The 50th Menuhin Festival in 2006 turns both to the future and the past and plunges into the "World of the Violin�
The famous classical music festival set in the breathtaking surroundings of the Bernese Alps will celebrate its 50th birthday this year, also coinciding with the 90th anniversary of the birth of Lord Menuhin. Taking place from 21st July to 2nd September 2006 a multi-faceted programme is set to delight the public. Musical genres will range from romantic to jazz, Indian to gypsy violin and International stars such as Maxim Vengerov, Sabine Meyer, the London Symphony Orchestra with its conductor Sir Colin Davis, Christopher Hogwood, Vadim Repin and Volker Biesenbender will be present. The well-known jazz pianist Jacques Loussier will perform a specially commissioned work, a violin concerto, �Uncompleted Journey.�
The Menuhin Festival is set apart from other festivals by its clear thematic musical direction influenced by the artistic personality of its founder. It has managed to remain youthful after 50 years without compromising its original values: � we still demand of ourselves that we follow the intentions of our founding fathers with even more innovation and diversity, and in a more audience friendly manner,� states Christoph N.F. Muller, artistic director of the Menuhin Festival since 2002.
One Programme � three pillars to capture the essence of Menuhin�s philosophy
The festival celebrates the three pillars of chamber music, orchestral concerts and TODAY�S MUSIC concerts. Within these three are four focal points that take up and expand on Lord Menuhin�s musical intentions in different ways. Original programmes from the 1957 Festival, a focus on �the world of the violin�, the official London Symphony Orchestra Gala concert and key performances devoted to Mozart in the year of his 250th birthday.
Gstaad as a Festival Venue
As always the primary venues of the Festival are the church of Saanen, with a capacity of 800 people, and the festival tent, with a capacity of 1,830 people. In addition to these, smaller churches in the area, the Rougemont castle courtyard and the Alpine Hut Les Ouges are also used for various performances. Yehudi Menuhin was inspired and fascinated by the natural environment of the mountains and the uniqueness of the festival is accentuated by its exceptional location.
Guest Stars such as Sabine Meyer and Virtuoso Maxim Vengerov
The opening event will take place on 21st July with the first of three concerts given by the famous clarinettist, Sabine Meyer. She will interpret works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Felix Mendelssohn and Robert Schumann. The star violinist, Maxim Vengerov, will delight the public performing at two London Symphony Orchestra concerts as a soloist on the 25th and 26th August.
The London Symphony Orchestra
The three concerts given by the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) between 25th August and 2nd September are among the highlights of the festival. The LSO will perform exclusively in Gstaad under its conductor, Colin Davis, as well as with the well-known Russian conductor, Valery Gergiev. The LSO will expertly interpret Beethoven�s 9th symphony, �Ode to Joy� at the grand finale gala concert on September 2nd.
True to the spirit of Menuhin: "The World of the Violin"
Lord Menuhin�s passion for difference inspires �The World of the Violin�, which will see musicians from many different cultures come together in a fusion of musical styles from 31st July to 9th August. The jazz violin, gypsy, Indian and traditional violins will be in the spotlight during eight concerts.
On 4th August, three famous Sinti and Roma ensembles will provide musical entertainment at the Gypsy Music-Street Festival and again on the 5th August, they will perform �The Night Of The Gypsies.�
The well-known gypsy violinist, Roby Lakatos will blend his music with the steps of flamenco dancer, Nina Corti on 1st September.
World premi�re: a concerto for violin by Jacques Loussier
The well-known jazz pianist Jacques Loussier will be the "Composer in Residence" in 2006. The Frenchman impressed Yehudi Menuhin with his baroque-influenced jazz, back in the 1960s. This year Louissier will enchant audiences with a violin concerto, specially commissioned for the Menuhin Festival. The premi�re of this concerto, �Uncompleted Journey�, will take place on 4th August with Volker Biesenbender accompanying on the violin.
Innovation in the past and today: Menuhin's original programmes
The festival will go back to its roots with two original programmes from the festival of 1957. These programmes were spectacular for the epoch and highlight the progressive character of Lord Menuhin. The concerts will be revived in their original form on 24th and 25th July by outstanding contemporary musicians Daniel Hope (violin), Pieter Wispelwey (cello), Mark Padmore (tenor) and Thomas Ad�s (piano).
Mozart year at the Menuhin Festival � with Sabine Meyer
2006 marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The Menuhin Festival will remember his incredible creativity through various musical tributes. On the 22nd July the clarinettist Sabine Meyer will play Mozart's �Clarinet in A major� under the direction of Christopher Hogwood. On 23rd July she will charm the public with the clarinet quintet and string quartet.
On 24th August the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra will play Mozart�s three last symphonies (numbers 39 to 41) under the direction of Ren� Jacobs. On 30th August Klaus Maria Brandauer will read some letters from among Mozart's and Josef Nepomuk Bullinger's (a family friend) correspondence. Daniel Hope (violin) will accompany these readings with music. The climax will be reached on 16th August when the Hagen quartet from Salzburg - Mozart's place of birth - plays this exceptional composer's string quartets.
A commemorative book and film on Yehudi Menuhin on the occasion of the Jubilee
The life and work of Lord Yehudi Menuhin are at the centre of a film project to be presented on Swiss television SF DRS in collaboration with the Zurich firm Mesch & Ugge. The Menuhin Festival will also feature in the 60-minute documentary. In addition, a DVD will be available in the shops. The premi�re of the film will be shown on the Festival screen on 21st July and later on television.
A 200-page jubilee book is also to be published on 21st July 2006. A personal portrait of the festival and of Yehudi Menuhin, it follows the events of the past, looks towards the future and sheds light on the great musician and humanist�s personality.
Editor�s notes
The 2006 programme of the Menuhin Festival musical events can be found on the Internet at www.menuhinfestivalgstaad.com, where tickets can also be reserved. Prices start from about �13.00 (CHF 30.00).
For more information contact:
Magellan PR on Tel: 020 8875 2850
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