Bremen is THE city of the musicians, at least the famous four from the little story where the discarded animals, the donkey, the dog, the cat and the rooster, 'singing' chase away the scoundrels and keep the loot for themselves and stay in the robber's den, so they never make it to Bremen. Those four animals' 'music' must have sounded quite something! Braying, barking, meowing and crowing; a cacophony has nothing on it. Fortunately, listening to something quite different...
Bremen didn't want to be weighed down by false notes and so in 1989, on the initiative of current intendant Thomas Albert, the now world-famous Musikfest Bremen came into being, festively opened on 15 August, Assumption Day, in this largely Protestant city where fortunately Lutherans, Calvinists and Catholics walk together through the streets with agnostics and atheists and others in peace and fill the concert halls. Under the motto 'Eine große Nachtmusik' Bremen festively celebrated the start of that enormous festival that lasts a good month in the city itself and the surrounding area.
Ceremony in the 'Rathaus' and masterful concerts
The organisers, generous donors and sponsors, political officials and the press were offered a fine reception in the magnificent Bremen town hall by mayor Andreas Bovenschutte and intendant Thomas Albert. Their words of welcome struck the right note, immediately setting the tone and whetting the appetite to enjoy and consume plenty of music of the highest level.
We were able to follow three concerts of approximately 45 minutes each. The quality of one was even better than the other and here we go through what was offered.
7 p.m.: Ensemble Matheus - Chœur de l'Académie Haendel Hendrix – soprano Nina Spinosi – alto Javiera Barrios - conductor Jean-Christophe Spinosi
These dedicated musicians brought under the direction of an almost dancing conductor in the Dom a lesser-known and a well-known work by Antonio Vivaldi: the Laudate pueri Dominum RV 600 and the Gloria RV 589. That Gloria was among the first classical music the undersigned learned as a toddler. What a blessing to have musically inclined parents… The orchestra is sublime, everything according to historically informed performance practice on period instruments. We can justly be proud that for decades ensembles, soloists, recording studios, concert halls, professorships, publishing houses, festivals and more have existed all over the world owing their musical and commercial fortune to our very own Sigiswald Kuiken, who was the first after more than 200 years to play a violin without a chin rest, exactly as he saw and studied it on prints, paintings, read in texts. The world can never be grateful enough to pioneers such as the Kuiken brothers and other contemporary colleagues who were swept up in this revival of 'early music'. If only the Flemish government were as well, alas.
It was pure enjoyment of the orchestra and the two exceptionally good singers. A creamy warm soprano and an alto in a million with a voice to dream about. The choir came less into its own. This was due to the positioning in a very difficult cathedral church that actually has no acoustics. Where I was sitting, you heard the men and it seemed as if maybe only a couple of women were singing in the choir. Whoever sat on the women's side probably had the opposite experience. A bit of a pity, but it can't be otherwise in that church.
8:30 p.m. Boston Early Music Festival Vocal & Chamber Ensembles led by none other than lutenist Paul O'Dette and Baroque guitarist Stephen Stubbs
The Unsere-Lieber-Frauen-Kirche, located just a few steps from the Dom and the town hall, still stands. It withstood the thunderous applause after 45 minutes of Monteverdi (1567-1643) who were introduced with the famous Zefiro Torna. This ensemble is so pure, so Italian, despite being American. The musicians transform into the people who performed Monteverdi's works for him personally. What quality indeed. You can't improve this. Absorb it, don't let go, remember and hear again when you talk about it, read about it… A concert that stays with you, music for the ages, musicians incredibly well attuned to each other and where every note speaks, expresses, sings, lives. This is grand and so full of fire, bravura, conviction and suppleness. A standing ovation, that couldn't be otherwise.
10 p.m.: Alena Baeva, Kyril Zlotnikov & Vadym Kholodenko with Franz Schuberts (1797-1828) Piano Trio No. 2 D929
The great council chamber, historic splendour, intact Renaissance that survived wars and all manner of calamities, was made of the finest wood – and there is woodwork to admire – to let Schubert resound. Acoustically it worked very well, in my opinion actually better than the small hall of Die Glocke, where it was six days of listening to the Beethoven string quartets by the Quatuor Ebène.
This was the icing on the cake, indisputably. Rarely did you hear Schubert so lyrical, so refined, so charming and so tormented, so anxious also about approaching death and yet hopefully serving beauty. It was moving, great romanticism in its purest form, where music proved itself once again as the highest art form. This surpassed everything and it could have lasted much longer. Just being able to witness this was worth the effort to travel to Bremen. Hopefully we will hear these three talents again closer to home in our own country. That this evening was also rounded off with many bravos and a standing, stamping ovation needs no further comment.
Should you have the opportunity to attend this festival next year or one of the coming years? Do it!
