1st - 29th June 2013
Italian sun
“There is certainly no place in the world, where a man may travel with greater pleasure and advantage, than in Italy. One finds something more particular in the face of the country, and more astonishing in the works of nature, than can be met with in any other part of Europe. It is the great school of music and painting, and contains in it all the noblest productions of statuary and architecture, both ancient and modern.” That was how the English poet Joseph Addison (Remarks on Several Parts of Italy etc., 1705) celebrated the country which has been considered the cradle of European art since time immemorial. For a musician of the seventeenth and eighteenth century, Italy was the Promised Land and a study trip to Italy was a compulsory entry in the curriculum vitae of every composer who wanted to mean something in the eyes of his contemporaries.
But what lies at the heart of the magic which was there at the birth of the Italian spirito? What ingredients can be found in the secret Italian recipe? Is it the mixture of the diverse grace of the nature, the indelible traces of history, the Mediterranean breeze and the sensual joy of life pampered by the southern sun …? We do not have to find the answer to all these questions. It is enough, if the hearts of the visitors to the concerts of the 18th year of Concentus Moraviae Festival are lit up by music which was born under the Italian sun.
The list of names of Italian composers who have significantly influenced European music would be very long. One name will, however, have the place of honour in the festival’s dramaturgy. In 2013, we will recall the dual anniversary of a composer who sits at the highest level of the Parnassus of Italian baroque composers, Arcangelo Corelli (1753—1713). The harmonic unity and perfect aesthetic balance of Corelli’s music has become a synonym for absolute beauty which is worth recalling even after 300 years.
Europe has looked to Italy with admiration across the bulwark of the Alps ever since the Middle Ages and during the baroque period Italy’s influence on European music reached its peak. Following the Italian traces which left a deep imprint on the territories of Bohemia and Moravia, as well as the traces of our composers who were active in Italy is an important part of the dramaturgy for the festival’s concerts.
South Moravia has the character of a landscape, a cultural heritage and a lifestyle in the Italian spirit. I therefore believe that the Italian sun will at least feel a little at home on a visit to Moravia.
Václav Luks
the dramaturge of 18th IMF of 13 Towns Concentus Moraviae
More information on festival:
Contact and tickets:
International Centre of Slavic Music Brno
address: Polní 6, 639 00 Brno, Czech Republic
phone: +420 542 210 713
email:
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