BATH MOZARTFEST
Bath Mozartfest - Luxury Travel Magazine
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Bath Mozartfest 2010 | |||||
| By: Vanessa Williams, Issue 44 – Spring 2010 | |||||
| (Bath, England) | |||||
| MUSIC LOVERS WILL CONGREGATE AT THE BATH MOZARTFEST IN ENGLAND THIS NOVEMBER FOR A CELEBRATION OF THE MUSIC OF HANDEL, HAYDN AND MENDELSSOHN AT THE EVENT’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY REPORTS VANESSA WILLIAMS. | |||||
| Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius,” said Mozart. The love of his work today is best witnessed at the annual Mozartfest in the world heritage city of Bath. Artistic director Amelia Freedman is responsible for this year’s line-up of top-class musicians. The festival opens with two concerts by the internationally acclaimed Belcea Quartet. Joined by violist Julian Rachlin, they will perform Mozart’s String Quintet in G minor. Beethoven’s Grosse Fugue continues the opening show, followed by Brahms’ Quintet No 2 in G major. Pianist Stephen Kovacevich will join the Belcea Quartet to perform Brahms’ Piano Quintet in F minor. | |||||
| Not only is it the 20th anniversary of the festival, but other anniversaries are also honoured this year. The 400th anniversary of the publication of Monteverdi’s Vespro della Beata Vergine will be conducted by Paul McCreesh and performed by the Gabrieli Consort & Players at Bath Abbey, and the Nash Ensemble will feature Robert Shumann’s Piano Quintet in its concert celebrating the bicentenary of his birth. Album Leaves will trace Schumann’s passionate courtship of the pianist Clara Wieck with actress Juliet Stevenson reading the couple’s letters and diaries, and with performances by mezzo soprano Christine Rice, The Gould Piano Trio, pianist Charles Owen and Roger Vignoles featuring the music of Robert and Clara, Mendelssohn and Brahms. | |||||
| The evenings will feature world famous performers, such as the internationally renowned Jerusalem Quartet, who will be featuring works by Mozart and Mendelssohn as well as Brahms’ First Quartet, which should be a festival highlight. Pianist Angela Hewitt will perform Bach and Andras Schiff will perform two Mozart pieces, the first solo, and the second accompanied by his violinist wife Yuuko Shiokawa. The English Chamber Orchestra and their Music Director Paul Watkins will take on Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante, joined by two Nash Ensemble soloists. Young talented musicians will get a chance to show off their skills during the weekly lunchtime concerts. There will also be two early-evening special events: a programme in BBC Radio 3’s Discovering Music series and an instrumental prologue to Album Leaves. There are three special events at this year’s Mozartfest, the first being the Festival Supper in the Pump Room. The Georgian Pump Room is a stunning neo-classical restaurant where hot spa water is drawn for drinking. Located on the ground level of the Roman Baths, it overlooks the Great Bath, which is the centrepiece of the area. It is here that the concert attendees and members of the Mozartfest team can come together and meet. The Festival Supper includes two courses with wine, coffee and hand-made chocolates. A week later will see the Mozartfest Society Lunch, open to members only. It is a two-course lunch that will take place at The Royal Crescent Hotel. The Bath Mozartfest runs from November 12 – 20 2010 at four venues around Bath; The Forum, Guildhall, Bath Abbey, and the Assembly Rooms. For more information, visit www.bathmozartfest.org.uk | |||||
| Historic Bath | |||||
| The city of Bath is in the south west of England, in county Somerset. Located at the bottom of Avon Valley, the River Avon runs through the centre of the city. The Romans originally established Bath as a spa resort in AD 43, and they called it Aquae Sulis (meaning “the waters of Sulis”). The natural hot water springs are unique in the United Kingdom, and led the Romans to build baths and temples on the surrounding hills. During the 1800s, Bath once again became popular as a spa resort, and led to the creation of beautiful Georgian architecture such as the Royal Crescent and Assembly Rooms. One of the most notable buildings is the Bath Abbey, one of the finest examples of Perpendicular Gothic architecture rebuilt in the late 16th century. In 1987, Bath became a World Heritage Site. A major tourism centre, it has a variety of theatres, museums and cultural and sporting venues. The city plays host not only to the Mozartfest, but also film festivals, literature festivals and even a beer festival. | |||||
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