51. edition to celebrate ECC 2016
This year's edition brings a variety of great performances, while the Festival's programme (promoted as "Europa Cantans" in a tribute to ECC) has been composed by Giovanni Antonini, an Italian conductor and Maestro of the ensemble Il Giardino Armonico. NFM Director Andrzej Kosendiak has revealed that the contract with the Maestro was already signed for the coming years, which should be good news for the Wrtislavia Cantans enthusiasts, especially as Mr Antonini, who had little previous experience as Artistic Director, performed his role to perfection.
The festival brings large symphonic events and smaller chamber music performances, master classes with the world's leading artists as well as projects that involve the NFM ensembles.
Great music at the NFM
The Festival's opening gala will be held on 3 September at the NFM's Main Hall, where the monumental and moving Symphony No. 13 (subtitled "Babi Yar") by Dmitri Shostakovich will be performed to render a tribute to the victims of the massacre carried out by the Nazis in Kyiv in the autumn of 1941. The first movement of the symphony features a poem by Yevgeny Yevtushenko to be performed by a choir and soloist (bass Mikhail Petrenko and the Men's Choir of the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic Orchestra). The instrumental part of the symphony will be rendered by the NFM Orchestra conducted by Andrey Boreyko. A day later, on 4 September, Giovanni Antonini returns to the NFM to conduct Symphony No. 9 by Ludwig van Beethoven with the Kammerorchester Basel and soloists (soprano Christiane Oelze, who once featured in the Wratislavia Cantans) and the National Froum of Music Choir. Interestingly, the Italian maestro, who is now in the process of recording all of Beethoven's symphonies, is also going to invite the NFM Choir to register the final work in the series.
The Festival comes to a close on 18 September at the NFM with another great form, namely the Saint Matthew Passion by J.S. Bach to be conducted by Sir John Eliot Gardiner and featuring his two ensembles English Baroque Soloists and Monteverdi Choir as well as celebrated soloists (tenor Mark Padmore, who is best known from his legendary recordings with Gardiner, as Saint Matthew). Bach enthusiasts are in for a surprise on 11 September, when they can enjoy the staging (!) of the Saint John Passion featuring B’Rock, NFM Choir and soloists to be conducted by Andreas Spering and directed by Pierre Audi, The stage design will be prepared by Wim Delvoye. This is perhaps one of the Festival's most sensational highlights (11 September at the NFM).
Chamber recitals and performances
However, 51. edition of the Wratislavia Cantans Festival is not merely about grand or monumental concertos; the event also brings a number of recitals and chamber performances. Celebrated pianofortist Kristian Bezuidenhout is coming to perform in Wroclaw again; this time in a duet with violinist Alina Ibragimova (8 September at the NFM). The line-up also features gambist Paolo Pandolfo (14 September) and the crazy cellist Giovanni Sollima, who always attracts the crowds (13 September, Holy Cross Church), but this year's performance will be all the more interesting as it features the celebrated vocal ensemble Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares. French counter-tenor Philippe Jaroussky, who has never performed in Wroclaw before, is this year's greatest star of the Festival. The singer is believed to be on the greatest talents of the last decade (5 September at the NFM). He is coming with his Ensemble Artaserse to perform compositions held at Wroclaw's University Library. The effect was not intended, however. There are more attractions to come. Paul van Nevel and his Huelgas Ensemble (9 September, Holy Cross Church) are coming from Belgium, whereas Jordi Savall and his Hespérion XXI (in a programme inspired by various European cultures) are travelling from Cataluña to perform on 12 September at the NFM.
Five artists featured in the programme will also be running their master classes in Wroclaw. "The musicians are coming to Wroclaw not only to perform at the Festival, but also to meet other artists. Such meetings bring the best opportunity to work together," says Andrzej Kosendiak.
Music, food and drink
Festival attractions also include live music accompanied by food savouring as part of the programme to showcase Tafelmusik by Georg Philipp Telemann, to be performed by the Wroclaw Baroque Orchestra and conducted by Giovanni Antonini. The audience will be wandering from one hall to the other (Black, Red, etc.) and into the foyer to savour French, Italian, German and Polish specialities. The event is scheduled for 11 September.
Tickets
The tickets are on sale as of 3 March. Discounts (by 20 PLN) will be available until 31 May (applies to zones 1 and 2 only, where the most attractive seats are located). After 31 May, only regular prices will be available. So it is worth planning your roster in advance. Prices range from 15-300 PLN, and the programme is available at the NFM website.
