OXFORD CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL 2008

Latin! – the inspiration for this year’s festival – a cocktail of raw energy, sensuality, heart-breaking melancholy and longing that is the music of South America and Spain shaken up with some of the ‘best ever’ baroque masterpieces from Italy: musical worlds across times and cultures that confront and complement. Come and join us on our trip to the warm South!

The 2008 Festival will take place between 1st and 4th October at the Holywell Music Room, the Jacqueline du Pré Music Building (JdP) and the University Church of St Mary. I hope you will be able to make it and also join us at the launch concert at the JdP on 5th June.

The Festival theme this year is Latin, and the programme will focus on the eclectic, immensely colourful spectrum of music from South America, Spain and Italy. Well-known favourites like Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons’ (in the chamber version) will be played along side the ‘Four Seasons’ by the Argentinian composer Piazzolla, in his original version for bandoneón, violin, guitar, bass and piano. We’ll also have a number of baroque gems including the Boccherini ‘Fandango’ quintet, Corelli and Pergolesi trio sonatas, Tartini’s ‘Devil’s Trill’, and Scarlatti piano sonatas. There will be performances of Tchaikovsky’s ‘Souvenir de Florence’ – one of the greatest pieces written for string sextet, Stravinsky’s ‘Suite Italienne’, Villa Lobos’s lush and very complex trio for oboe, clarinet and bassoon, and Rossini’s virtuosic quartet for 2 violins, cello and double bass.

It would be wonderful to see you at these concerts and share some very exciting and enjoyable music with you.

 

Priya Mitchell, Artistic Director