Chamber music as it was originally conceived. A concert as something more than a simple recital, more than a one-off meeting of musicians before an audience. It's an experience in the broadest sense, both musical and of life itself. An unrepeatable situation that brings together the artists' rapport, their talent, and the sum of their learning and characters. And, through this profound, transcendent encounter — this artistic residency in which rehearsal and preparation matter as much as the recital itself — the survival of a sonic heritage. New and old ways of living the music that lifts us, transforms us. Notes and chords crackling through the air and working their way inside the listener — music capable of changing the course of one's life.
The second edition of the Sant Pau Festival kicks off on 15 September, an event that turns Barcelona into an epicentre for chamber-music lovers. Running until 23 September, the festival will offer six recitals in two Modernista venues perfectly suited to the project: the Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau and the Petit Palau de la Música Catalana. Musical excellence and outstanding architectural heritage, intimately intertwined, over six days, in the Catalan capital.
The event is conceived in the spirit of an artistic residency, seeking to go well beyond simply bringing excellent musicians together for concerts. The idea is that, in the days leading up to each recital, the performers work together, sharing rehearsals, exchanging ideas, and building a transcendent artistic experience that isn't confined to what happens on stage. The musical and personal connection, the rapport achieved, is ultimately what the audience perceives, enjoys and savours from the auditorium. The true essence and spirit of chamber music. Its deepest purpose.
Max Richter's music comes to Barcelona
Unsurprisingly, the Sant Pau Festival once again brings together some of the most prestigious performers on the international scene: violinist George Tudorache; violinist and conductor Michael Guttmann, with his Gutman Tango Quintet; violinist Maria Florea; cellist Sebastian Klinger; pianist Giuliano Mazzoccante; violist Diemut Poppen; violist Joaquín Riquelme; flautist Albert Mora; violinist Miguel Colom; composer and pianist Albert Guinovart and the musicians of the Franz Schubert Filharmonia.
All of them acclaimed, world-class artists performing the works of composers such as Poulenc, Beethoven, Brahms, Prokofiev and Klimek, with particular emphasis on the work of contemporary composer Max Richter, whose music sits naturally alongside the great classics.
The works of the British composer, born in the highly musical German town of Hamelin, transcend classical boundaries, earning international acclaim, with his music heard in the world's leading concert halls and auditoriums as well as in film and television. During the Sant Pau Festival, audiences will be able to hear up to ten pieces by this singular composer, responsible for works including the score for Hamnet, the soundtrack for the imaginary documentary Memoryhouse, and what might be called the neoclassical hit On the Nature of Daylight.
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