BROUWER AND SANLÚCAR PREMIÈRES AT KOBLENZ INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL A Report by THÉRÈSE WASSILY SABA PHOTOS: THÉRÈSE WASSILY SABA WASSILY THÉRÈSE PHOTOS: Manuel Barrueco with the Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie, conducted by Garrett Keast.

HE 21ST Koblenz International version, Manolo Sanlúcar gave Manuel Barrueco’s interpretation was TGuitar Festival & Academy Manuel Barrueco the freedom to strong and powerful – still featured three important premières create a suite of pieces from the full comfortably in the classical genre, in its concert series: Costas version with six movements: Obertura, while capturing the essential beauty Cotsiolis played the première of Reencuentro y Desencuentro, its the flamenco forces. The Leo Brouwer’s third solo sonata for Seducción, Conjuro, La Venganza and performance was part of the ‘Friday guitar called Sonata del Decameron Fiesta. Apart from the flamenco style, Night for Guitar & Orchestra’ concert, Negro, Zoran Dukic played the there are influences from North which also presented Goran première of Sonata No. 4 African and Arabic music, particularly Krivokapic, who gave a very musical (homenaje a Luis Milan) by Carlo in the colourful use of percussion. performance of the Concierto de Domeniconi and Manuel Barrueco played the German première of Manolo Sanlúcar’s flamenco concerto called Medea with the Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie, conducted by the Berlin-based American conductor Garrett Keast at the Rhein-Mosel Halle on Friday 17 May 2013. The flamenco guitarist and composer Manolo Sanlúcar originally wrote Medea for the Ballet Nacional de España which they premièred in Madrid on 13 July 1984. On 2 October 2002 Manolo Sanlúcar premièred a new version of Medea for two guitars and orchestra at the Maestranza in Seville; he performed it with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Malaga, conducted by Leo Brouwer. Costas Cotsiolis and Pavel Steidl. For this solo guitar and orchestra

18 Classical Guitar Magazine Roberto Aussel. Alvaro Pierri.

Aranjuez by Joaquín Rodrigo, which communicate’ and this Sonata playing of Lieder by Schubert was received a standing ovation. achieves that brilliantly. superb and Marcin Dylla ended with a Costas Cotsiolis’s première of the Roberto Aussel’s opening night sensitive and very musical Sonata del Decameron Negro by Leo concert began with four well-known performance of Valses Poeticos by Brouwer on 18 May 2013, was dances from Praetorius’s Terpsichore Granados. preceded by a well-presented lecture but with such refined interpretation, It was a week of unforgettable about ‘Leo Brouwer and his Music’. that these pieces were elevated from concerts and encores, each Costas Cotsiolis has known and their simple dance status. The beauty performers had a strongly individual worked with Leo Brouwer for over 30 of Aussel’s tone quality was style but all with a superior level of years, so his stories and understanding outstanding throughout the concert; musicianship. Alvaro Pierri gave such of Leo Brouwer’s music are he also played a Sonata by Zamboni, an excellent performance of Sor’s invaluable. He played a number of Scarlatti Sonatas. The subtle Sonata, Op. 22 that one felt that he recordings to illustrate his points, in inflections in the rhythmic pulse of had transformed it into a piano particular the Omaggio a Paganini, a Piazzolla’s Cinco piezas para guitarra, Sonata and had all the facilities of double concerto for guitar and violin, which were written for Roberto ten fingers at his disposal. His written for Costas Cotsiolis and the Aussel, were so appropriate, unique melodies sang with a beautiful tone violinist Isel Rodríguez Trujillo, and and masterful. Aussel’s approach to quality and his playing was gentle and the guitar concerto Concierto de the pieces by Atahualpa Yupanqui understated but always clear. And thus Volos also written for Cotsiolis. Not were no less captivating. he continued with an ethereal only was the lecture and the music Marcin Dylla’s concert on the performance of Jazz Sonatina by inspiring but it was held in the newly- following evening was equally Dusan Bogdanovic. Manuel Ponce’s refurbished Rhein-Mosel-Halle recital inspiring but in a completely different room, which has floor to ceiling way. He began with a very poetic windows, looking out on the beautiful performance of Ponce’s Sonata Rhein river and its luscious green Romantica, all played with a light surroundings. The Sonata del touch and in a relaxed style. Marcin Decameron Negro is in four Dylla always has a substantial movements: Guijes y Gnomos – with contemporary work in his references to the music of Luis Milan, programme; this year the piece is Treno por Oya – with an arch form Mano a Mano by the Finnish building to a fast and furious in the composer Magnus Lindberg. It is a centre, the scherzo Burlesca del Aire piece with a relentless, fast-moving with quotes from Tárrega, and the flood of notes, which requires the final movement called La Risa de los stamina and musicianship of a player ‘Griots’. Costas Cotsiolis said that for such as Marcin Dylla to sustain the Marcin Dylla. Brouwer, ‘to compose is to thread of ideas successfully. His 20 Classical Guitar Magazine Op. 44 by Gerard Drozd in homage to J. S. Bach. Zoran Dukic’s concert ended with a noticeably non-British a and heavy-handed approach to Malcolm Arnold’s Fantasy. Pavel Steidl played pieces by aristocratic Bohemian composers from the early eighteenth century and works by Mertz, Paganini and Zani de Feranti. His performance, as always, was full of dramatic expression, not only in his playing but also visually. Hubert Kappel’s Delos Trio. His moving encore was dedicated to his father, who had died just days Sonata III appeared on many by Granados and works by Barrios; before. programmes during the festival and his tone quality and musical phrasing There was a warm atmosphere in each time it was played so well, that was absolutely engaging, musically the public masterclasses which were it was a pleasure to hear it repeated. technically and spiritually. With such well-attended by both students and This is the first year that Judicaël excellent performances, it seemed audience, all eager to hear the gems Perroy gave an evening recital, appropriate to have these two of wisdom from the performers: although he has been a welcome concerts in front of the altar of the Konrad Ragossnig, David Russell, regular in the 4pm concert series. He church. Manuel Barrueco, Shin-ichi Fukuda, gave very good performances of In the series of 4pm recitals, which Alvaro Pierri, Marcin Dylla, Judicaël Sonata No. 3 and Variations from ‘La were held in the smaller concert Perroy and Zoran Dukic. Goran Folia de Espana’ both by Ponce and room of the Rhein-Mosel Halle with Krivokapic gave a public masterclass also introduced us to a work by views of the Rhein, the Croatian with the students performing Joaquín Johann Dubez (1828–1891), who had guitarist Zoran Anic performed for Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez, been a student of Mertz. These were the first time at the Koblenz Festival. accompanied by the Staatsorchester contrasted with fine his performances His performance was a little nervous Rheinische Philharmonie, conducted of Saturnal, the first movement from to begin with, but he had been forced by Garrett Keast. This was followed by Cadran Lunaire (1981–82) by to travel without his own guitar from the final examinations for the Koblenz Maurice Ohana and Equinox (1993) Croatia because of airline problems International Guitar Academy, which by Toru Takemitsu. It was a pleasure and had to play on a borrowed guitar. has the Concierto de Aranjuez as a to hear these two distinctive works Goran Krivokapic was clearly having a set piece for the Soloist Diploma together – each with their own busy week, performing both with Examination. Raul Arturo Gutierrez atmosphere, written by very different orchestra and giving a solo 4pm (Mexico), Unai Insausti Eguia composers. After a number of recital; the change in solo programme (Spain) and Davide di Ienno (Italy) encores, he finally played Prelude and involved reading from an unruly score, all took their examination and passed. Fugue from Bach’s Prelude, Fugue which would not remain on the music On the Saturday, Monika Dawidek and Allegro. stand, but as always, he gave an (oboe) and Russell Poyner (guitar) A new venue used this year was the excellent performance of works by gave a lunchtime at the Kreuzkirche, a modern church built Ponce and Gerard Drozd. Liebfrauenkirche in central Koblenz. with a circular structure, on top of hill Zoran Dukic played works by Monika Dawidek has a beautiful tone in Ehrenbreistein, which offers Barrios and Albéniz very expressively and the duo worked well together, wonderful views of the city from the as well as the première of the performing a Sonata by Johann terrace, where wine and fine food was melancholic Sonata No. 4 (homenaje Christoph Pepusch (1667–1752), a served between the two concerts. The a Luis Milan) written for him by Carlo Sonata by Arcangelo Corelli and, for a first concert was given by the Delos Domeniconi. Another contemporary lighter contrast, some Piazzolla and Trio Koln, with Gudrun Hobold piece was the one-movement Adagio, the tango La Cumparsita. (violin), Dietmar Berger (cello) and Hubert Käppel on guitar, who gave an energetic and vibrant performance fine quality but rarely heard works: Divertimento in C by Josef Haydn, the Adagio from Serenata, Op. 19 by Mauro Giuliani and Trio in D by Niccolò Paganini, as well as the Trio in G by the Spanish composer Isidro de Laporta (1750–1829). The second concert was a solo recital by David Russell. He gave a fine performance of Rossiniana No. 3 by Giuliani, two The jury of the Koblenz International Guitar Competition. sonatas by Scarlatti, Valses Poeticos Classical Guitar Magazine 21 There was capacity attendance at so many of the concerts during the week; the attendance and audience enthusiasm seemed to crescendo to fortissimo for the final concert on the Monday evening – the prize-winners concert. The prize-giving ceremony for the Competition was also held at this final concert. The three prize winners: Chia-Wei Lin, Anton Baranov and Ken Gunter Schillings and the Junior Academy at the Kurfürstliches Schloss. Inoi gave excellent performances, confirming their abilities and they also long Pentecost holiday weekend received great encouragement from taught by Günter Schillings, Russell the audience. The orchestra of the Poyner and Ivar Ibanez – made up Junior Academy performed again and the 30-member-ensemble, which was were applauded so much by the conducted by Günter Schillings. They audience, that they repeated their gave an excellent performance of performance. It was a satisfying end Albinoni’s Adagio, arranged for guitar to a week of excellent music. orchestra, both at the final student Many guitar makers exhibited their concert on the Monday evening and instruments in the bright and airy also during the special Pentecost foyer of the Rhein-Mosel-Halle, Mass on Sunday. including: Antonius Müller, Gert A special Catholic Mass, organised Petersen, Kazuo Sato, Mario Gropp, David Russell with Georg Schmitz. in collaboration with the Arnstener the Canadian guitar maker Daryl Patres, was held at the City-Kirche, Perry, Michael Wichmann, Jens Towet, The Finals of the Koblenz the Jesuit church in the cobble- Friedericke Linscheid, Stephan International Guitar Competition stoned Jesuiten Platz. The parts of Schlemper and the guitar case maker ‘Hubert Käppel’ 2013 were held at the Mass were sung by a four-voice Zlatko Parlov. During the summer the Kurfürstliches Schloß on Sunday ensemble with soprano (Kirsten months, Michael Macmeeken, who 19 May 2013. There were five Maxeiner), alto (Almut recently sold both his publishing finalists: Anton Baranov (Russia), Nieratschker), tenor (Thomas Kaiser) company (to Zimmermann Verlag) Thomas Csaba (France), Xavier Jara and bass (Willi Nieratschker), and and his Chanterelle guitar festival (USA), Chia-Wei Lin (Taiwan) and guitar music was played by Martha shop (to Octavian Badea of Gen Matsuda (Japan). The winners Masters, Sabrina Vlaskavic, Guitarrisimo) is travelling to the were: First Prize: Chia-Wei Li; Alexander Ramirez, David Russell, festivals with Octavian Badea to make Second Prize: was not awarded and and in duo Russell Poyner with the transfer of ownership smoother. Third Prize: Anton Baranov. The Monika Dawidek (oboe). Willi Other special exhibitors at the festival Premio Joaquín Rodrigo for the best Nieratschker gave a fine performance were Bernard Maillot of Savarez and interpretation of a work by Joaquín of a Bach Prelude and Fugue on pipe Prof. Thomas Offermann of D’Addario Rodrigo was awarded to Ken Inoi organ. The money collected from this Strings; both companies support the (Japan). The international jury was Mass service will go to the ‘ONGD festival and the competition. Next headed by Univ.-Prof. Konrad David Russell y María Jesús’ to build year’s festival will be held from 2–9 Ragossnig, with Hubert Käppel, Shin- water wells in Africa. June 2014 in Koblenz, Germany. ichi Fukuda, Alfred Eickholt, Martha Masters, Alexander Ramirez, Lucio Matarazzo, Ansgar Krause, Max Op den Camp, Russell Poyner and Thérèse Wassily Saba. The flamenco guitarist Rafael Cortés presented Parando el Tiempo, with his sextet in the fortress in Ehrenbreitstein, perched high on a cliff-face, alongside the Rhein river. The performance featured a flamenco dancer, Rafaela Escoz, who was remarkably stiff and rigid, as well as Guitar makers and Bernard Maillot of Savarez Strings. his son, Rafael Cortés jr. and Juane Luengo on guitars, the percussionist Festival & Academy website is at: David Huerta and the singer Gonzalo www.koblenzguitarfestival.de Cortes. Festival Blog: http://Koblenzguitarfestival.wordpress.com The Junior Guitar Academy – a Twitter: @koblenzguitfest children’s course, which ran over the 22 Classical Guitar Magazine