29 July 2010

7 August-3 September: 71st edition of the Quincena Musical

The 71st edition of San Sebastian’s Quincena Musical, or musical fortnight, running from 7 August until 3 September, will include 80 concerts and activities. The common thread running through a large part of the programme is Russian music. The ‘Rusiatik’ title will therefore encompass a series of concerts demonstrating the brilliance and enormity of the Russian school, rich in top-line creators and performers. This will be a perfect festival for (re)discovering composers like Igor Stravinsky, Piotr Ilich Tchaikovsky, Modest Mussorgsky, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Sergei Rachmaminov, Sergei Prokofiev, Dimitri Shostakovich, etc.

Another of this edition’s not-to-be missed events is most certainly the opera. After a year’s absence, staged opera is back at the Kursaal Auditorium. And with it, of course, a great Russian work: ‘Boris Godunov’ by the fantastic Russian composer, Modest Mussorgsky. The company taking this work to the stage is one of the most representative of today’s Russia, the Helikon Opera Theatre, with acclaimed stage director Dimitri Bertman at its head.

Despite their particular penchant this year for Russia, the Quincena cartographers have drawn a map reaching beyond that immense European country to establish several other common places with which to attract the public. Central festival themes include the St. James Way and a historical occasion worthy of note: 350 years ago, Saint Jean de Luz, a town in the French province of Labourd, was the setting for the royal wedding between Louis XIV and Maria Theresa of Austria, daughter of Philip IV. This wedding has to be considered from the point of view of its intricate historical context. Following decades of war, the Spanish and French monarchs agreed to a scenario of peace in a process culminating with the Treaty of the Pyrenees. This agreement was signed between Hendaye and Irun, on Pheasant Island, in 1659.

The common thread of the St. James Way must be set within the framework of the St. James Holy Year. The Quincena Musical will put its all into highlighting the cultural importance of this pilgrims’ route, with particular focus on the Northern Way or Coastal Route, both names of the route making its way along the Basque Coast. According to experts on the subject, this is the oldest pilgrims’ route and, despite its harshness, a way of spectacular beauty dazzling all those who follow it. Numerous efforts have been made to revive this way in recent years, and the Quincena wishes to add its grain of sand to the movement.

The Wandering Quincena will be another of this year’s major attractions. With this cycle, the festival leaves San Sebastian and travels to numerous nearby areas. This year it brings a lengthy programme of ten concerts to take place in the same number of places.

Given the excellent organ tradition existing in the Basque Country, the Organ Cycle always plays a particularly important part on the Quincena Musical programme; it will run this year from 7-13 August. As usual, this event will take place in different churches throughout the capital and other nearby towns. Like in previous editions, this year the cycle will coincide with the International Romantic Organ Competition, now in its 27^th edition.

This year’s Ancient Music Cycle will have particular meaning. Almost all of the concerts will revolve around the event bringing recollection of the marriage between Louis XIV and Maria Theresa of Austria. The cycle will also address celebration of the St. James Holy Year, underscoring the Way of St. James as a coming together of cultures and an important part of history. As usual, the cycle will run in San Sebastian’s Santa Teresa Convent from 9-13 August.

Ever since it was launched in 2004, the Chillida-Leku Museum cycle has become an indispensable event. This year, it will take place on August 8, 15, 22 and 29. The main festival theme, ‘Rusiatik’, revolving around Russian music, will hold outstanding prominence within the cycle. There will also be a concert exclusively dedicated to Robert Schumann, a composer commemorated this year on the second centenary of his birth.

The Contemporary Music Cycle, comprising three concerts, will take place on August 24, 26 and 28. It will particularly concentrate on the figure of Luis de Pablo, an essential Basque composer in the contemporary music sphere. The 80^th birthday of this great composer offered an attractive occasion to the numerous entities who have decided to pay tribute to him. The Quincena is one of these.

The Young Performers’ Cycle, which endeavours to foster the projection of young musical values, will run on August 23, 24, 25 and 26. The Quincena organises this cycle in collaboration with Musikene, the Higher School of Music of the Basque Country. In fact, most of the participants in the cycle are students at this school. Four groups will perform this year: Made in Trío, Trío Scherzando, Ensemble Interludio and Sextuor A&M. All have chosen programmes revolving to a greater or lesser extent around the main festival theme, ‘Rusiatik’.

As usual, the Quincena Musical will also dedicate an entire day to the younger audience. The activities organised during the day will be related to the musical colonies ‘Musika Bai!’ which, yet again, will open their doors to children and youngsters between the ages of 4 and 16 with a view to encouraging their artistic and musical skills. This year’s colonies will run from 2 to 13 August, specifically culminating with the festival’s Kids’ Day on August 13. This day will bring two events to the Victoria Eugenia Theatre, both particularly structured for the youngest enthusiasts: ‘Batuta’ and ‘Allegro Vivace’