It’s already almost August, and the Trasimeno Music Festival finished three weeks ago. It is hard to describe the huge effort that it takes to produce it, and I would like to thank all those who gave of themselves to make the whole week the big success that it was: artists, staff, volunteers, sponsors, and especially the private donors and audience who came from all over the world to Umbria for this magical week. My colleagues outdid themselves: the Camerata Salzburg and conductor Hannu Lintu in the marvellous acoustics of the Church of San Francesco in Trevi; the Mahler Chamber Orchestra with Hannu and trumpeter Matthew Sadler and soprano Debbie York in the unique Basilica of San Pietro in Perugia; my trio partners, Jan Soderblom and Nicolas Altstaedt; narrator Walter van Dyk who was riveting in Stravinsky’s “The Soldier’s Tale” in the Teatro Clitunno in Trevi; and flautist Andrea Oliva, harpist Nabila Chajai, clarinettist Calogero Palermo and the Quartetto Matamoe in a beautiful evening of French chamber music—beginning with Andrea playing Debussy’s “Syrinx” from the balcony of the castle courtyard in Magione. I gave 10 concerts in 7 days with 6 different programmes—something of a personal record, I think. And I was somehow still standing at the end of it all! Next year’s festival will be from 30 June – 6 July. I hope many of you will come!
A week later I was already back giving a concert—this time in Espinho, Portugal. August is very busy with four concerts in the Wanamaker Playhouse at Shakespeare’s Globe in London, the Edinburgh Festival, and festivals also in Finland and Norway. Plus CD notes for my Scarlatti album which will come out early in 2016. On August 1st the latest CD in my cycle of Beethoven Sonatas for Hyperion will be released.
You can order it here on iTunes.
It includes the Sonatas Op. 2/2, Op. 10/1 (what a beautiful slow movement that is!), Op. 78, and Op. 110.
Listen to extracts on Hyperion’s new YouTube channel.
