Concerto di Primavera - I Solisti Veneti 2016 On the occasion of International Women's Day.
Listen to a recording of the premiere of 'Autumn Suite', with pictorial accompaniment on Youtube.
The Concert included the: "Autumn Suite" by Fiona Frank -
A piece in 3 movements for string orchestra (2015)
Autumn Equinox - movement 1 - has a stately & neo-baroque introduction with tremolos & forte pianos abounding. It is full of 'Sturm & Drang', preparing the way for a more conversational & fluid pace with new & effervescent ideas.
The excitement builds with a fiery cello ostinato passage gathering momentum & rhythmical excitement, and returns the listener to some of the earlier melodic material with arpeggiated figures in the violins. The movement rounds off in a state of high energy.
Autumn Slumbers - movement 2 - is short & sweet by contrast, & is akin to a baby's lullaby, with a gentle lilt & sliding chromatics. It has just enough movement to keep the swing going, lulling the listener into a hibernatory & dreamlike state.
Autumn Fury - movement 3 - In contrast, the assertive & oppressive nature of this movement's opening theme is a far cry from the safety and protective cocoon of peaceful slumber. The violas rack up the tension, with their staccato semiquavers propelled by rising dynamics, which accentuate the declamatory & didactic mood of the weighty themes. The contrapuntal excitement is electric at times with accents and echoes & clashes of interval- setting the trees ablaze with fiery fury & shaking the whirling & swirling leaves into storms of colour.
Hold on to your hats!
(L-R: Mariacristina de Santi, Claudio Scimone, Micaela Hoppe, Heidi Jacob, Fiona Frank, Sylvia Maessen)
(Right) Five Composers after the concert, with Claudio Scimone (L-R: MH, MCDS, HJ, CS, FF, SM)
This was a truly inspiring and most valuable experience; meeting the other "Donne in Musica" as part of International Womens' Day in Padua, Italy, & having our pieces performed by the illustrious & brilliant I Solisti Veneti under the baton of their inspirational founder, Claudio Scimone. Their skill & virtuosity was so evident in the demanding schedule of rehearsing & performing the 6 new works selected for this occasion.
The music heightened our common bond as female composers & it was so liberating & empowering to share our thoughts & ideas.
Apart from rehearsal times, we spent some social time together in the glorious city of Padua- a cultural haven of beauty and art.
Our senses were overbrimming with aesthetic stimuli:- ranging from frescoes to buildings (beautiful churches), statues to galleries, buskers to markets & pillars, cobbles & a chocolate festival!
I was so touched by the integral appreciation of the arts as part of the common consciousness; it is good that art is alive & well in Padua.
To be part of the rehearsals was so very important to us & of course vital for the conductor & performers. It also gave me some time to make a few little sketches of the musicians!
For me, the sheer brilliance & Italian verve shone through my piece with exhilarating passion - bringing out the intensity & excitement that I felt when I wrote this piece for strings. We were also treated to Vivaldi's Concerto in la minore RV 397 played by Chiara Parrini, viola d'amore. It was utterly stunning. The final encore was the finale from Vivaldi's Autumn, RV 293: The perfect conclusion to an unforgettable evening.
THANKYOU to Patricia Adkins Chiti & the fondazione, Donne in Musica, Claudio Scimone & I Solisti Veneti.
(L-R: MCDS, CS, MH, HJ, FF, SM)
(Right) The Six Composers whose works were selected for the concert (in programme order clockwise from Top Left)
(Below:) The concert mentioned on the Tintern village website, and words from padovacultura.padovanet.it.
Concerto di Primavera dei Solisti Veneti 2016 In occasione della Festa della donna.
From: padovacultura.padovanet.it -
Tradizionale e atteso Concerto di Primavera dei Solisti Veneti di Claudio Scimone, dedicato alla celebrazione della "Festa della donna", attraverso l'opera di donne compositrici e musiciste del passato e del presente. "I Solisti Veneti", diretti dal Maestro Claudio Scimone, eseguiranno le opere vincitrici del Concorso mondiale per una composizione destinata a "I Solisti Veneti" indetta dalla Fondazione Adkins Chiti "Donne in Musica". Le opere sono state selezionate fra oltre 140 di compositrici di 32 Paesi in base a una "chiamata" per le compositrici piu eminenti di tutto il mondo fatta per il quinto anno consecutivo dalla Fondazione Adkins Chiti "Donne in musica" di Roma espressamente per esecuzione da parte de "I Solisti Veneti". L'originalita della formula e l'interesse delle opere in programma e tale da garantire il consueto successo di questa manifestazione che ha assunto negli anni importanza mondiale e che verra registrata per diverse stazioni radio e televisive internazionali. - See more here
Translated: Spring Concert of "I Solisti Veneti" 2016, On the occasion of Women's Day:
Traditional and anticipated Spring Concert of Claudio Scimone's "I Solisti Veneti", dedicated to the celebration of "Women's Day", through the work of female composers and musicians of the past and present. "I Solisti Veneti", conducted by Maestro Claudio Scimone, will play the winning pieces from the global competition for a composition intended for "I Solisti Veneti" organized by Adkins Chiti "Women in Music" Foundation. The works have been selected from over 140 composers of 32 countries according to a "call" to the most eminent composers from around the world, made for the fifth consecutive year by the Adkins Chiti Foundation "Women in Music" of Rome specifically for performance by "I Solisti Veneti". The originality of the formula and the interest of the planned works is such as to guarantee the usual success of this event that has taken on global importance over the years, and which will be recorded for several radio stations and international television. - See more here; also:Archived Programme page originally at I Solisti Veneti website.
Archived copy of Programme at the International Womens Day website.
Archived (and corrected) Concert advertisement from the Padova Cultura (padovanet) website.
Concert advertisement as it appeared on the Padova Cultura (padovanet) website.