Bach Festival
A major festival dedicated exclusively to one of the greatest composers of the world, Johan Sebastian Bach, will be held at the Moscow House of Music in March. Grandiose liturgical compositions and gorgeous secular operas are two facets of Bach’s genius and will feature in the festival’s 22-day programme. On the program, is the monumental Mass en C Minor, the Saint John Passion, the Christmas Oratorio, the Brandenburg Concertos, the Goldberg Variations and organ music, popular instrumental compositions and many other famous compositions. Among the performers are world-known Russian ensembles experienced in baroque music such as Virtuosi of Moscow directed by Vladimir Spivakov, a Russian Choir named after A. Sveshnikov conducted by Boris Tevlin, the Lev Kontorovich ensemble, the Moscow Chamber Choir Musica Viva conducted by Alexander Rudin, Novaya Opera theatre’s choir, the Pratum Integrum orchestra and others. Among soloists are Vladimir Spivakov (violin), Magalie Mosnier (flute), Alexey Utkin (oboe), vocal soloists Clesy Kelly (soprano) and James Taylor (tenor), Julia Sophia Wagner (soprano), Daniel Ohoa (baritone), Klaus Haeger (bass), Ragna Schirmer, an extraordinary pianist, winner of the 15 highest awards and the only person who has twice been made laureate of the prestigious Bach prize from the Leipzig Bach Competition.
Another famous performer from Germany— Klemens Schnorr, director of the Amorbach Bach Festivals, professor of the Munich High School of Music, will present a
multi-genre panorama of Bach’s compositions. And for the finale, there are concerts by the Stutgart Bach Academy Orchestra and Maestro Helmuth Rilling, director of the International Bach Academy, one of the best interpreters of Bach’s early music. The Bach Orchestra from the Gewandhaus zu Leipzig will be close the festival. During their first visit to Russia, the orchestra will play the Brandenburg Concertos.
Remembering Paul Mauriat
Some melodies seem to perfectly encapsulate their epochs. The French composer and performer Paul Mauriat composed music which did exactly that. For many, his Un Homme et Une Femme became the main musical theme of the 60s. Five years ago the maestro died and the orchestra bearing his name was dispersed, according to the directives of his will. She, however, approved of the orchestra’s and its conductor Jean-Jacques Justafré’s plan of creating a new orchestra. Thus the Justafré Grand Orchestra appeared and became known all around the world, with commemorative performances in many countries. Jean-Jacques Justafré started working with the maestro in 1971, making studio recordings and touring all over the world with his own orchestra. In 2005, Mauriat himself entrusted Justafré with conducting his orchestra. He worked with such stars as Francis Lay,
Michel Legrand, Ennio Morricone, Vladimir Kosma, Quincy Jones and others. On stage and in recording studios Jeanjacques Justafré collaborated with Charles Aznavour, Jacques Brel, Jonny Holiday, Joe Dassin and many others. He also issued more than twenty records of his own. At the present time, he conducts at Radio France and continues to perform Paul Mauriat music. For his Moscow performance, the conductor has selected some of Mauriat’s earliest works.
Karim Rashid in Moscow
Karim Rashid is one of the most successful modern designers. If you haven’t seen his lighters or hotel design, you surely have seen his concepts for a metro station, or laptops, or bank cards, or perfume packs around. For his career he managed to create in design so much that he has already had a couple of exhibitions in the modern art museums of several cities of the world—museums where his creations are actually part of the museum stock. He worked hard to achieve a fame like this. Being born in Egypt in 1960 he was raised in England and Canada where he graduated from his first university in Ottawa to continue design studies in Naples, Italy. His career actually started in Milan where he worked in industrial design and fashion. After one year in Milan he moved to New York
In 1993 he expanded into different spheres: from banks to clothes, creating corporate
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March 2 – May 10, 12:00-20:00
Mod design
2, Maly Konyushkovsky pereulok
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styles and interiors. Till now his major interests in design lie in interiors, furniture, lighting, objects and packaging. His work has included the interiors of huge hotels and even a metro station in Naples. In Moscow he has already worked as a designer for one of the stores on Arbat Street. This exhibition is the first retrosective of Rashid’s work to come to Moscow.
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