Russian Connections is the theme
of the 2011 summer festival. We will feature music from the 17th through
21st centuries.In the Baroque period, Russian musicians went to Europe
to study and musicians from Europe went to Russia to work. Italians like
Galuppi were very popular; the Russian composer Bortnianski studied with
him. Haydn and Mozart were sponsored by members of the Russian court,
because they were the favorite composers of Russia. Despite all the
jingoism, they tried to make their music sound very European. Less than
two centuries later we saw the opposite happening. A private Russian
school of composition was created which is very popular in the West.
Russian composers like Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky had a lot of influence
on Western music. Travelling in Baroque 2011, Russian Connections, will open with
an overture of Galuppi, the fifth violin concerto by Mozart and Haydn,
and Symphony 31 (Post horn), where as many as four horns have a
prominent role. Russia was famous for its horn players! Galuppi taught
Bortnianski, the founder of Russian classical music. Mozart and Haydn
were European composers, but were most famous in Russia. The Russian
violin soloist in this program is Anton Martynov. He will play Mozart's
5th Violin Concerto, along with a violin concerto by Vivaldi. Martynov
just recently discovered this piece, meaning it will be played and heard
in the Netherlands for the first time!
