Archive
Concerts
Thank you for rating this article
Monte Carlo Spring Arts Festival 2012
2012-03-26 12:05
What:
Monte Carlo Spring Arts Festival 2012
Where: various venues (see below for details)
When: 16 March 2012 onwards
Web:
http://www.printempsdesarts.com
Folk instruments are at the heart of the first fortnight of this year's Spring Arts Festival, which opens with a celebration of the
accordion, followed by a weekend of
tambourine wizardry. There will also be masterclasses in piano playing.
Then, from the end of March and through the first week of April, the focus of the festival tuns to the rich and varied compositions of
Anton Bruckner, whose symphonies will be performed by a line-up of some of the world's greatest orchestras.
Pascal Contet
First weekend: Accordion
The accordion is everywhere, straddling the world of music from classical ballads to popular pieces with an alarming agility. The prototype of the 'poor man's piano' or 'devil's box' was invented in 1829 by Cyrill Demian, a Viennese organ maker of Armenian descent, and quickly conquered all the countries of Europe before taking over as the instrument of choice in India and South America. Easy to learn, eminently transportable, and as familiar at home as in the ballroom, the accordion soon became a friend to all, rich and poor alike.
To kick off the Spring Festival's accordion season on Friday 16 March, three of the world's leading exponents - Pascal Contet, an expert in contemporary accordion music, Jabick Martin, master of traditional Breton playing, and Richard Galliano, star of 'The New Musette' - lead us on a journey to the heart of the accordion's secrets, each in their own inimitable style.
On Saturday, the multifaceted instrument continues to cast its spell, with a concert by the gifted young Italian Simone Bottasso, the Irish accordionist Charlie Harris, the bandoneon of Basque musician Philippe de Ezcurra, French player Max Bonnay duetting with saxophonist Claude Delangle, and finally Germano Scurti, a specialist on the Soviet accordion, the bayan. And if you fancy having a go yourself, there's a masterclass in the morning at the Théâtre des Variétés.
Sunday
sees the final performances of this special opening weekend, with the full range of the repertoire being demonstrated as Germano Scurti plays Bach in Beaulieu, and Bonnay and Delangle take to the streets of La Turbie.
Programme
Friday 16 March
5:30pm Marlborough Gallery, Monaco
Meet the Accordion, with Pascal Contet
Friday 16 March
7:30pm Salle Empire, Hotel de Paris (€70 with cocktails / €40(€12) without)
Contemporary Accordion: Pascal Contet
Breton music: Jabick Martin
Interval Cocktails
Richard Galliano
NB Reservations for these two concerts (including interval cocktails) available only from the Atrium of the Casino (tel + 377 98 06 28 28)
Saturday 17 March
10am to 1pm: Théâtre des Variétés, Monaco
Accordion Masterclass with Philippe de Ezcurra
2pm to 5pm: Théâtre des Variétés, Monaco
Music software presentation (free)
8.30pm Chateau des Terrasses, Cap d'Ail
Accordion music from Italy and the Basque region
Philippe de Ezcurra
Traditional Italian music
Duo Bottasso, (violin and diatonic accordion)
Sunday 18 March
3pm Anglican Church, Beaulieu-sur-Mer
Music by Bach and Ligeti, played by Germano Scurti
Traditional Irish music, played by Charlie Harris (button accordion)
6pm St Michael's Church, La Turbie
Traditional Basque music
Philippe de Ezcurra (accordion and bandoneon)
Latin Cabaret
Max Bonnay et Claude Delangle (accordion and saxophone)