Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Foundation

Information

July/August 2011 President Maestro Kurt Masur honoured Award ceremony in Paris

The German Foreign Ministry and the French Ministry of Foreign & European Affairs have chosen Maestro Kurt Masur and Professor Pierre Boulez as winners of the Adenauer- de Gaulle Prize in 2011. On 20 June 2011 the Prize was formally bestowed at a ceremony in the Hôtel de Beauharnais, the Residence of the German Ambassador in Paris, by the two Ministers responsible for Franco- German co-operation, French Europe Minister Laurent Wauquiez and the German friendship. The artistic careers of Pierre Boulez and Kurt Masur – for- Minister of State in the German Fo- med through many years of experience in Germany and France – are an exam- reign Office Dr Werner Hoyer. ple of the creativity and originality which the values of the European commu- nity have produced.” declared Minister of State Dr Hoyer. “In the French con- The Adenauer-de Gaulle Prize, ductor and composer Pierre Boulez and the German conductor Kurt Masur, this which was established on 22 January year we are honouring two personalities who, through their professional as 1988, is a distinction for those people well as private commitment, have made an extraordinary contribution to Fran- who have made an especial contribu- co-German relations. Both have worked tirelessly for many years in the neigh- tion to Franco-German co-operation. It bouring country. Kurt Masur was in charge of the “Orchestre National de France” is named after the former German from 2002 to 2008. Pierre Boulez, who had already conducted in Germany in Federal Chancellor Konrad Adenauer the 1950s and 1960s, has for many years worked together with the Berlin and the former President of the French Philharmonic Orchestra.” Republic Charles de Gaulle. Both poli- ticians strove for post-war reconciliation between the two European na- tions, which had previously regarded pictures; top left: Ministers Laurent Wauquiez (left) and Dr Werner Hoyer (right) watching Maestro one another other as arch-enemies. Kurt Masur lauding the musical opportunities and This reconciliation was sealed by the the wide-ranging musical education in France. Elysée Treaty. top right: Prof. Pierre Boulez thanking for being honoured with the Adenauer-de Gaulle Prize and “With the award of the Adenauer- speaking, amongst others, about the modern de Gaulle Prize we are honouring not German orchestras and their tradition formed by only two exceptional artists of our Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy and which Boulez time, but also two great Europeans, experiences working in Germany. who are decisive figures in contempo- left: Both prize-winners in the Hôtel de rary European history and Franco- Beauharnais, Paris. p. 2 Fundraising Gala

On 11 February 2011 the Felix- Mendelssohn-Bartholdy-Foundation invited guests to a further Gala event in the Music Salon of the Mendelssohn- House. Alfred Brendel, who has only recently ended his worldwide career as a pianist, read from his recent publi- cations (Über Soloabende, Klavier- gedichte, Ermahnung eines Mozart- Spielers an sich selbst, Der neue Stil und Hören) some lively and serious stories and poems, observations about music and its performers.

He then introduced a young pianist, who in his view is the most talented of the next generation worldwide, and whom, accordingly, he is personally gui- ding – the 18-year-old Kit Armstrong, pictures; top: Maestro Masur welcoming the guests who played on an historic Tröndlin to the gala and speaking about the importance of Hammerflügel a lively and sparkling the Mendelssohn-House for the German music programme with works by Felix Men- history. left: Premier Tillich giving his welcoming speech in delssohn Bartholdy, Variations sérieu- the historic music salon of the Mendelssohn-House. ses in D minor, opus 54, MWV U 156, below: Alfred Brendel reading from his books and and Johann Sebastian Bach, Prelude presenting the young pianist Kit Armstrong (bot- and Fugue in F sharp major, BWV 858, tom left) Prelude and Fugue in F sharp minor, bottom right: Mayor Burkhard Jung speaking to Maestro Masur’s guests about the worldwide activi- BWV 859 from the Book I of the Well- ty of the Felix-Mendelssohn-Bartholdy-Foundation Tempered Clavier, followed by Prelude and thanking for the support of the contributors. and Fugue in G major, BWV 860 and Prelude and Fugue in G minor, BWV 861 from Part II.

Afterwards Maestro Kurt Masur invited the guests, including the Prime Minister of Saxony Stanislaw Tillich, the Lord Mayor of Leipzig Burkhard Jung and the well-known artist Neo Rauch, to a festive dinner in the former coach-house of the Mendelssohn- House.

The proceeds for the evening enab- led the above-mentioned Tröndlin Hammerklavier from Mendelssohn's time to be acquired by the Museum. It will now undergo thorough restoration.

Further proceeds of the evening will be used for the digitalisation of the Mendelssohn-House's collection of Mendelssohn's early editions, in order to make them available on the Inter- net to as many scholars and musicians as possible throughout the world.

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Prize Award News from the UK Friends 2011

On 24 September 2011 it will be On Saturday 21 May 2011 the UK sohn's magnificent Piano Trio No. 2 prize-giving time again in the Leipzig Friends of the Felix-Mendelssohn- in C minor, opus 66 (MWV Q 33). Gewandhaus. The Leipzig Internatio- Bartholdy-Foundation organised a nal Mendelssohn Prize will be awarded very successful fund-raising concert The audience showed their heart- for the fifth time. Since 2007 the Felix- and lunch in the lovely country home, felt appreciation of the outstanding Mendelssohn-Bartholdy-Foundation in Swan House, of our UK Friends performers through enthusiastic and Leipzig has awarded this distinguished Trustees Michael and Patricia Langley, prolonged applause. Afterwards audi- prize in various categories, in memory set amid the spectacular Cotswold ence and performers together enjoy- of Felix Mendelssohn and his legacy. Hills. ed a relaxed lunch and conversation The first recipient of the Leipzig Inter- in the beautiful gardens of Swan national Mendelssohn Prize was Kurt UK Friends Chairman Desmond House. Masur, who received the honour on the Cecil introduced the invited audience occasion of his 80th birthday. Kofi to the work of the Foundation, and its The generosity of the audience rai- Annan gave the laudation and Harald charitable objectives to promote out- sed substantial and most welcome Schmidt moderated the Gala concert. standing young musicians and a scho- funds for the UK Friends of the Felix- larship “in the spirit of Mendelssohn” Mendelssohn-Bartholdy-Foundation, The following year the violinist – musician, painter, humanist, world to contribute towards its future cha- Anne-Sophie Mutter and the philoso- citizen – as well as to the close links ritable objectives “in the spirit of pher Peter Sloterdijk received the between the UK Friends and Leipzig. Mendelssohn”. honour, and in the third year Helmut Schmidt, Riccardo Chailly and Armin The concert opened with a fascina- Mueller-Stahl were the prize-winners. ting talk by music critic, teacher and In 2010 the pianist Lang-Lang and the Mendelssohn scholar Rick Jones, who actress Iris Berben were honoured. described his recent trip around Scot- land in the historic footsteps of Felix The concert proceeds benefited the Mendelssohn Bartholdy, who visited Felix-Mendelssohn-Bartholdy-Foun- the landscape there in 1829. dation, which was thereby able to imple- ment important projects – including This was followed by fine perfor- paying off the mortgage of the Men- mances from three talented young mu- delssohn-House, the purchase of the sicians, Lisa Obert (violin), Ella Run- world's largest collection of Mendels- dle (violoncello) and Janneke Brits pictures: sohn’s first published editions, and the (piano). They began with transcrip- Mendelssohn Scholar Rick Jones in the garden of acquisition of a historic pianoforte for tions for piano trio of six of Mendels- Swan House and Young musicians Lisa Obert (left), Janneke Brits (middle), Ella Rundle (right) the concerts in the music salon of the sohn's charming Songs without enthusiastically applauded after their fine perfor- Mendelssohn-House. Words. They finished with Mendels- mance of Mendelssohn's Second Piano Trio.

Those who would like to be present at this year's awards can apply for Gala concert tickets at the Leipzig Gewand- haus (60/50/40/30/15 euros, including taxes, and with appropriate reduc- tions, Telephone +49 341 1270 280).

The names of the 2011 prize-winners were announced at a press con- ference in Leipzig on Thursday, 7 July. In the “Music” category, which is always represented, the singer Professor Peter Schreier will receive the prize. For his outstanding “Social Commitment” the author Professor Marcel Reich-Ranicki will be honoured.

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Scholarship Programme 2011

The scholarship programme of the libraries, as well as visits to the muse- which the young conductors will direct Leipzig Foundation, in co-operation with ums and attendance at Gewandhaus their own rehearsals to achieve concert the American Friends of the Felix-Men- concert rehearsals, the scholars will go standard. The results of this workshop delssohn-Bartholdy-Foundation and the on excursions to Berlin, Weimar and project will be presented in a concert Japanese Circle of Friends, is continuing Bonn, where they will meet and discuss with an all-Mendelssohn programme in 2011. This year three conductors are with experts in the classical music tra- on 7 September in Böhlen near Leipzig. expected in Leipzig for further tuition, dition. two sent by the American Friends and Those interested in this orchestral one young conductor from Japan. An important part of the tuition in concert can obtain more information Leipzig will be an orchestral project and tickets from the Mendelssohn- In addition to the tuition with orche- with the Leipzig Symphony Orchestra House in Leipzig, stral musicians, in the archives and directed by Frank-Michael Erben, in Telephone +49 (341) 1270 294.

Members of the Kuratorium Supporters’ Circle Imprint Dr Wulff Aengevelt Tomoko Masur and Prof. Kurt Masur Dr Jürgen Friedel Hélène Mercier-Arnault Ulrike Krill de Capello Prof Hermann Rauhe Karin Martin Wolfgang Tiefensee Dr Clauss Riedberg Emiko Tsuji Heide Schwarzweller Kurt Viermetz Dr Undine Nash » President: Prof. Kurt Masur » Chairman Mayor of the Board: Burkhard Jung Donators and Supporters since December 2010 » Substitute: Michael Faber » Board: Dr. Peter Krüger Many friends of the Felix-Mendelssohn-Bartholdy-Foundation in Leipzig and Tomoko Masur its international work have donated financial contributions in support. Warm Prof. Andreas Schulz thanks to all those who are helping the continuation of our work. » Member of the Board: Dr. Werner Martin

Herrn Kit Armstrong Herrn Peter Schüring » Director: Jürgen Ernst Frau Anne-Kathrin Bauknecht Sparkasse Leipzig » Representative UK: Desmond Cecil (London) Verlag Breitkopf & Härtel, Leipziger Stadtbau AG, Frau Liselotte Sievers Herr Patrik Fahrenkamp Address: Herrn Alfred Brendel Herrn Dr. Albrecht Teichmann » Mendelssohn-Haus Leipzig Daimler AG Herrn Kurt Viermetz » Goldschmidtstraße 12, 04103 Leipzig Hotel Fürstenhof Leipzig » Telephone: +49 (0) 341-1 27 02 94 Herrn Dr. Georg Girardet » Faksimile: +49 (0) 341-2 11 52 88 Guido Graf Henckel » E-Mail: [email protected] Fürst von Donnersmarck » Internet: www.mendelssohn-stiftung.de Herrn Dr. Peter Krüger Account: Deutsche Bank Leipzig Frau Barbara Lambrecht-Schadeberg banc code: 860 700 24 Frau Rosa Loy account: 455 56 78 Maestro Kurt Masur Frau Tomoko Masur More details Herrn Prof. Fritz Melchers » Editor and Designer: Herrn Dr. Hans Moll Christiane Schmidt (responsible) Frau Hiltrud Oberwelland » Texts: Christiane Schmidt, Desmond Cecil Frau Maren Otto » English Translation: Desmond Cecil Herrn Prof. Neo Rauch » Pictures/illustrations: Archives Mendelssohn Stiftung Presseclub Dresden House, Dirk Brzoska, UK Friends, Chr. Schmidt Frau Gisela von Schenck » Print: Fischer Druck, Großpösna