1 1 — 1 6 d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2
+
ac
tu
sh
um
an
us
1
Ladies and Gentlemen
It is for the second time that we can warm ourselves up for Christmas with the world’s best period performersin six concerts of the Actus Humanus Festival. After the brilliant Goldberg Festival this autumn, this will bethe last opportunity of the year to listen to early music in Gdańsk. The concerts involving star performerswill be held in the evocative interiors of St. John’s and St. James’s churches and at the Artus Court.True to a promise made last year by Mr Filip Berkowicz, the Festival’s Artistic Director, we will openwith Marc-Antoine Charpentier performed by Akaděmia under Françoise Lasserre on 11 December.
The following day will belong to Jordi Savall, the Spanish musician, composer and virtuoso of the viol.This concert is bound to attract fans of the wonderful soundtrack of the film “All the Mornings of the World”by Alain Corneau. Those who have not heard it yet could not wish for a better opportunity.
On 13 December, Antonio Florio will conduct I Turchini, a group specialising in the 17th and 18th centurymusic from Naples. The following days will bring performances by Mala Punica under Pedro Memelsdorff,the Argentinian flutist, and by Ottavio Dantone the Italian conductor, harpsichordist and directorof the famous Accademia Bizzantina playing the Goldberg Variations. Finally, Europa Galantawith Fabio Biondi featuring Carlo Allemano, will play Vivaldi.
Experience it yourself in Gdańsk!In the words of Jordi Savall: …music, whether sang, played or danced, is the most wonderful way of achievinghappiness...
May all participants of the Actus Humanus Festival experience this happiness.
PPaawweełł AAddaammoowwiicczzMayor of Gdańsk
+
ac
tu
sh
um
an
us
3
Ladies and gentlemen
I have a great pleasure to invite you to the second edition of the Actus Humanus Festival. Its mission is to showcasethe greatest masterpieces of early music associated with Christmas time by inviting leading period performers fromaround the world. The Festival’s carefully crafted repertory and a select cast of undisputed authorities among earlymusic performance have already helped to put the city of Gdańsk prominently on the map of events devoted to thisperiod in music. It is an ambition of the Actus Humanus to join the Europe’s elite festivals of Renaissance and Baroquemusic.
The Actus Humanus Festival may only be in its second year, but we will expand its programme and consolidate itsposition while exploring brave new developments in early music performance around the world. This year, the Festivalhas a string of exciting musicians who have already confirmed their participation, including Jordi Savall, OttavioDantone, Europa Galante with Fabio Biondi, Akadêmia with Françoise Lasserre and Mala Punica with PedroMemelsdorff. An opportunity to witness the emergence of a new and important cultural phenomenon does nothappen very often and this is precisely what we are experiencing in Gdańsk. You too can become part of its wonderfulstory and I hope to see you in Gdańsk!
FFiilliipp BBeerrkkoowwiicczzArtistic Director
+
ac
tu
sh
um
an
us
5
Gdańsk is a Baltic-Sea hub with half a million inhabitants, a rich heritage featuring Hevelius, Fahrenheit, Schopenhauer,Günter Grass and Lech Wałęsa, and a constant appetite for change. From the cradle of the Solidarity movement, the epicentre of events that changed the history of the continent, the city has turned into a bustling culturalmetropolis and an attractive tourist destination competing with its Western European counterparts. It is for a goodreason that Gdańsk hosted the UEFA EURO 2012™ tournament. The city has freedom in its genes. Boldness, novelty, but above all freedom, are the names of the game in Gdańsk of today, including in culture. By reaching out and involving the spectator this cultural freedom has been making itsmark across the city’s public space. It can be found in the maze of old town streets, among the towering gantry cranesat the shipyard, on sandy beaches and in post-industrial sites. Often, the city offers itself as a huge stage, a gallery or a concert venue, as the streets and open areas of Gdańsk fill in with colourful shows and expressivemonumental paintings. Music is made in the most unlikely places and the Poland’s only (perhaps also the world’s)theatre-in-the-window attracts the surprised passer-by, while even the most humble buildings are transformed by nighttime illumination. Gdańsk is a place of alternative art and has been adopted as home by uncompromising artists with bold, sometimescontroversial visions. The city has a strong personality and is not shy of experiments or revolutions while continuouslyoffering new events.
+
ac
tu
sh
um
an
us
7
The Actus Humanus Festival is co-organised by event-factory, a Krakow-based companyran by Sebastian Godula and Konrad Koper. The two men combine a vast experience inorganising and producing cultural events, festivals and concerts. Between 2003 and 2007,they were responsible for managing productions at the Krakow’s leading event operation,the Krakow Festival Office. Together with Filip Berkowicz they initiated and managed thesuccess of Sacrum Profanum and Misteria Paschalia, Poland’s leading festival brands. Atevent-factory they have been producing the Festival of Polish Music (since 2007) and theCrossroads Festival Krakow (since 2010), and were involved in arranging some of thecountry’s largest mass events. In 2011, aside from the Actus Humanus, they wereinvolved in organising the European Culture Congress in Wrocław, the key cultural eventof the Polish EU Presidency. Event-factory, acting for the National Audiovisual Institute,were the executive producers of the unique double concert Penderecki & Aphex Twinand Penderecki & Greenwood. Building on the success of this project event-factory washired to organise a penderecki//greenwood concert at the Barbican Centre in London inMarch 2012 and again during the Heineken Open’er Festival in July. Also in 2012, event-factory won contracts for the executive production of the Goodfest festival and theKrakow Theatrical Reminiscences.Event-factory has also a history of projects located in Gdańsk. In 2005, they producedZapis, a show opening the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Solidarity, staged byleading Polish artists in front of the entrance to the historic Lenin’s Shipyard. Morerecently, in 2010, event-factory worked for the Gdańsk-based European Solidarity Centreproducing the musical 21, part of 2xStrajk, the celebration the 30th anniversary ofSolidarity at a derelict steel plant in Warsaw.
Radio RMF Classic is broadcasting to 19 largest Polish cities. Its team of competent and ambitious people ensures that the spokenword is more then just filler between music and the radio offers generousamounts of artistic, historical and personal background to the music played. Combining quality content with a simple format and a light-hearted style has become a successful formula in catering to the needs of bothserious aficionados and the more casual audiences. RMF Classic alsoprovides coverage of major cultural events, including local art exhibitions,stage shows and film and book premieres, while its news service offersmore down-to-earth facts. On Sundays, RMF Classic features extendedinterviews with musicians, actors, authors, etc. The audience of RMF Classic involves open-minded people of all ages who share the appreciation of art and culture. The station is working withnumerous Polish cultural institutions, including all philharmonic halls andmany opera houses, theatres, cinemas, museums and with publishers. The 432 thousand people who tune in to RMF Classic every day constitutea very attractive target group. Highly educated, living in the largest Polishcities, listeners of RMF Classic represent some of the most prestigiousprofessional groups. Indeed, 59.1% are executive managers, professionalsor entrepreneurs; 54.7% live in cities with more than 500 thousandinhabitants; and 58.3% have higher education backgrounds.
+
ac
tu
sh
um
an
us
9
]]
1111 DDeecceemmbbeerr
TTuueessddaayy,, 88::0000 ppmm
SStt.. JJoohhnn’’ss CChhuurrcchh
uull.. ŚŚwwiięęttoojjaańńsskkaa 5500
+
ac
tu
sh
um
an
us
11
PPaassttoorraallee ppoouurr llaa NNaaiissssaannccee ddee nnoottrree SSeeiiggnneeuurr JJééssuuss--CChhrriisstt
EEddwwiiggee PPaarraatt,, JJuulliieettttee PPeerrrreett soprano
JJeeaann--CChhrriissttoopphhee CCllaaiirr alto
RReennaauudd TTrriippaatthhii,, JJoohhaannnneess WWeeiissss,, GGuuiillllaauummee ZZaabbéé tenor
BBeennooîîtt GGiiaauuxx,, PPhhiilliippppee RRoocchhee bass
FFrraannççooiissee LLaasssseerrrree conductor
AAKKAADDÊÊMMIIAA
LLiieessjjee VVaannmmaasssseennhhoovvee,, PPiieetteerr CCaammppoo flute
FFllaavviioo LLoossccoo,, SSttéépphhaanniiee PPffiisstteerr violin
GGéérraallddiinnee RRoouuxx viola
SSaammaanntthhaa MMoonnttggoommeerryy cello
EEttiieennnnee MMaannggoott double bass
EEmmmmaannuueell VViiggnneerroonn bassoon
EEmmmmaannuueell MMaannddrriinn positive organ
EErriicc BBeellllooccqq theorbo
MMaarrcc--AAnnttooiinnee CChhaarrppeennttiieerr 1643–1704
MMaaggnniiffiiccaatt H79
3ème Magnificat avec les instruments
Prélude
Magnificat anima mea
Quia fecit mihi magna
Et misericordia
Fecit potentiam
Suscepit Israel
Sicut locutus est
Gloria Patri
Sicut erat in principio
IInn nnaattiivviittaatteemm DDoommiinnii CCaannttiiccuumm H416
Præludium Usque quo avertis faciem tuamChorus justorum Memorae testamenti
Nuit
Réveil des Bergers
Chœur des Bergers Cœli aperti suntL’Ange Nolite timere pastoresChœur des Anges Gloria in altissimis DeoUn Berger Transeamus usque BethleemMarche des Bergers
Chœur O infans, o DeusDernier Chœur Exultemus, jubilemus Deo
***
MMeessssee ddee MMiinnuuiitt à 4 voix, flûtes et violons pour Noël H9
Kyrie
Kyrie eleison
Noëls sur les instruments Joseph est bien marié H534/3
Christe eleison
Noëls sur les instruments Or nous dites Marie H534/4
Kyrie eleison
Noëls sur les instruments Une jeune pucelle H534/6
Gloria
Noëls sur les instruments Les bourgeois de Chastre H534/1
Noëls sur les instruments Où s’en vont ces guays bergers H534/2
Credo
Noëls sur les instruments Vous qui désirez sans fin H531
Voici venu le jour de NoëlNoëls sur les instruments A la venue de Noël H534/5
Sanctus
O dieu que n’estois je en vie
Agnus Dei
A minuit fut fait un reveil
Marc-Antoine Charpentier was born in 1643, a momentous
year for the European culture. Europe was still torn by the
raging Thirty-Year War that would elevate France as the
continent’s leading power in five years time. Claudio
Monteverdi, the champion of seconda prattica, died in Italy,
while in France death took Antoine Boësset, the court
composer of Louis XIII and author of the famous Mass and
Magnificat. The opera was taking off and the foundations of
the sacral music, on which Charpentier would build, had been
laid. This was a very well established and solid ground, on
which French music would develop steering its own individual
course.
Nothing is known about Charpentier’s earliest encounters
with composing and the first mention of his musical
education comes only from the time of his stay in Rome,
where he arrived at the age of 21. He studied with Giacomo
Carissimi, known for elevating the status of the sacred tale,
the oratorio. Charpentier would soon prove that he was a
keen student of his Roman master. Today, Charpentier, with
his arcane theoretical considerations about harmony in music
and tonal harmonies best suited to render certain feelings,
and with his strong involvement in religious matters, which is
known from both his work and life, seems a figure somewhat
withdrawn from the main stream. Indeed, he was suspended
between, on the one hand, the times of Louis XIII, when the
French music was clearly absorbing intense flavours of the
Italian freshness (allowing such cheeky Spaniards, as Luis
de Briceño, to exert influence on the court’s music) followed
by a wave of the Sun King’s darling composers exemplified
by Jean-Baptiste Lully (who introduced the world to the
French opera in its format that may be seen as traditional
today, but was barely established then) and, on the other
hand, the stylistic boisterousness of Jean-Philippe Rameau.
This transitional period in music would serve Charpentier’s
music very well. While modal scales continued to echo of past
centuries, tonal harmonies - to the study of which he was so
devoted - have already started making their way into music.
Their coexistence was devoid of an original aggression, more
like when a benevolent elder anoints his young grandson
without regret, and the two modes that seemed mutually
exclusive enriched each other’s potential. Charpentier used
this to his benefit perfectly by composing vocal pieces based
on counterpoints that were partly rooted in the chant
tradition, which gave them a contemplative and utterly
absorbing nature, but which were supported by a new set
of instruments compatible not just with the tonal system, but
also with an entire spectrum of links between tonal
harmonies and the intended emotions. This seemingly
complex approach produced very clear and highly involving
music that was very simple structurally yet highly refined.
An account of Charpentier’s work would be incomplete
without a section devoted to compositions linked with the
liturgical period of Christmas, to which the composer had
a strong attachment devoting much of his oeuvre to it. The
oratorio (or motet, depending on the source) In nativitatemDomini Canticum, based on an anonymous libretto, is
regarded as one of Charpentier’s highest achievements, while
Magnificat delivers stunning harmonies in his praise of the
Virgin Mary. Yet another powerful product of this line of work
is Messe de Minuit pour Noël (No. 9 in Hugh Wiley
Hitchcock’s catalogue) from around 1690, when the composer
was maître de musique at the Jesuit Order. The mass
combines the lyrics and vocal lines of traditional carols (noëls)
with the instrumental section arranged by Charpentier. While
the liturgy of the midnight mass allowed carols the thought of
structuring an entire piece around folk songs of praise about
the birth of Christ was truly novel. In this way carols,
somewhat dancelike in nature, received a second refined life
and the composer revealed his talent by combining two
different cultural idioms with grace and ease.
Paweł Szczepanik
+
ac
tu
sh
um
an
us
13
In choosing the name Akadêmia,
Françoise Lasserre rooted her approach
to music firmly in a consciously
humanistic tradition, inherited from
the Platonic garden and the Italian
Renaissance.
Vigorously pursuing a ‘musical ideal’
embracing both asceticism and
exhilaration, founded on scrupulous
respect for the text and the wish to
transport listeners to summits of sheer
emotion, Françoise Lasserre and her
ensemble have chosen the long and
arduous path of complete fidelity to their
artistic convictions.
This ascetic attitude has borne splendid
fruit, and led to an exemplary meeting of
minds. As the ensemble’s discography so
eloquently demonstrates, Akadêmia and
its record company Zig-Zag Territoires
have discovered a common passion as
they blaze new trails through the music
of Heinrich Schütz. To date, Akadêmia has
devoted five recordings to this composer:
the Musikalische Exequien, The Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross, the Resurrection History, the ChristmasHistory, and the St Matthew Passion.
Widely recognised as an inspired
interpreter of Schütz, Françoise Lasserre
also has strong elective affinities with
Claudio Monteverdi. Her recordings of the
complete Selva morale e spirituale and
the Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda,
both unanimously acclaimed by the
musical press, demonstrate the high
standards of excellence achieved by her
rigorous direction. The group’s rich
discography has recently been augmented
by Stefano Landi’s La morte d’Orfeo and a
recording of Bach’s cantatas. Akadêmia’s
primary vocation remains the recreation
of major or unknown vocal and/or
instrumental works of the seventeenth
century.
The Ensemble has been regularly invited
by prestigious French festivals such as
Ambronay, La Chaise- Dieu, Auvers-sur-
-Oise, Lourdes, Festival d’Ile de France,
Contrepoint 62 and many others. Its
international fame has taken it all over
Europe to places like Mainz, Regensburg,
Schwaebisch Gmünd (Germany), Roma,
Cremona, Napoli, Arezzo (Italy), Bruxelles,
Liège, Brügge-Festival van Vlanderen
(Belgium) Utrecht-Oude Musiek Festival,
Maastricht (Holland), Fribourg
(Switzerland), Monaco.
Akadêmia worked also with others
partners, like instrumental groups
(La Fenice, Il Concerto Italiano); the Ballet
of Monte-Carlo (choreography by Sidi
Larbi Cherkaoui on Schütz’s pieces and
Jean-Christophe Maillot on Monteverdi’s
pieces); la Comédie de Saint-Etienne
(director Jean-Claude Berutti) and an
author-poet, Jean-Pierre Siméon, who
wrote a text on the Legend of Orpheus
on their request.
Akadêmia has now been in residence
amid the vineyards of Champagne for
more than twenty years. Each year,
the group presents a concert season
and an ambitious programme aimed
at developing new audiences in the
Champagne-Ardenne region.
+
ac
tu
sh
um
an
us
15
AAKKAADDÊÊMMIIAA
The artistic director and founder of the
ensemble Akadêmia, Francoise Lasserre is
known for her unique approach to period
performance that she truly mastered with
a humanism-based attitude to
harmonious relationships within the
group and painstaking selection of the
repertory, the instrument set, choice of
voices and an utmost attention to the
meaning of the text and its strict link with
the music. After graduating from the
unlikely subject of mathematics, she
turned to musical education. She took
part in Pierre Dervaux’ courses, where she
learned about composition, analysis of
musical works and conducting. With these
skills she joined the famous La Chapelle
Royale, a group established by Philippe
Herreweghe in 1977. She also had an
opportunity to work with Michel Corboz,
the artistic director of Ensemble Vocal
de Lausanne. These episodes have set
Françoise Lasserre on a new course and
her life would become inextricably linked
with early music.
In 1986, Françoise Lasserre embarked on
a new venture to establish a vocal-
instrumental ensemble with her as the
artistic director. Her ambition was to
change the image of early music that
lingered among the general public by
showing its attractive and refined side
that was close to modernity. Her proposal
was accepted by the regional authorities
of Champagne-Ardenne, thus beginning
the story of Akadêmia, one of the world’s
leading period performance groups and
a long string of award-winning records,
mostly for Zig-Zag. Two composers,
Claudio Monteverdi and Heinrich Schütz,
are particularly close to the heart of
Françoise Lasserre for the utmost
importance they attach to lyrics.
Lasserre’s humanistic approach demands
that she reaches to each and every
listener, but also to conduct voluntary and
educational activity. She uses Akadêmia’s
concerts to reach out to youngsters, to
senior citizens, sick people and prison
inmates; she also often holds auditions
looking for young talented singers who
are then offered an opportunity to work
with her ensemble or on its side projects.
+
ac
tu
sh
um
an
us
17
FFRRAANNÇÇOOIISSEE LLAASSSSEERRRREE
1122 DDeecceemmbbeerr
WWeeddnneessddaayy,, 88::0000 ppmm
AArrttuuss CCoouurrtt
uull.. DDłłuuggii TTaarrgg 4433//4444
+
ac
tu
sh
um
an
us
19
TToouuss lleess mmaattiinnss dduu mmoonnddee
All the Mornings of the World
JJoorrddii SSaavvaallll viola da gamba
II.. IINNVVOOCCAATTIIOONN
KKaarrll FFrriieeddrriicchh AAbbeell 1723–1787
Arpeggiata
JJoohhaannnn SSeebbaassttiiaann BBaacchh 1685–1750
Allemande
JJoohhaannnn SScchheenncckk 1660–1712
Aria Burlesca
IIII.. LLEESS RREEGGRREETTSS
MMoonnssiieeuurr ddee SSaaiinnttee--CCoolloommbbee, llee ffiillss 1660–1720
Fantaisie en Rondeau
MMoonnssiieeuurr ddee SSaaiinnttee--CCoolloommbbee, llee ppèèrree 1640–1700
Les Pleurs
JJoohhaannnn SSeebbaassttiiaann BBaacchh
Bourrée II
IIIIII.. LLEESS GGOOÛÛTTSS ÉÉTTRRAANNGGEERRSS
MMoonnssiieeuurr ddee SSaaiinnttee--CCoolloommbbee, llee ffiillss
Prélude en mi
MMaarriinn MMaarraaiiss 1656–1728
Sarabande a l’Espagnol
Muzette & Tambourin
IIVV.. LLAA RREEVVEEUUSSEE
MMoonnssiieeuurr ddee SSaaiinnttee--CCoolloommbbee, llee ffiillss
Prélude en Fa
MMaarriinn MMaarraaiiss
La Reveuse
L’Arabesque
VV.. LLEESS VVOOIIXX HHUUMMAAIINNEESS
LLee SSiieeuurr ddee MMaacchhyy II poł. XVII w.
Prélude
MMaarriinn MMaarraaiiss
Les Voix Humaines
Les Folies d’Espagne
+
ac
tu
sh
um
an
us
21
Why is it that concert halls filled with baroque music tend
to emit mostly the sounds of Italy?
There is no doubt that the 17th century was dominated
by an operatic tradition emerging from Italy, preceded
by Giulio Caccini’s treatise Le nouve musiche and backed
by, among others, an impressive heritage of Monteverdi’s.
While it is true that the primacy of Rome, Florence and,
at a later stage, also of Venice has lingered to this day, it is
difficult to accept the marginalisation of the French music,
especially the intense work by Marin Marais and Monsieur
de Sainte-Colombe.
The 17th century was associated, on the one hand, with the
flourishing of the air, rooted in the monody, and of the opera,
while on the other hand with a repertory that was far more
intimate, yet endowed with a good measure of flair and
virtuosity. The instrumental oeuvre of Sainte-Colombe
and Marais, masters of the fascinating viola da gamba,
belongs to that latter genre. Viola da gamba was Louis XIV’s
favourite instrument of choice due to its thoroughly French
nature (despite Italian origins), as opposed to the violin with
a strong Italian tradition. With its enormous scale, unique
dynamics and a warm soft sound viola da gamba not only
rapidly conquered nearly all of Europe, but more importantly
attracted composers who wrote music specifically for this
instrument.
To illustrate the point just Mr de Sainte-Colombe composed
more than 170 pieces for the viola da gamba solo. He was
not just a master of the instrument, but probably also the
experimenter attributed traditionally with adding the seventh
base string in A to the chordophone and thus expanding its
sound potential. His mastery is illustrated by Hubert Le Blanc
in his treatise Defense de la basse de viole contre lesentreprises du violon et les prétentions du violoncelle (1740):
“He could render every nuance of the human voice from
a sigh of a young maiden to a cry of an old man”.
Alongside Sainte-Colombe in the pantheon of the basse
de viole virtuosos is his disciple, Marin Marais, author of the
five-volume Pièces de viole (1686-1725), which enjoyed great
popularity among his contemporaries and consolidated
the instrument’s unquestionable status at the French court.
Marin Marais used his enormous talent very well at the
Versailles court and in 1679 was named ordinaire de la Chambre du Roy pour la viole.
The fates of Sainte-Colombe and his sixteen-year-junior
Marais joined for six months, when Marais took lessons from
his master. The book Le Parnasse Francais by Evrard Titon
du Tillet, published in 1732, may contain a suggestion that
Sainte-Colombe terminated the tuition when he realised
that Marais had a potential to surpass him. Details of their
relationship are not known, but the fact that the young
composer dedicated his Tombeau pour Monsieur de Sainte--Colombe to his teacher in 1701, one year after the old man’s
death, would at least suggest respect. An interesting,
although entirely imaginary, view of the relationship between
the young student and his mentor is presented in the feature
film All the Mornings of the World based on Pascal Quignard’s
book and directed by Alain Corneau, where the charismatic
personalities of the two virtuosos of the viol clash and inspire
each other. The film is permeated by the music composed by
the two protagonists in a phenomenal interpretation of Jordi
Savall, himself an authority on period performance and
excellent instrumentalist. The soundtrack of All the Morningsof the World was awarded a Cesar, the prestigious French film
award. It is an interesting coincidence that Jordi Savall left
a choir at a young age and become interested in the cello,
which eventually lead to playing historic instruments, just as
Marin Marais started playing basse de viole after having been
expelled from a choir when his voice broke.
Paweł Szczepanik
An unquestionable star of early music,
if early music can have a star, a conductor,
the driving force behind ensembles
Hespèrion XXI, La Capella Reial de
Catalunya and Le Concert des Nations,
a virtuoso of the viola da gamba
and a tireless discoverer of music.
His contribution to the discovery of the
medieval, Renaissance and Baroque
repertory is difficult to overestimate.
He has brought to life forgotten pieces
from his beloved Catalonia, Europe,
Middle and Far East, and from Latin
America. Each of Savall’s recordings has
a solid research base, including
musicological, but is also enriched by his
unique talent to reconstruct forgotten
or incomplete music. Equally unique
is his passion for musical and cultural
ecumenism, as his magnetic personality
can bring to a single stage Jewish cantors
and Arabic singers.
Jordi Savall came in contact with music
at an early stage, when he sang in a choir
in his hometown. He studied
in a conservatory in Barcelona from which
he graduated in 1965. His interests
in early music lead him to study viola
da gamba.
In 1968, he started to study performance
practice at Schola Cantorum Basiliensis.
Jordi Savall made more than 170
recordings, many of which were awarded
the Midem Classical Awards, Orphée d’Or,
César and Caecilia, while his album
Dinastia Borgia (2010) received a Grammy.
Savall garnered several accolades himself,
including L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
(1988), La Medalla de Oro de las Bellas
Artes (1998), Victoire de la Musique
(2002), Medalla d’Or from the Catalonian
Parliament (2003) and the Artist for the
Peace (UNESCO). In 2009, he received
the Georg Friedrich Handel Prize from
the German city of Halle and was named
the Ambassador of the European Year of
Creativity and Innovation. The following
year, he won the award of Academia
de las Artes y las Ciencias de la Música as
the best classical music performer and the
Praetorius Music Prize from Lower Saxony
(Germany). His latest award, the Danish
Léonie Sonning Music Prize, received in
2012, puts him along the likes of Witold
Lutosławski, Kaiji Saariaho, Mstislav
Rostropovich and Miles Davis.
Jordi Savall is the owner and artistic
manager of the record label Alia Vox,
where he publishes his new recordings,
re-releases albums recorded for other
labels and publishes music broadly related
to himself, his ensembles and to his
musical path.
Jordi Savall’s greatest recording success
remains the soundtrack to the Alain
Corneau’s All the Mornings of the World,
which includes compositions of Monsieur
de Sainte-Colombe and Marin Marais
preformed on the viola da gamba with
the greatest skill and powerful emotions.
+
ac
tu
sh
um
an
us
23
JJOORRDDII SSAAVVAALLLL
With the support of the Departament de Cultura of the Generalitat de Catalunya,the InsOtut Ramon Llull and the “CultureProgramme” of the European Union."
1133 DDeecceemmbbeerr
TThhuurrssddaayy,, 88::0000 ppmm
SStt.. JJoohhnn’’ss CChhuurrcchh
uull.. ŚŚwwiięęttoojjaańńsskkaa 5500
+
ac
tu
sh
um
an
us
25
OOrraattoorriioo
La Vergine: LLeesslliiee VViissccoo soprano
Amor Divino: CCrriissttiinnaa GGrriiffoonnee soprano
La Sapienza: FFiilliippppoo MMiinneecccciiaa alto
L’Onnipotenza: RRoossaarriioo TToottaarroo tenor
Il Peccato: GGiiuusseeppppee NNaavviigglliioo bass
AAnnttoonniioo FFlloorriioo conductor
II TTUURRCCHHIINNII
AAlleessssaannddrroo CCiiccccoolliinnii,, MMaarrccoo PPiiaannttoonnii violin
RRoossaarriioo DDii MMeegglliioo viola
AAllbbeerrttoo GGuueerrrreerroo cello
GGiioorrggiioo SSaannvviittoo double bass
PPaattrriizziiaa VVaarroonnee harpsichord
FFrraanncceessccoo AAlliibbeerrttii positive organ
PPaaoollaa VVeennttrreellllaa theorbo
PPrriimmaa ppaarrttee
Sinfonia
Tutti: Divini attributiLa Vergine, Amor Divino, La Sapienza, L’Onnipotenza,
Il Peccato
Recitativo: Io che fabra di luce L’Onnipotenza
Aria: Impiegata l’OnnipotenzaL’Onnipotenza
Recitativo: Io che dal seno eterno La Sapienza
Aria: Quanto so’ voglio crearlaLa Sapienza
Recitativo: Et Io che da due senniAmor Divino
Aria: Sono Amore et innamoratoAmor Divino
Trio: Venga a luce chi luce haAmor Divino, La Sapienza, L’Onnipotenza
Aria Il più bello, il più nobile oggettoLa Vergine
Recitativo: Ordinata ab aeternoLa Vergine
Aria: Quel guardo che amorosoLa Vergine
Aria: Quanto sei bella L’Onnipotenza
Recitativo: Sei la maggior dell’opreL’Onnipotenza
Aria: Se bella io sonoLa Vergine
Aria: Ti compose di gigliLa Sapienza
Recitativo: Dell’eterno saperLa Sapienza
Aria: Vieni e cogli, mio caroLa Vergine
Aria: Mia colomba intemerata Amor Divino
Recitativo: Se il vero amoreAmor Divino
Aria: Il tuo stral divino arcieroLa Vergine
Trio: Per dar al tron d’IddioAmor Divino, La Sapienza, L’Onnipotenza
GGaaeettaannoo VVeenneezziiaannoo 1656–1706
LLaa PPuurriiffiiccaazziioonnee ddeellllaa VVeerrggiinnee oovvvveerroo LLaa SSaannttiissssiimmaa TTrriinniittàà iimmppiieeggaattaa nneellll aa CCoonncceezziioonnee IImmmmaaccuullaattaa ddii MMaarriiaa
World premiere
***
SSeeccoonnddaa ppaarrttee
Sonata
Recitativo: Lungi il Peccato?Il Peccato
Aria: Su’ schiere mie fiereIl Peccato
Recitativo accompagnato: Vomiterò da questa ingorda boccaIl Peccato, La Vergine
Aria: Come orrendo superbo e tremendoLa Vergine
Trio: Teco è lo sposo eternoAmor Divino, La Sapienza, L’Onnipotenza
Recitativo: Dunque una creaturaIl Peccato
Aria: Se poi non osserva la leggeIl Peccato
Recitativo: Si che in potereAmor Divino, La Sapienza, L’Onnipotenza
Aria: Mostro terribileLa Vergine
Recitativo: Tanto vuol DioLa Vergine, Il Peccato
Aria: Tutti assistetemi mostri del TartaroIl Peccato
Recitativo: Aquila invittaLa Vergine, Amor Divino, La Sapienza, L’Onnipotenza, Il Peccato
Aria: Chi a’ languidi senniL’Onnipotenza
Recitativo: No, che non può temerL’Onnipotenza, La Sapienza
Aria: Spezzerai tu le cateneLa Sapienza
Recitativo: Se amore Amor Divino
Aria: Senz’ombra concettaAmor Divino
Recitativo: Accetto il pesoLa Vergine
Aria: Figli mieiLa Vergine
Recitativo: Quante soverchierie?Amor Divino, La Sapienza, L’Onnipotenza, Il Peccato
Aria: Invan chiedo vendettaIl Peccato
Quartet: Vittoria per MariaLa Vergine, Amor Divino, La Sapienza, L’Onnipotenza
Tutti: Chi salvarsi, liberarsi vuol dal dragoLa Vergine, Amor Divino, La Sapienza, L’Onnipotenza, Il Peccato
+
ac
tu
sh
um
an
us
27
Gaetano Veneziano was born in 1656 in Bisceglie, a town
founded by Normans in Apulia in the 11th century. At the age
of 20, he began his studies at Conservatorio di Santa Maria
di Loreto in Naples, where, one year later, he met his new
tutor Francesco Provenzale, probably the first Neapolitan
composer who brought the opera to the Italian south.
At 22, Veneziano received the post of the organist at Cappella
Reale, the royal chapel, where he continued until 1686. His
composer career accelerated further when, on 10 July 1684,
he was nominated the first maestro di cappella in the history
of Conservatorio di Santa Maria di Loreto. One year later,
he was replaced by Nicolo Acerbo, but would come back after
another 10 years. The activity of Veneziano was not limited
to this post and he was also maestro di cappella at the
Neapolitan court and at Santa Maria del Carmine Maggiore.
This multitude of duties proved his partial undoing, as a
rebellion of the Conservatorio’s students lead to his humbling
replacement by Giuliano Perugino in 1705.
Gaetano Veneziano achieved his greatest success at the
Neapolitan court. The retirement of Alessadro Scarlatti, who
had brought the Neapolitan operatic school to its heights,
opened the position of maestro di Cappella Reale. Four
composers, including Cristofaro Caresana, entered in a
competition for the post, which was promised to the author
of the most perfect mass. On 25 October 1704, Veneziano
took the coveted position and held it until the falling of
Naples into the Hapsburg hands in 1707.
Gaetano Veneziano died on 15 July 1716, as a teacher at the
Conservatorio di Santa Maria di Loreto, having had written
more than 120 pieces, including such genres, as passion
cantatas, masses, motets and cantatas. He was also
instrumental in preserving the heritage of his master,
Francesco Provenzale, by rewriting many of his manuscripts,
which remain to this day mostly as Veneziano’s copies.
The figure of Gaetano Veneziano remains shrouded in thick
veil of oblivion and obscurity. Apart from a few obvious, but
strictly biographical, facts about his music the contemporary
audiences were not able to fully appreciate the achievements
of this Neapolitan composer. Fortunately much of his
manuscripts have been preserved at the dei Filippini library
in Naples. This treasure is successfully mined by Antonio
Florio and his ensemble, as they research and, equally as
importantly, record and perform publically the best examples
of the Neapolitan school of music. Some of that veil
of mystery will be lifted as the audience in Gdańsk listens
to La Purificazione della Vergine ovvero La Santissima Trinitàimpiegata nell a Concezione Immaculata di Maria showing the
beauty of mature southern Italian music that stays away from
stile antico. I Turchini bring with them a music that is based
on elegant and subtle instrumentation and vocal parts that
are full of freedom, yet without unnecessary nonchalance.
Veneziano’s music is easily placed between Provenzalo’s, who
introduced a new genre to Naples, and Alessandro Scarlatti’s,
who laid solid foundations for the development of the opera,
on the one hand, and the stylistically bold music of Pergolesi
on the other. Veneziano may have shied away from the opera
at a time of its very rapid development, devoting himself
primarily to sacred music, but his understanding of the
intense effect of a stage performance and of the play of
tensions between dramatic characters was so perfect that his
oratorio’s have lost nothing of their theatrical value. What
they gained was a direct and true-to-text musical message
so characteristic of the change in music of the 17th century.
Paweł Szczepanik
AANNTTOONNIIOO FFLLOORRIIOO
A tireless researcher of the Neapolitan Baroque
music, Antonio Florio reveals to the audiences the
work of Cristofaro Caresana, Leonardo Leo, Nicola
Fago and most of all Francesco Provenzale, maestrodi cappella at Conservatorio della Pietà de’ Turchini.
Florio was born in Bari, where he studied piano and
cello. He then went on to study period performance
practice and, fascinated by the southern Italian
musical tradition and by Provenzalo himself,
he founded the Ensemble Turchini in 1987.
From that point on, he has been devoting himself
to his musicological research, in which he is aided
by the musicologist Dinko Fabris, and to performing.
Antonio Florio’s explorations focus on the 17th and
18th century Neapolitan music and much of his
repertory is a result of painstaking research
and discovery, including of such masterpieces
as La colomba ferita (1670), Il schiavo di suamoglie (1671) and Stellidaura vendicante (1674)
by Francesco Provenzale, Pulcinella vendicato by
Giovanni Paisiello (1767), La Statira by Francesco
Cavalli and Motezuma by Francesco De Majo (1765).
Antonio Florio passes on his knowledge not just
through performances, but also by teaching
as a professor at the Conservatorio San Pietro
a Majella in Naples where he gives a course
in Baroque performing practice and theory.
In 2009, he signed a contract with Glossa and since
then he has recorded two albums devoted to
Cristofaro Caresana, Neapolitan cantatas with
the phenomenal tenor Pino de Vittorio and cello
concertos of Giovanni Sollima. Earlier, he recorded
for Opus 111 and Eloquentii among other labels.
Until 2010, the ensemble founded
by Antonio Florio was known to music
lovers around the world as Cappella
della Pietà de’ Turchini. It consists
of instrumentalists and singers who
specialise in the performance of
Neapolitan music from the 17th and 18th
centuries and in rediscovering forgotten
early music composers.
I Turchini stand out with their unique
sound, which sets them apart from all
other ensembles involved in early
music. The dynamism, the soft sound,
the characteristic timbre, precision and
the enormous emotional involvement
of both the conducting Antonio Florio
and the musicians make them
recognisable after just the first few
sounds and their narrative can be
followed without a single slip.
The originality of their programmes and
the rigorous adhesion to the rules of the
baroque performing practice turned the
formation into an absolute
phenomenon of the Italian and
European stage of early music
performance. I Turchini is a permanent
feature of elite early music European
festivals, such as: the Monteverdi
Festival in Cremona; festivals at
Versailles, Nancy, Nantes, Metz, Caen,
Ambronay; Festival de Otoño in Madrid;
Music Festivals in Tel Aviv, Barcelona
and Potsdam; BBC Early Music Festival,
Cité de la Musique in Paris, Fondation
de Saison Royamount, Mozart Festival
in La Coruna and the Misteria Paschalia
Festival in Krakow. I Turchini is also
resident at the Centre Lyrique
d’Auvergne at Clermont-Ferrand.
The ensemble recorded for Radio
France, BBC, as well as in Belgium,
Spain, and for the German and Austrian
radio. In the past, I Turchini recorded
for Opus 111 and Eloquentia, but they
switched to the prestigious Madrid-
-based label Glossa in 2009.
+
ac
tu
sh
um
an
us
31
II TTUURRCCHHIINNII
1144 DDeecceemmbbeerr
FFrriiddaayy,, 88::0000 ppmm
SStt.. JJaammeess’’ss CChhuurrcchh
uull.. ŁŁaaggiieewwnniikkii 6633
+
ac
tu
sh
um
an
us
33
NNaappoollii GGootthhiiqquuee –– LLaa PPoolliiffoonniiaa ddeellllaa NNaappoollii aannggiiooiinnaa
PPeeddrroo MMeemmeellssddoorrffff flutes, artistic management
MMAALLAA PPUUNNIICCAA
BBaarrbbaarraa ZZaanniicchheellllii soprano
MMaarrkkééttaa CCuukkrroovváá mezzosoprano
GGiiaannlluuccaa FFeerrrraarriinnii,, RRaaffffaaeellee GGiioorrddaannii tenor
HHeelleennaa ZZeemmaannoovváá,, TThhoommaass BBaaeettéé vielle
PPaabblloo KKoorrnnffeelldd early harpsichord, positive organ
LLiibbeerr uussuuaalliissStatuit ei Dominus testamentum pacis
AAnnoonniimm Kyrie
PPhhiilliippppee ddee VViittrryy 1291–1361Rex quem metrorum
AAnnttoonneelllloo ddaa CCaasseerrttaa XIV/XV w.Or tolta pur me sey
Più chiar che‘l sol
Deh vogliateme oldire
AAnnoonniimmSempre serva
FFiilliippppoottttoo ddaa CCaasseerrttaa ok. 1350–ok. 1435De ma dolour
AAnnttoonneelllloo ddaa CCaasseerrttaaAmour ma le cuer mis
Dame zentil
FFiilliippppoottttoo ddaa CCaasseerrttaaPar les bons Gedeon et Sanson
AAnnoonniimmOchi piangete
AAnnoonniimmHa fortune
AAnnoonniimmPar che la vita mia
The 14th century was a time of decline in Naples. The reign
of Joan I, deemed infamous by historians, undermined
the power of the Kingdom of Sicily, which was ruled by the
Angevins between 1226 and 1442. Social conflicts unsettled
the state that clung to its old feudal system while the western
schism deprived southern Italy of papal protection. Even
in these difficult times, however, fresh ideas made their way
into the area. Two of them were Ars nova (the new art,
or perhaps new technique) and Ars subtilior (more subtle art),
the best examples of which can be found in the famous
Codex Chantilly and Codex Modena manuscripts.
The two chronologically adjacent performance techniques
may be regarded as different styles, although some scholars
treat the younger Ars subtilior merely as a subgenre of
the revolutionary Ars nova, the name of which comes from
the eponymous treatise by Philippe de Vitry. The emergence
of Ars nova not only added dynamism to the melodic line
through a reform of the musical notation that allowed a more
precise rhythmical notation, but also developed polyphony
through the introduction of the counterpoint and the
rhythmisation of all voices, and shifted the focus of music
to secular topics, which gave it a new lease of life and helped
achieve a new heights of refinement. These changes lead
to the development of a vast range of new musical genres,
of which the madrigal, inextricably linking the melodic line
with the lyrics, would achieve the greatest success during the
coming centuries. The shift of towards the secular meant an
increased focus on the aesthetic value of music and, it seems,
accentuated the humanist aspect foretelling the imminent
Renaissance.
The next evolutionary step was taken in the form
of Ars subtilior, which continued in the reformist vein and
brought vocal art to new heights. The refinement, complexity
and technical virtuosity of the new style may have limited its
accessibility to just a tight circle of connoisseurs, but
propelled Ars subtilior to becoming arguably the pinnacle
of achievement of medieval experiments with polyphony,
dynamics and rhythm, pushing expression to the fore
and switching from sacred to entirely secular topics.
The scale of musical experimentation of Ars subtilitorand its predecessor Ars nova could only be compared to
what happened in music during the 20th century. Just as the
musical component, so the aesthetic form of the manuscripts,
where the sheet music of a love song would take the shape
of a heart and the score of Jacob Senleches” La Harpe de melodie takes the form of a harp, also brings to mind
the 20th century literature.
Among the most eminent figures of the new composition
techniques are Philippe de Vitry, author of the treatise
Ars nova notandi of 1322, Filippotto da Caserta, composer
and theoretician of “the more subtle art” and Antonello
da Caserta. While a direct link between de Vitry and Italian
music was very unlikely, since he most certainly spent
his entire life in his native France, it is difficult not to notice
his influence on the music of Trecento, as Ars nova spread
rapidly into Spain and Italy where it was met with good
reception.
The motet Rex quem metrorum illustrates perfectly the
isorhythmic system of voices that distances the piece
from the modal character of the earlier times.
Written for two voices, the Italian-language ballatas Or toltapur me sey, Più chiar che ‘l sol and Deh vogliateme oldireby Antonello da Caserta are secular and dance-like in nature
while maintaining an exquisite style of composition.
The triple-voiced French-language ballads by Antonello
da Caserta (Amour ma le cuer mis, Dame zentil) and Filippotto
da Caserta (De ma dolour, quoting the lyrics of a chansonby Guillaume de Machaut and Par les bons Gedeon et Sanson) are characterised by an even greater level of
refinement and an unexpected slightly syncopated rhythm.
The pieces share the common topic of the virtues of amourcourtois (courtly love), except Par les bons Gedeon devoted
to the antipope Clement VII.
Paweł Szczepanik
+
ac
tu
sh
um
an
us
35
A flutist, conductor and expert on late-
medieval instrumental and polyphonic
performing techniques. Pedro
Memelsdorff is also known for his
musicological research on Ars nova and
for important studies he published about
Matteo da Perugia and the famous
manuscripts Codex Modena Aand Codex Faenza 117.
Memelsdorff was born in 1959 in Buenos
Aires. At the age of 18, he emigrated to
Europe where he graduated from Schola
Cantorum of Basel and from Sweelinck
Conservatory of Amsterdam. He went on
to join several chamber music ensembles,
including Jordi Savall’s Hespèrion XXI, and
formed a piano duo with Andreas Staier.
In 1987, he established the Mala Punica
ensemble to explore late medieval music.
Memelsdorff performed in Europe, Japan
and the Americas and Mala Punica’s
recordings received numerous and
prestigious international awards,
including: the album of the year from
Fondazione Cini Vivaldi Award Venezia,
Prix Caecilia Belgia, Diapason d’Or de
l’année and Holandia Edison Award. His
teaching posts included Scuola di Musica
Civica di Milano (1985–2002), where he
taught theory of medieval music and
Conservatory in Zurich and Trecento
Schola Cantorum in Basel (1987–1992).
Pedro Memelsdorff was also invited to
give lectures at the Conservatory of
Maastricht, Frankfurt, Cologne, Bremen,
Lovanio, Dublin, Haifa, Copenhagen
and Boston. Other universities he worked
for included University of Salamanca,
New York University, Oxford University,
Tokyo University, London Royal Academy
of Music, City University of New York
and Universidad Catolica Argentina
of Buenos Aires.
Pedro Memelsdorff is currently holding
the chair of flute and chamber music at
Escola Superior de Musica de Catalunya
(ESMUC) in Barcelona and is director
of the seminary of early music at the
Foundation Giorgio Cini in Venice.
He publishes regularly in Recarcare,
a journal on the practice and theory
of period performance.
+
ac
tu
sh
um
an
us
37
PPEEDDRROO MMEEMMEELLSSDDOORRFFFF
Mala Punica is a vocal and
instrumental ensemble specialised
primarily in the music of the Trecento
and the Italian Ars subtilior,
a repertory that has been dubbed the
“avant garde of the medieval Europe”.
Mala Punica’s programmes open
before audiences new levels of
refinement and emotion. Under the
careful direction of Pedro
Memelsdorff the ensemble has
developed a characteristic intimate
way of expression with an utmost
attention to precision, microdynamics
and subtle glissandos.
Mala Punica (Italian for pomegranate)
was founded in 1987 by Pedro
Memelsdorff. The ensemble combines
erudition and musicological research
with a unique style of musical
expression. The virtuosity of solo
performance, unique singing
technique, poetry and theatrical
effects confirm the group’s strong
identity and have attracted critical
acclaim and more than thirty
international awards. Mala Punica
regularly participates in festivals held
in Europe and the Americas. Its
discography includes three albums
recorded for Arcana (Ars subtilisYtalica, D’amor ragionando and Enattendant), three for Erato (MissaCantilena, Sidus preclarum and HelasAvril) and one each for Harmonia
Mundi and Näive (NarcissoSpeculando, madrigals by Don Paolo
da Firenze and Faventina devoted
to liturgical music from Codex Faenza,
respectively). All of these albums
won prestigious awards.
+
ac
tu
sh
um
an
us
39
MMAALLAA PPUUNNIICCAA
1155 DDeecceemmbbeerr
SSaattuurrddaayy,, 88::0000 ppmm
AArrttuuss CCoouurrtt
uull.. DDłłuuggii TTaarrgg 4433//4444
+
ac
tu
sh
um
an
us
41
RReecciittaall
OOttttaavviioo DDaannttoonnee harpsichord
Aria
Variatio 1 a 1 Clav.
Variatio 2 a 1 Clav.
Variatio 3 a 1 Clav. Canone all‘Unisono
Variatio 4 a 1 Clav.
Variatio 5 a 1 Clav. ovvero 2 Clav.
Variatio 6 a 1 Clav. Canone alla Seconda
Variatio 7 a 1 Clav. ovvero 2 Clav.
Variatio 8 a 2 Clav.
Variatio 9 a 1 Clav. Canone alla Terza
Variatio 10 a 1 Clav. Fughetta
Variatio 11 a 2 Clav.
Variatio 12 Canone alla Quarta
Variatio 13 a 2 Clav.
Variatio 14 a 2 Clav.
Variatio 15 a 1 Clav. Canone alla Quinta
Variatio 16 a 1 Clav. Ouverture
Variatio 17 a 2 Clav.
Variatio 18 a 1 Clav. Canone alla Sesta
Variatio 19 a 1 Clav.
Variatio 20 a 2 Clav.
Variatio 21 Canone alla Settima
Variatio 22 a 1 Clav. Alla breve
Variatio 23 a 2 Clav.
Variatio 24 a 1 Clav. Canone all‘Octava
Variatio 25 a 2 Clav.
Variatio 26 a 2 Clav.
Variatio 27 a 2 Clav. Canone alla Nona
Variatio 28 a 2 Clav.
Variatio 29 a 1 ovvero 2 Clav.
Variatio 30 a 1 Clav. Quodlibet
Aria da capo
JJoohhaannnn SSeebbaassttiiaann BBaacchh 1685–1750
GGoollddbbeerrgg VVaarriiaattiioonneenn BWV 988
History is just turning full circle. The circle may be somewhat
deformed or even twisted, but like the mythical Ouroboros
eating its own tail so Johann Gottlieb Goldberg is coming back
to his native Gdańsk. He does so through one of the most
perfect pieces ever to have been written for the harpsichord:
the Goldberg Variations by Johann Sebastian Bach.
It is arguable whether the current title of the piece, originally
written as Clavier-Ubung bestehend in einer Aria mitverschiedenen Verænderungen vors Clavicimbal mit 2Manualen, is indeed justifiable. According to a Bach’s
biography published in 1802 by Johann Nikolaus Forkel, the
Variations were written for the insomniac count Hermann Karl
von Keyserling, the Russian Ambassador to Saxony, who
would spend long sleepless nights listening to the piece
played by the harpsichord virtuoso Goldberg. It would sound
plausible if not for the fact that Bach published his work in
1741, when Goldberg was only 14. Also the lack of a
dedication in the title puts the Forkel’s idea in doubt.
Whether the biographer’s version is correct or not, one must
admit that Bach must have been convinced of his piece’s
greatness. All four parts of the Clavier-Ubung, literally
“keyboard exercises”, are among a modest fraction of his
entire oeuvre that was published during his lifetime (and by
himself). He normally published his music every four years,
yet he made an exception precisely for the GoldbergVariations, which he published only two years after a previous
round. Considering the enormous cost of printing at the time,
the composer must have attached substantial importance to
making this particular piece available to the public.
The title Clavier-Ubung would suggest a set of drills for
learners of the harpsichord. This is highly typical of Bach’s
direct and practical approach, so characteristic of his deeply
rooted protestant streak. For example, he commented on DasWohltemperierte Klavier that the piece was written “for the
benefit of musical students, especially for advanced learners”.
There is no such dedication on the Goldberg Variations and
the composition is devoted to music lovers to “refresh their
spirits”.
The Goldberg Variations are composed for a double-manual
harpsichord, although some parts include a comment
whether they should be performed on one or on both
manuals. The opening Aria is known from Klavierbüchlein fürAnna Magdalena Bach, the second notebook intended for the
composer’s wife, bearing the date 1725. The Aria is
ornamented in the French style with a saraband in 3/4 metre,
while the subsequent thirty pieces are variations on the
theme of the opening one and are based less on its melody
than on the chord progression and on the bass line theme.
Each of the variations features a separate and characteristic
motif, but the entire sequence of variations is joined together
by a coherent harmonic plan.
The proportions and symmetry of the Goldberg Variations are
truly fascinating. The variations are combined in threes, the
first being of a dancelike nature, the second - a virtuoso
variation and the third is a canon. All the virtuoso pieces are
arranged according to their level of difficulty from the easiest
to the most demanding. The thirtieth variation, Quodlibet,which by the rule of threes should be a canon, contains
melodies of many German folk songs, which, according to
Forkel, should be regarded as the composer’s joke.
A counterbalance for the previous cycle is provided in
variation 1 based on a Polonaise offering a symmetrical
reference to the Polish-Saxonian Union. The series is
completed by the initial Aria but this time intended for
da capo performance, which closes the circle
of the Goldberg Variations and of this description.
Paweł Szczepanik
+
ac
tu
sh
um
an
us
43
The Italian conductor and harpsichordist
records and performs live both as a soloist
and with Accademia Bizantina regarded as
one of the best ensembles playing early
music.
Ottavio Dantone graduated from
Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi in Milan in
the class of the organ and harpsichord.
His musical talent combined with the
passion for historical studies brought him
enormous popularity among the
audiences and critics in a very short time.
He became the first Italian to win
harpsichord competitions in both Paris
(1985) and Bruges (1986), which paved
the way to an international career.
In 1989, Ottavio Dantone started working
with Accademia Bizantina, an ensemble
specialising in early music, and in 1996 he
became its artistic director. Dantone
played at festivals across Europe, in the
Americas, the Middle East, Mexico and
Japan. Some of the festivals and concert
halls he has attended include
Concetgebouw in Amsterdam, Cité
de la Musique in Paris, the Metropolitan
Museum in New York, festivals in Ravenna
and Bologna, Accademia di S. Cecilia
in Rome, Settembre Musica in Turin,
Accademia Filarmonica della Scala.
Dantone’s operatic career took him to the
most prestigious stages. He debuted in
the modern era’s premiere performance
of Giuseppe Sarti’s Giulio Sabino at Teatro
Comunale Alighieri of Ravenna in 1999.
In spring of 2005, he made his first
appearance at Milan’s famous La Scala
conducting Rinaldo by J. F. Handel staged
by Piero Luigi Pizzi. In 2009, he took
Rinaldo to Poland where he conducted
the concert version of the opera at Teatr
im. Juliusza Słowackiego in Krakow as part
of the Opera Rara series.
Ottavio Dantone teaches at the
conservatories in Lugano and Turin, and
conducts courses in harpsichord
performance, chamber music, basso
continuo and improvisation.
Dantone’s recording of Sonate digravicembalo by Paradisi was awarded the
album of the year award in 1998 while his
album with J.S. Bach’s DasWohltemperierte Klavier released by Arts
in 2001 received universal critique
acclaim. In 2003, Decca recognised his on-
stage and studio success by offering an
exclusive contract. The relationship with
this prestigious label started with none
other than a recording of the GoldbergVariations.
+
ac
tu
sh
um
an
us
45
OOTTTTAAVVIIOO DDAANNTTOONNEE
1166 DDeecceemmbbeerr
WWeeddnneessddaayy,, 88::0000 ppmm
AArrttuuss CCoouurrtt
uull.. DDłłuuggii TTaarrgg 4433//4444
+
ac
tu
sh
um
an
us
47
AArriiee ee ccoonncceerrttii IIII
CCaarrlloo AAlllleemmaannoo tenor
FFaabbiioo BBiioonnddii concertmaster, conductor
EEUURROOPPAA GGAALLAANNTTEE
FFaabbiioo RRaavvaassii,, EElliinn GGaabbrriieellssssoonn 1st violin
AAnnddrreeaa RRooggnnoonnii,, LLuuccaa GGiiaarrddiinnii,, BBaarrbbaarraa AAllttoobbeelllloo 2nd violin
AArrmmaannddoo BBaarriillllii viola
AAlleessssaannddrroo AAnnddrriiaannii cello
PPaattxxii MMoonntteerroo double bass
GGiiaannggiiaaccoommoo PPiinnaarrddii lute, theorbo
SSaallvvaattoorree CCaarrcchhiioolloo harpsichord
AAnnttoonniioo VViivvaallddii 1678–1741
SSiinnffoonniiaaLa Griselda RV 718
KKoonncceerrtt FF--dduurr RV 284
AllegroLargoAllegro
NNoonn ffiiaa ddeellllaa vviittttoorriiaaErcole sul Termodonte RV 710
LLaa ttiirraannnnaa,, ee aavvvveerrssaa ssoorrtteeArsilda, Regina di Ponto RV 700
KKoonncceerrtt DD--dduurr RV 204
AllegroLargoAllegro
***
KKoonncceerrtt dd--mmoollll RV 540
AllegroLargoAllegro
DDeell ddeessttiinn nnoonn ddeeee llaaggnnaarrssiiBajazet RV 703
SSee aall ccaaddeerr ddeell mmoossttrroo oorrrreennddooL’Oracolo in Messenia RV 726
KKoonncceerrtt aa--mmoollll RV 522
AllegroLarghetto e spiritosoAllegro
SSiinnffoonniiaa Ercole sul Terdomonte RV 710
GGiiaa’’ ll’’iiddeeaa ddeell ggiiuussttoo sscceemmppiiooL’Oracolo in Messenia RV 726
After years in obscurity, Antonio Vivaldi was brought back to
light only in the 20th century, but then almost immediately
took the place he deserved among the best of Baroque music.
Today, famous primarily for this impressive artistic heritage,
Vivaldi enjoyed a short-lived admiration in his native Italy and
in France during his lifetime, but would later only be known
from rather unfavourable anecdotes commenting his weak
spot for the fairer sex and from a legend whereby he would
run into the sacristy in the midst of celebrating a holy mass
to take down a musical theme he had just come up with.
Igor Stravinsky attempted to support the composer’s bad
reputation, fortunately unsuccessfully, by maintaining that
Vivaldi had written the same concerto four hundred times.
In reality, the Red Priest – as he was known for his red hair -
wrote around five hundred concertos, including more than
two hundred for violin, but the determination of the exact
number is very difficult, as their attribution can be dubious
and new pieces of his authorship keep being discovered to
this day.
The collection of twelve concertos Opus 4 known as LaStravaganza was written in 1712–1713 and first published,
with a dedication to Signore Vettoro Delfino, in 1716. The fact
that the previous series L’estro armonico was dedicated to no
less than Ferdinando de’ Medici, the Grand Duke of Tuscany,
might suggest that the composer did not value La Stravaganzaas much. In reality this latter series not just constitutes the
style of a “perfect” violin concerto that was typical of Vivaldi,
but also reveals his incredible invention kept within a strict
harmonic frame. All pieces are concertos for solo violin,
strings and basso continuo, but some of them require
virtuosity also of the second, somewhat overshadowed, solo
instrument, which can be either violin or cello. Examples of
such pieces include concertos 4 (in A minor) and 5 (in A
major), with their perfectly highlighted continuous search of a
relationship between the solo instrument and the orchestra,
which is sometimes found through similarity and otherwise
by the searching preceded by a sudden split between these
two components. This formula is fascinating for its freeing of
the imagination and openness to emotions, which just a
moment later, like a captured bird, are brought back to the
fold of the orchestra’s format. Both concertos also reveal a
flirtation with folk music, as the solo violin improvises wildly
around traditional themes. This is heard particularly well in
concerto No. 5 where the line of the first violin is underlined
by ritornellos of the second instrument. These symptoms of
mastery offer a perfect justification for the collection’s title,
which literally means “extravagance”.
The concerto in D minor for viola d’amore and lute is based
on a dialogue between the two solo instruments where the
dynamics and lyricism of the viola is underlined by the
punctual, precise and subtle lute, while the whole is
maintained in a moody and sweet clime. On the other hand,
concerto in A minor opus 3 No. 8 for two violins and the string
section from the collection L’estro armonico is restrained with
the melodic line of the solo instruments betraying none of the
later-time flamboyant invention and is better established
within the harmony of the entire orchestra, while loosing
nothing of it virtuosity.
The fullness of the Vivaldi’s art can be appreciated in his
operas, of which – according to his own account - he wrote
94, but only about half of that number have yet been
identified. In sinfonias this talent is manifested by perfect
harmonies and the awareness of the tutti sound, while in
arias – in accordance with the Neapolitan school – by giving
the priority to the vocal part brought to a level of difficulty
that would often be virtually impossible for the singer and
by perfectly rendering the emotional message derived from
the libretto. An ideal example is provided by the aria DelDestin non dee lagnarsi from the opera Bajazet (1735),
in which the fearless Bajazet, sensing an imminent death,
gives the hand of his beloved daughter to Prince Andronicus.
The listener shares entirely the sense of the correct choice
and the strength of the emperor’s character.
Paweł Szczepanik
+
ac
tu
sh
um
an
us
49
[[FFOOTTOO FFAABBIIOO BBIIOONNDDII]]
Distinguished violinist specialising in
baroque music, Fabio Biondi began his
violin training at the age of 5, at 12 he
started his career with the RAI symphony
orchestra and at 16 played Bach’s violin
concertos at the Musikverein in Vienna.
This is when he became attracted to
period performance.
Biondi performed with a number of
ensembles specialised in the performance
of Baroque music using original
techniques and instruments, including La
Capella Reial de Catalunya, Musica
Antiqua Wien, Il Seminario Musicale, La
Chapelle Royale and Les Musiciens du
Louvre. His earliest recordings included
demanding compositions by the Italian
geniuses of violin: Veracini, Locatelli and
Tartini.
In 1990, Fabio Biondi founded Europa
Galante, an ensemble that has become a
leading group specialised in period
performance with original instruments
worldwide. Biondi does not contend
himself with just his pioneering role in
performance with original instruments,
but also combines an instinct of a
researcher with the nature of a leader. His
interpretations of Italian music, especially
of Vivaldi, paved new ways in early music
performance. Fabio Biondi is a successful
soloist, chamber musician and conductor.
His powerful temperament, technical skill
and pure talent combine to turn
impossibly difficult baroque pieces for
violin music into breathtaking
performances of eruptive virtuosity.
When not on stage, he involves himself in
extensive musicological and historical
studies that return many forgotten or
partly preserved pieces of early music for
contemporary audiences.
Since 2005, Fabio Biondi has taken on the
role of artistic director for early music of
the Stavanger Symfoniorkester. In 2011,
he took a teaching post at Accademia
Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome.
At the mature stage in his career, he
worked with National Orchestra
Montpellier, Mahler Chamber Orchestra,
Orquesta Ciudad de Granada, the
Mozarteum Orchestra of Salzburg, the
Santa Cecilia ensemble of Rome and many
others. He performed solo and in
chamber arrangements at Cité de la
Musique in Paris, Hogi Hall in Tokyo and
Wigmore Hall of London. Biondi has made
dozens of recordings for leading music
labels. He plays on Andra Guarneri’s violin
(Cremona, 1686), but sometimes also
uses an instrument made by Carlo
Ferdinando Gagliano (1766) that is made
available to him by the Salvatore Cicero
Foundation of Palermo.
+
ac
tu
sh
um
an
us
51
FFAABBIIOO BBIIOONNDDII
This Italian instrumental ensemble
specialising in the performance of early
music, especially Baroque, was
established by Fabio Biondi in 1990. The
ensemble’s worldwide career took it to
such famous venues, as Teatro alla Scala
in Milan, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam,
Royal Albert Hall in London, Musikverein
in Vienna, Lincoln Center in New York and
the Sydney Opera House, as well as to
concert halls in Israel, Canada, Japan and
South America.
Europa Galante’s flexible structure allows
the ensemble to work successfully on
both large musical forms (operas and
oratorios) and smaller ones (chamber
music). The ensemble is famed for its
impeccable technique practiced in
keeping with the rules of period
performance. It is, however, their bravura,
precision and vast dynamic scale that
have earned them enthusiastic receptions
from audiences worldwide.
Europa Galante has made dozens of first
performances of musical pieces dating
back to the 17th and 18th centuries. A
special place in their repertory is held by
the Italian masters: Vivaldi, Alessandro
and Domenico Scarlatti, Caldara and
Boccherini. After many years with Opus
111, the ensemble has signed a contract
with Virgin Classics. This collaboration has
yielded numerous albums and each
resonated well with the world’s critique.
Their latest Vivaldi recordings for Virgin,
Pyrotechnics with arias performed by
Vivici Genaux (2009) and Ercole sulTermodonte (2010) gained universal
critical praise. In February 2011, the
ensemble continued the Vivaldi series and
their release of the reconstructed opera
L’Oracolo in Messenia received the
Diapason d’Or and popular recognition.
Further plans include the opera Adriano inSiria by Francesco Maria Veracini, which
will be recorded live with the top suit of
singers: Vivica Genaux, Ann Hallenberg,
Sonia Prina and Romina Basso.
The ensemble was recognised twice (2002
and 2008) by Associazione Nazionale dei
Critici Musicali. Europa Galante was also
nominated twice for the Grammy Award;
in 2004 for Concerti per mandolini,concerti con molti strumenti and in 2006
for Vivaldi’s Bajazet. They received many
other awards, including Premio Cini, Choc
dé la Musique (for their debut album),
Diapason d’Or (5 times), Diapason d’Or of
the year in France, RTL Prize, and
nominations for the Record of the Year in
Spain, Canada, Sweden, France and
Finland, and Prix du Disque.
Europa Galante is the resident orchestra
of the Foundation Teatro Due of Parma.
DDWWÓÓRR AARRTTUUSSAA
Niegdyś siedziba Bractwa św. Jerzego,
miejsce spotkań stanu rycerskiego,
kupców i siedziba sądu. Dziś oddział
Muzeum Historycznego Miasta Gdańska
i jedna z największych atrakcji
turystycznych miasta. Historia Dworu
Artusa sięga połowy XIV wieku – został
wzniesiony w latach 1348–1350, zaś jego
nazwa pochodzi od imienia legendarnego
wodza Celtów Artura – dla ówczesnych
ludzi był on wzorem cnót rycerskich,
a Okrągły Stół, przy którym zasiadał ze
swoimi dzielnymi rycerzami, symbolem
równości i partnerstwa. Nazwa budynku
curia regis Artus (królewski dwór Artusa)
pojawiła się pierwszy raz w 1357 roku.
Usytuowany jest w obrębie Głównego
Miasta i stanowi fragment
reprezentacyjnego traktu miejskiego
zwanego Drogą Królewską.
Wnętrze składa się z jednej bardzo
obszernej sali w stylu gotyckim. Dwór
słynie z najwyższego w Europie, bo
mierzącego niemal
11 metrów wysokości, renesansowego
pieca kaflowego autorstwa Georga
Stelznera, późnogotyckiej rzeźby Św. Jerzywalczący ze smokiem z 1485 roku
i najstarszego w Polsce baru – cynowej
lady piwnej z 1592 roku. Można tam także
oglądać najstarszą w Polsce kolekcję
modeli okrętów oraz XV-wieczne zbroje
turniejowe.+
ac
tu
sh
um
an
us
53
EEUURROOPPAA GGAALLAANNTTEE
Carlo Vincenzo Allemano began his career
with immediate success by winning the
singing competition Toti dal Monte in
Treviso (1989) and Mozart Competition in
Vienna (1990) and has established himself
as one of the most admired singers.
He has regularly worked with leading
musicians, such as Christophe Rousset,
Emmanuelle Haïm, René Jacobs, Wolfgang
Sawallisch, Claudio Abbado, Riccardo
Muti, Zubin Mehta, Leopold Hager,
William Christie, Fabio Biondi and Marco
Guidarini. Allemano’s deep matt tenor
and his enormous signing ability help him
perform both opera and concept music of
nearly all periods.
The range of roles in his repertory is truly
impressive: from the Monteverdi’s
Orpheus, to Bajazet in Handel’s
Tamerlane, to Arthur in Donizetti’s Lucia diLammermoor, Tebaldo in I Capuleti e iMontecchi by Bellini, Fenton in Falstaff by
Verdi, Dmitri in Boris Godunov by
Mussorgsky, to the part of the young man
in Schönberg’s Moses und Aron. Carlo
Vincenzo Allemano has very often played
in Mozart’s operas, including Titus in Laclemenza di Tito at Opéra National du
Rhin in Strasbourg, Tamino in The MagicFlute at the Opera of Nice, Ferrando in
Cosi fan tutte in Tel Aviv and Don Basilio in
the Marriage of Figaro at La Scala.
His versatility is also attested by his
multiple performances in the oratorio
repertory, which include such roles as the
Evangelist in Bach’s St. John Passion inTurin and solo parts in Vespro della BeataVergine by Monteverdi with the Berlin
Philharmonic, Messiah by Handel with
Europa Galante under Fabio Biondi in
Madrid, Barcelona and Venice, Requiemwith the RAI symphonic orchestra in Turin
and with Accademia di Santa Cecilia in
Rome and in Mozart’s Coronation Massunder Marco Guidarini in Nice, in Elijah by
Mendelssohn at the festival in Ravenna,
Orff’s Carmine burana at the festival
Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Petite MesseSolennelle by Rossini, Lazarus and Mass
No. 6 in E-flat major by Schubert and
Messa di Gloria by Puccini.
His illustrious career was also recorded for
top music labels, such as Antigona by
Traetta with Christophe Roussete (Decca),
Turandot by Puccini with Zubin Mehta
(RCA) and The Wedding of Figaro by
Mozart with Claudio Abbado (Deutsche
Grammophon).
Some of Carlo Vincenzo Allemano’s recent
performances included at Musikfestspiele
Potsdam Sanssouci in Piramo e Tisbe by
Hassego, during the festival in Innsbruck
in La Stellidaura vendicante by Provenzale
with Alessandro de Marchi and a
European concert tour with Europa
Galante and Fabio Biondi performing
Vivaldi’s arias.KKOOŚŚCCIIÓÓŁŁ ŚŚWW.. JJAAKKUUBBAA
Historia kościoła sięga 1414 roku, kiedy
gdańscy marynarze wznieśli kaplicę dla
chorych i ubogich szyprów. Świątynia
przyjęła obecny kształt w latach 1436–
1437. Jedyną poważną zmianą
architektoniczną jest pochodząca z 1639
roku, wybudowana po pożarze wieża.
Podczas reformacji kościół przejęli
protestanci, w 1807 roku wojska
napoleońskie przeobraziły go w obóz
jeniecki dla jeńców pruskich i rosyjskich.
Osiem lat później wybuch w stojącej obok
baszcie prochowej poważnie uszkodził
kościół, przez co obiekt stracił charakter
sakralny i przekształcony został w 1819
roku w miejską bibliotekę oraz szkołę
nawigacyjną. Dopiero po II wojnie
światowej, w 1946 roku zniszczony kościół
wrócił w ręce ojców Kapucynów, którzy
w 1948 roku odbudowali świątynię
i ponownie ją poświęcili. Wnętrze kościoła
zostało doszczętnie zniszczone podczas
wojny, toteż w latach 1952–1960 w nawie
głównej powstają freski (zamalowane
w 2008 roku), ołtarz główny, ołtarze
boczne, ambona i witraż św. Jakuba.
Ponadto w latach 2007–2010 świątynia
przeszła kapitalny remont elewacji
wewnętrznej i zewnętrznej.
Kościół św. Jakuba jest przykładem
późnogotyckiego przyszpitalnego
budownictwa sakralnego, jako jedyny
w Gdańsku posiada renesansowy strop
belkowy, zdobi go dodatkowo
przeniesiony z Bramy św. Jakuba+
ac
tu
sh
um
an
us
55
CCAARRLLOO VVIINNCCEENNZZOO AALLLLEEMMAANNOO
AARRTTUUSS CCOOUURRTT
In its day, the Artus Court played a number of roles, including the seat of the Brotherhood of St. George, a meetingplace for nobles and merchants and a courtroom. Currently, the Artus Court is a branch of the Gdańsk History Museumand is regarded as one of the city’s main tourist attractions. The building was erected during 1348-1350 and namedafter King Arthur, reflecting the aspirations to the ideals of knightly virtues perfectly embodied by the legendary Celticleader and of equality and partnership symbolised by the Round Table, at which Arthur sat with his knights. The building’s name, curia regis Artus (Royal Artus Court) was mentioned for the first time in 1357. The Artus Court is part of a route known as the Royal Way in the historic Main Town. Arranged as one vast hall inside the Court is famous for the Europe’s tallest, nearly 11-metre high Renaissance-styletiled stove designed by Georg Stelzner; a late-Gothic statue of the St. George and the Dragon from 1485; and forPoland’s oldest tin-plated bar dating back to 1592. The building also houses the oldest collection of naval ship modelsin Poland and a number of fine 15th century tournament armours.The Artus Court played a central role in the life of Gdańsk. Every year, on Pentecost, the Brotherhood of St. Georgeheld a tournament, while on the daily basis the Court served as a meeting point where merchants of Gdańsk forgedand maintained their links with the rest of Europe. “[A]s a house of merchants and ship owners it allowed visitors to find appropriate company at any time of the day”. In 1530, this seat of various brotherhoods, a meeting point and festival venue took on another important role as a chamber for open court hearings. In the late 17th c., the Grand Hall’s acoustic properties were recognised and regularconcerts were held.
+57
ac
tu
sh
um
an
us
SSTT.. JJAAMMEESS’’SS CCHHUURRCCHH
The history of the church goes back to 1414, when local sailors erected a chapel for sick and impoverished skippers. In 1432–1437, it was expanded to the current form with the only modification in 1639, when a tower was addedduring a reconstruction after a fire. During the Reformation, the church was taken over by Protestants and in 1807 the Napoleon’s army converted it into a camp for Prussian and Russian POWs. Eight years later, an explosion in a nearby gunpowder magazine damaged thechurch putting an end to its ministerial function. The remaining structure was converted into a municipal library and a navigation school. Only after the Second World War, the damaged church was given to the Capuchin Friars whorebuilt the temple in 1948 and reconsecrated it. During the period 1952–1960, the Friars installed new side-altars, a pulpit and a stained glass window with the figure of St. James’s and had frescos painted in the main aisle (painted-over in 2008) to replace the interior decoration completely lost during the war. Between 2007 and 2010, the church went through an overhaul of its exterior and interior walls. The late-Gothic St. James’s Church is an example of hospital church architecture. It is the only temple in Gdansk tohave a Renaissance beam ceiling and its tower is covered with an early-Baroque dome transferred from the St. James’sTower. A new presbytery was designed by Romuald Sołtys in the early 1970s. Notable pieces of interior decorationinclude the main altar of white sandstone, a late-Gothic figure of Madonna and Child to the left of the altar and thestained glass window entitled the Martyrdom of St. James’s Apostle and Patron made by Zofia Baudouin de Courtenay.
+
ac
tu
sh
um
an
us
59
SSTT.. JJOOHHNN’’SS CCHHUURRCCHH
The first written mention of a small chapel dedicated to St. John comes from 1358, but the present church was builtearly in the second half of the 15th century. Its architecture is typical of the late-Gothic architecture of the 14th and 15th
centuries, with its heavy, buttressed structure, triple nave interior and flat-ended presbytery. In March 1945, the church burned down and while it’s overall structure survived many architectural components werelost, including the entire roof with its structure, windows and floors. Adjacent twin Baroque townhouses weredestroyed, as was a small sacristy adjacent to the Holy Spirit Chapel. After the war,the gutted building was roofed, itsvaluable vaults secured, but reduced to the function of an official lapidarium.Since 1990s, the Gdansk Diocese has been using the church for services on Sundays and holidays. Since autumn 1998,regular masses have been held, in Polish and in the local Kashubian language, organised by the Artists’ ChristianMinistry of the Gdańsk Diocese. In 1995, the management of the church was transferred to the Baltic Sea Culture Centre. BSCC is offering its culturalactivities, makes the church available to artists and the general public, while also performing conservation andconversion work intended to turn the church into St. John’s Centre. The church has already hosted several important cultural events and has become recognisable on the cultural map of the region, the country and Europe. St. John’s church offers unique atmosphere for concerts,shows, stage plays and exhibitions.
+
ac
tu
sh
um
an
us
61
FFEESSTTIIVVAALL HHOOTTEELL
The story of the Grand Cru Hotel is inseparably linked with the beginnings of Gdańsk. It takes us back 1000 years to a time, when a fortified town was established in the name of the Polish rulers and then of the Pomeranian Dukes. In the 14th century, the area was taken over by the Teutonic Knights who built a medieval castle. The hotel building used to play several important functions, including as wine storage and warehouse for the Polish Ocean Lines. In 2009, the whole area was included in a development project known as StaraWiniarnia and involving a restoration of the buildings and their conversion into apartments, commercialunits and a hotel. The entire project was designed by the studio Wolscy Architekci.The Grand Cru Hotel of Gdańsk offers 50 rooms that are anything but ordinary. The modern style meetsperfectly with raw brickwork evocative of the Middle Ages and the combination of deep colours with purewhite in the decoration creates a unique interior climate. Nothing is spared in the area of comfort with thefurniture including a desk and a chair, a flat screen TV, a coffee and tea making set, a minibar, an ironing set,a safe, a hairdryer and Wi-Fi access. The Grand Cru Restaurant in the basement offers an exquisite menu and a choice of unique wines that is in a class of its own. This unique place is perfect for a romantic dinner, a business meeting or a family lunchfor up to 60 people. Our Chef and Sommelier have taken great care to turn every visit into a memorableexperience.
HOTEL GRAND CRUul. Rycerska 11–1280-882 Gdańsk
RECEPTION DESKTel.: +48 58 77 27 300Fax: +48 58 77 27 301e-mail: [email protected]
Guests of The Actus Humanus Festival can enjoy a 15% discount on rooms and 20% discount at our Restaurant.
+
ac
tu
sh
um
an
us
63
MM EE CC EE NN AA SS FF EE SS TT II WW AA LL UU
2 0 1 3a c + u s h u m a n u s
1100TTHH OOFF DDEECCEEMMBBEERR,, 22001133,, SSTT.. JJOOHHNN’’SS CCHHUURRCCHHGeminiani: La Foresta incantata
EUROPA GALANTEFABIO BIONDI
1111TTHH OOFF DDEECCEEMMBBEERR,, 22001133,, SSTT.. JJAAMMEESS’’SS CCHHUURRCCHH Chants de Noël
HUELGAS ENSEMBLEPAUL VAN NEVEL
1122TTHH OOFF DDEECCEEMMBBEERR,, 22001133,, AARRTTUUSS CCOOUURRTTNoëls de l’Europe Baroque
MARIA CRISTINA KIEHR CONCERTO SOAVE JEAN-MARC AYMES
1133TTHH OOFF DDEECCEEMMBBEERR,, 22001133,, SSTT.. JJAAMMEESS’’SS CCHHUURRCCHHOrganum Vobiscum
ENSEMBLE ORGANUM MARCEL PÉRÈS
1144TTHH OOFF DDEECCEEMMBBEERR,, 22001133,, AARRTTUUSS CCOOUURRTTBach: Goldberg-Variationen
FRETWORK
1155TTHH OOFF DDEECCEEMMBBEERR,, 22001133,, SSTT.. JJOOHHNN’’SS CCHHUURRCCHHVivaldi: Arie e concerti III
SONIA PRINA ROBERTA INVERNIZZI
IL COMPLESSO BAROCCO ALAN CURTIS +
ac
tu
sh
um
an
us
67
FFIILLIIPP BBEERRKKOOWWIICCZZ Filip Berkowicz is a musicologist,
a manager and a promoter.
He is the artistic director of music
festivals acclaimed by the world’s critique,
including Misteria Paschalia, Sacrum
Profanum, Actus Humanus and the
Opera Rara series.
Each festival signed by him has
a well-defined profile. The Misteria
Paschalia Festival, held in the context
of the Holy Week and Easter, presents
Renaissance and Baroque music
and Mr Berkowicz invites world’s leading
period performers. In a similar fashion
the Actus Humanus Festival focuses on
the topic of Advent and Christmas, early
music repertory and period performance
ensembles. The Sacrum Profanum has
earned the status of the most important
Polish festival showcasing a combination
of the classical music, the avant-garde
and ambitious popular music, with such
performers as Ensemble Modern,
Klangforum Wien, Alarm Will Sound, Bang
on a Can All-Stars, on the one hand,
and Aphex Twin, Jonny Greenwood, Chris
Cunningham, Kraftkwerk and Sigur Rós
on the other. The Opera Rara series offers
Baroque operas in modern versions
and with an elite cast of performers.
Filip Berkowicz graduated with honours
from the Institute of Musicology,
Jagiellonian University of Krakow.
During the period 2002–2004, he worked
for publishing houses Polskie
Wydawnictwo Muzyczne and Musica
Iagellonica. In 2004, he joined ranks
with the Krakow Festival Office. In 2008,
he took the post of the Mayor’s
Plenipotentiary for Culture
at the Krakow Town Hall.
Filip Berkowicz received the Hieronim
Feicht Award from the Polish Composers
Union for his research activity. He wrote
dozens of entries in the Polish
Encyklopedia Muzyczna PWM,
musicological papers and popular articles.
In 2011, he curated the spectacular
double music project Penderecki & Aphex
Twin and Penderecki & Greenwood. These
unique meetings of musical minds
resulted in an album with compositions
by Krzysztof Penderecki and Jonny
Greenwood performed by the AUKSO
Orchestra and released by the legendary
American label Nonesuch (2012). The
project received the Koryfeusz Muzyki
Polskiej award from the Polish music
community for the Event of the Year 2012.
Filip Berkowicz received multiple
nominations to prestigious awards,
including RMF Classic MocArt in the
category Man of the Year 2011,
Gwarancje Kultury TVP and Niptel.
+
ac
tu
sh
um
an
us
69
Artistic director:Filip Berkowicz
•Organiser, executive producer:
Konrad Koper, Sebastian Godula•
Press office:Adrianna Ginał
•Editors:
Paweł Szczepanik, Filip Berkowicz•
English translation:Paweł Pilch
•Polish language consultation:
Danuta Ambrożewicz•
Design and typesetting:Witold Siemaszkiewicz
•Photos:
Bogdan Frymorgen Gerard Rondeau Teresa LlordesAdam Golec
Marek AngielMaciej Szajewski
Witold Siemaszkiewiczarchive UMG
NCKMHMG
event-factory•
IT & web services:Robert Zaleski
•Web design:
Michał Łopatkiewicz•
Motion picture studio:Grzegorz Nowosielski, Witold Nogieć, Miłosz Kozioł
•Publisher:
event-factory ul. Pękowicka 7731-031 Kraków
www.event-factory.com.pl•
The Festival is partly funded by the City of Gdańsk. +
ac
tu
sh
um
an
us
71