Panufnik’s Heroic Overture will open the festival with the Opening Night Prom, which takes place in Cheltenham Town Hall, an elegant, early 20th-century Edwardian building.
The Benedetti/ Elschenbroich/ Grynyuk Trio will perform at the concert – Nicola Benedetti is the resident artist of the Cheltenham Festival this year. They will be accompanied by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra led by Kiril Karabits (who also conducted the I, CULTURE Orchestra).
Heroic Overture (1952), which was awarded in Helsinki in the Olympic Games-related, was criticised in Poland for its purported formalism – it was considered unsuitable to be performed in front of the Polish audience. In order to provide for his family, Panufnik was forced to compose some minor scores for films.
I was particularly amazed by Chinese opera – the way subtle acting, singing and dancing were combined with acrobatic stunts – it looked as though the actors were boneless.
Read Asymmetries of the 20th century – Who was Panufnik?
The concert programme also includes compositions by Ludwig van Beethoven and Edward Elgar. Beethoven’s Leonora Overture No. 3 and Elgar’s Enigma Variations opened the festival back in 1945.
Panufnik will return twice on the 5th of July – his String Quartet No. 3 “Paper Cuts” will be performed, as well as his daughter Roxanna Panufnik’s specially commissioned for the occasion Memories of My Father.
The festival will be the latter composition’s world premiere. The Polish premiere will take place in September within the Music on the Heights Festival in Zakopane.
The first part, Here, Andrzej, focuses on the renaissance O Vos Omnes by Gesuald, transcribed for strings. The second part – Greek Photostory, is an unconventional story of the Panufnik family – which incorporates photographs by Lady Camilla Panufnik as well as Greek folk music encountered on family holidays and sounds of the bouzouki.
Both parts can be performed separately or in combination with Panufnik’s quartets, write the organisers of the festival in Zakopane.
Compositions by members of the Panufnik family will be performed by Brodsky Quartet – a string quartet which, in addition to performing classical music, has collaborated with rock and pop figures such as Elvis Costello, Björk and Paul McCartney.
Apollon Musagète Quartett – a Polish string quartet, the members of which met in Vienna, will present two more Polish compositions.
We play compositions from various periods, such as pieces by Wacław of Szamotuły, but also modern ones, such as the ones dedicated to us. We take what appeals to us. We don’t want to get pigeon-holed, says Paweł Zajski, who plays 1st violin.
On the 9th of July, the string quartet will perform a piece by François-Joseph Gossec (a French contemporary of Haydn), 4 pieces by Schubert and Vaughan Williams’ On Wenlock Edge.
The quartet will be joined by pianist Louis Schwizgebel and tenor Robin Tritschler.
On the 10th of July, audiences will be able to appreciate Piano Quintet No. 1 composed by Grażyna Bacewicz, the most renowned female Polish composer. As a professional violinist, Bacewicz particularly focuses on composing for violins and string instruments. She has authored 7 concertos for string, 2 for cello and one for viola.
The concert programme also includes pieces by Ravel, Debussy and Dworzak. The violinists, alto-violinists and cellists will be joined by pianist Louis Schwizgebel.
July 2
PROGRAMME:
BEETHOVEN: Leonora Overture No.3
BEETHOVEN: Concerto for Piano, Violins and Cellos in C-major, Op. 56
PANUFNIK: Heroic Overture
ELGAR: Enigma Variations
PERFORMERS: Kiril Karabits Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Benedetti/Elschenbroich/Grynuk Trio
July 5
PROGRAMME:
PANUFNIK: String Quartet No.3
SCHUBERT: String Quartet in A-minor, Rosamunde
- ROXANNA PANUFNIK: Memories of my Father – premiere
- BRAHMS: String Quartet No.1 in C-minor, op. 51/1
- PERFORMERS: The Brodsky Quartet
July 9
PROGRAMME:
GOSSEC: STRING QUARTET OP 15/6
SCHUBERT: Selection of Songs
PANUFNIK: String Quartet No. 1
PERFORMERS: Apollon Musagète Quartet t
Robin Tritschler - tenor , Louis Schwizgebel – piano
July 10
PROGRAMME:
RAVEL: Gaspard de la Nuit
DEBUSSY: L'isle joyeuse
BACEWICZ: Piano Quintet No. 1
DWORZAK: String Quartet in C-major, op. 61
PERFORMERS: Apollon Musagète Quartett
Louis Schwizgebel - piano