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NORTHERN FLOWERS

XIV International Chamber Music Festival

St.-Petersburg-Tikhvin-Gatchina-Novgorod Veliky-Petrozavodsk

October 2-27, 2013

 

Dear Friends,

We are glad to offer you the fourteenth edition of the Northern Flowers. It is pleasant to realize that we have been together for so many years, that we are united by love for music, for St. Petersburg and its artistic values. We follow the traditions founded by the previous festivals: only the most interesting programs and excellent performers, authenticity, democratic approach, and profound professionalism 

This year, the Northern Flowers eagerly joined the celebration of a remarkable event: 150^th birthday of the prominent Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. Two concerts of the festival will be dedicated to his creative heritage, and in each, a video installation of pictures of the Norwegian genius will be accompanied by music of Edvard Grieg, another renowned son of Norway.

On October 12, in the Glinka Hall, the core concert of the Northern Flowers will be dedicated to a theme already addressed in previous years, and that, “The 20^th Century: A Vanishing Scenery.” We decided to convey in our program the beauty and touching lyrical attitude of the gone century’s music; to recall tunes that became symbols of their time; to play pieces that were emblematic for the epoch’s cultural life. Brilliant Swedish guitarist Georg Gulyás, very prominent Norwegian pianist Nils Mortensen, and St. Petersburg’s excellent singer Mila Shkirtil will perform accompanied by the Soloists’ Ensemble of the St. Petersburg Academic Symphony Orchestra.

In Sheremetev Palace, the Petersburgians will have the chance to hear Romantic revelations of the great Czechs Smetana and Dvořák performed by a chamber ensemble from Prague; and in the White Ceremonial Hall of Gatchina Palace, they will enjoy bright and refined music by the Parisian maîtres Chabrier, Debussy and Ravel performed by another Parisian, our festival’s old friend, pianist Bertrand Giraud.

As in previous years, some concerts of the festival will be held in the North-West of Russia: in Tikhvin, Petrozavodsk, Veliky Novgorod, and Gatchina. We are always happy to meet with our neighbors and share with them all that we ourselves love and value in the art of music. Such contacts make all of us richer, and international performers invited to the festival always find great pleasure in “outings” of this St. Petersburg’s festival to cities of the Russian North.

Two programs of the Northern Flowers 2013 are intended for children. You will hear works emblematic for musical education of the young generation, children’s suite Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by John Williams and Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra by Benjamin Britten. Both events will offer a fascinating discussion of symphonic music’s abilities and acquaintance with the instruments of an orchestra. 

Dear music lovers, the Northern Flowers are giving you a real feast of music again. We expect to see you at the festival’s events.

 

Yuri Serov, Artistic Director 

 

Concert No.1

Wednesday, October 2, 2013, 18.00

Regimental Church of All Saints

Tikhvin, Rimsky-Korsakov str., 13

 

Not many days have passed

(USSR in the songs and poems)

 

Prozorovsky, Fomin, Dunaevsky, Khayt, Strock, Ashkenazy, Gavrilin,

Lebedev-Kumach, Khrennikov, Dolmatovsky, Matusovsky

Mila Shkirtil, mezzo-soprano

Yuri Serov, piano and presentation

 

Concert No.2

Sunday, October 6, 2013, 13.00

Concert Hall of Anton Arensky Philharmonic

Novgorod Veliky, Kremlin, 8

 

Harry’s Wondrous World

 

John Williams

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Children’s suite for orchestra

Novgorod Veliky Symphony Orchestra

Yuri Serov, conductor and presentation

 

Concert No.3

Saturday, October 12, 2013, 19.00

Glinka Philharmonic Hall

Nevsky pr., 30

 

XX century: A Vanishing Scenery

 

Elgar, Rodrigo, Piazzolla, Yared, Villa-Lobos, Sviridov

Georg Gulyas, guitar (Sweden)

Nils Mortensen, piano (Norway)

Mila Shkirtil, mezzo-soprano

Soloists of the St. Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra

Rimsky-Korsakov Music College Female Choir

Glinka Choir College Boys’ Choir

 

Yuri Serov, conductor and presentation

 

Concert No.4

Sunday, October 13, 2013, 16.00

Feodor Dostoevsky’s Memorial Museum

Kuznechny per. 5/2

 

Edvard Grieg and Edvard Munch – Music of the Fords  

Piano works by Grieg and Munch’s paintings video installation 

 

Nils Mortensen, piano (Norway)

 

Concert No.5

Среда, 16 октября 2013, 19.00

State Karelian Philharmonic Concert Hall

Petrozavodsk, Kirova str., 12

 

Edvard Grieg and Edvard Munch – Music of the Fords  

 

Piano Concerto and Orchestra Works by Grieg and Munch’s paintings video installation 

State Karelian Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra

Nils Mortensen, piano (Norway)

Yuri Serov, conductor and presentation

 

Concert No.6

Saturday, October 19, 2013, 19.00

Gatchina Palace, White Hall

Gatchina, Krasnoarmeysky pr. 1

 

Under the Roofs of Paris

Bertrand Giraud, piano (France)

Yuri Serov, piano and presentation

 

Debussy, Chabrier, Ravel, Liszt

 

Concert No.7

Sunday, October 20, 13.00

Belosselsky-Belozersky Palace

Nevsky pr., 41

 

Meet the Orchestra

 

Britten

The Young Person Guide to Symphony orchestra

St. Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra

Oleg Soldatov, conductor

Yuri Serov, presentation

 

Concert No.8

Saturday, October 26, 2013, 19.00

Gatchina Palace, White Hall

Gatchina, Krasnoarmeysky pr. 1

 

From Bohemia's woods and fields

Czech Trio

Dana Vlachová, violin

Miroslav Petráš, cello

Milan Langer, piano

 

Mila Shkirtil, mezzo-soprano

Yuri Serov, piano and presentation

 

Suk, Smetana, Dvorak

 

Concert No.9

Sunday, October 27, 16.00

Sheremetev Palace, White Hall

Fontanka, 34

 

From Bohemia's woods and fields

Czech Trio

Dana Vlachová, violin

Miroslav Petráš, cello

Milan Langer, piano

 

Smetana, Dvorak