to 1895, best known for his symphonies. From the New World . But his visit to America is also reflected in his chamber music. In two concerts his ‘ American String Quartet ‘ performed and it String quintet American, with two violas.
Sergei Rachmaninoff, a Russian born 150 years ago, has a connection to America, where he performed several concerts as a pianist and eventually settled. on three Concerts Dedicated to him, of course, you can hear his piano music, but also other chamber music, such as his songs. “They’re not well-known, but they’re very special.”
5. Morton Feldman
Paul Coman plays himself in Waltermund To Punita Marcus , a rarely performed late piano work (from 1985) by American Morton Feldman. “This music is truly an adventure. A whole new world unlike anything else. “Time becomes space,” Feldman said of it. As a player and listener you have to get an attitude towards this music.
“It’s a piece with very smooth dynamics and a lot of silence. It’s not minimalist music. Feldman has no structure. ‘I just follow my ear,'” he said. It’s important to hear the sounds fully. It’s like looking through a microscope. Or clouds very slowly form. Like watching a change.Music is important when there is very little peace and quiet.
6. New music
In the concert series Young Masters, you can hear even more talent, including master students studying in Groningen, every day at 5 pm at the Prince Claus Conservatory. is also A concert Music composed by Katharina Clement. “I think it’s important for young composers to get opportunities. I would like to expand it in the future.”
That is not self-evident in the world of classical music, where new music is often not planned. “We have an exemplary audience. Our audience is more progressive and open-minded than the general public at the Randstad. This makes it possible to do things like this.
