Sopron early music days

Summer is officially here and the long and tiring school year is finally coming to an end for teachers, students and their parents. Lots of us feel a break is well-deserved. A big break. An enjoyable break. A getaway, an out-of-town change from the big city. But who wants to give up good music?

No need to. A short trip to the beautiful and relaxing town of Sopron at the foot of the cooling Lôvér Mountains in western Hungary offers both the getaway and the music. For the 23rd consecutive year, the Early Music Days festival, organized by Filharmónia Budapest Kht, will be held in Sopron from June 23-30. The festival offers not only superb concerts every night in various churches and concert venues throughout the medieval town and even at the Esterházy Palace in nearby Fertôd. It also offers five different courses taught by Hungarian and foreign professors related to the authentic performance practice of early music.

The internationally acclaimed American keyboard artist Malcolm Bilson will give a course on music for the early piano (fortepiano) to the year 1800. Bilson has taught at the Sopron festival many times, and is particularly admired for his interpretations and recordings of Mozart`s piano concertos for Deutsche Grammophon`s Archiv label.

Katalin Halmai will give a course for singers about the 19th century German Lied. Dutch musician Anneke Boeke will give her ever-popular course on recorder music from the Baroque period and will also coach the chamber music class. Rita Széll will give two courses on historical dance, both of them dealing with Renaissance and Baroque court dances.

After a demanding day of attending the masterclasses, whether as an active participant or just an auditor, it`s great to chill to some beautiful music in the evenings. There will be orchestral concerts, a choral concert, solo recitals and chamber music. One of the orchestral concerts (Monday, June 25) is by the Wiener Akademie and will feature the English countertenor Robin Blaze singing two Bach cantatas, as well as Bach`s Concerto in C minor for Oboe and Violin. György Vashegyi`s Purcell Chorus will perform works by Schumann and Brahms on June 27. Boeke and the lutenist Igor Davidovics will play Baroque works for recorder and lute on June 28.

It`s always a special treat to go to a concert in the very room in the Esterházy Palace where Joseph Haydn first introduced so many of his witty and expressive creations. This year, Bilson will perform works on fortepiano by Haydn, Mozart and Clementi there.

The festival always winds up with a performance by the dance class, followed by an enjoyable Renaissance-Baroque dancehouse for all the festival`s participants. The courses are held at Sopron`s Ferenc Liszt Conference and Cultural Center (Liszt Ferenc u.1.). Tickets are available there or at the concert venue just before the concert.

Sopron Early Music Days

June 23-30.

www.filharmoniabp.hu.

Tel: 266-1459

Kevin Shopland
www.budapestsun.com - Wednesday, June 20, 2007