The ages of classical music and Robert Schumann

The meeting scheduled on Tuesday, 27th of July, took place at 6 o’clock, a meeting organized by Mr.Ghe.Pastia’ for the good music amateur public. As usual, the Foreign Languages Centre has been the host.

The fourth meeting scheduled for July throughout ‘The ages of music’ project’ was marked by another composition side of Robert Schumann called CONCERTO.

In the beginning of the presentation made by Mr. Liviu Topala had pointed out a few small details about what a fantasy, an overture and a concerto means.

The Fantasy  - a free-form instrumental musical composition, with a sense of improvisation and virtuosity.

 The Overture – is linked as genre to opera, but is the the preamble (summary) of a work, which represent a specific theme,  played before.

The Concerto – is a work composed for one of more soloist instruments – written in three or four parts – in which is revealed the soloist virtuosity along with the orchestra.

Being all these presented, the public could listen to the first concerto called Concerto for four horns and orchestra, where Schumann appears as a creator of an unique melodica and harmonization.

Conducted by Brett Mitchell there have been listened fragments from Manfred opera, the success of the piece being to this real talented American conductor.

Being brilliant with the creation of his works melodica, Schumann writes a few concertos for cello, violin and piano.

Therefore, Concerto for cello and orchestra interpreted by Mischa Maisky and the Boston Symphonic Orchestra, brought again in the attention of the public, serious alternations along with other joyful, the cello being almost a human presence by its tonality.

One of Schumann’s masterpieces, Concerto for violin and orchestra, interpreted by the violonist Liviu Prunaru and the Philharmonic Orchestra of Bucharest, conducted by Cristian Mandeal, have given measure to the art hard to express both by instruments and for the conductor.

Schumann composes for orchestra because of his great love – his wife Clara Schumann, who saw the music and everything that means musical creation, through the great composers of that time: Beethoven, Brahms.

For piano he written a work in three parts, initially presented by Clara as musical fantasy. After four years of working, modifying and a lot of dedication, the fantasy becomes Concerto for piano and orchestra in A minor. Interpreted by Daniel Barenboim and conducted by Sergiu Celibidache the concerto meant the ending of the Tuesday evening, a time when we would have liked the local press to be present as well.

You are welcome on Tuesday, 3rd of August 2010, at 6 o’clock, same location, last meeting with Robert Schumann (referent Carmen Cazaciuc)

Article translated by Oana Zlatovici - volunteer

‘The ages of music’ at the second meeting

The evening of Tuesday, 20th of July 2010 was again offered by the ‘Mr.Ghe.Pastia’ Popular Athenaeum for the classical music lovers.

As usual, 6 o’clock was the time of the meeting between the guests and our host- The Foreign Languages Center – which again was happy and welcoming towards its guests.

The musical moments offered last evening within the Ages of music project were a few chapters from the chamber music composed by Robert Schumann.

 The specific compositions signed by Schumann is that the piano, as an accompaniment instrument, is equal, during the play, with the instrument for which it was composed.

All five works for the music chamber presented together with video images completed this chapter really appreciated by the audience, last evening.

There have been works interpreted by major artists: Antonio Tinelli (Italy)  - clarinet, present a few years ago on the stage at the ‘Mr.Ghe.Pastia’ Popular Athenaeum, Martha Argerich (Argentina) – piano and Mauricio Vallina (Cuba) – piano, Helene Grimaud (France) – piano, R. Capruçon (France) – piano and many other instrumentalists from Japan, Lithuania and Norway.

The three romances for the wind instruments were interpreted by saxophone, flute and oboe with piano as accompaniment, awaking the interest for the audience for this kind of Schumann’s specific works.

The piece for two pianos and three other instruments – two cellos and a horn – has given some color, being compared with musical mathematics, as strict and precise as warm, giving a special mood.

The concluding piece of audition and presentation evening, Piano Quintet – the most important chamber work of Schumann – in four parts (a slow one and other three moving) was piano interpreted, violin I, violin II , viola and cello by major artists of the world. 

On 27th of July, same hour, 6 o’clock, we again invite at the Foreign Languages Centre to present you other works of Robert Schumann, full of great rafinement both compositional and interpretative. (referent Carmen Cazaciuc)

Article translated by Oana Zlatovici - volunteer

‘The ages of music’ has no age

On Tuesday, 13^th of July 2010, 6 o’clock, by the ‘Mr.Gh..Pastia’ Popular Athenaeum’s initiative and the goodwill of the Foreign Languages Center, there has been held a special artistic event which fitted perfectly in the cultural life of the city even though this is the holiday season.

The chosen place and the audience allowed commemorating the composer and pianist, Robert Schumann, one of the leaders of the German romanticism of the nineteenth century’s beginning.

The project, started this year, on July, by the ‘Mr.Gh.Pastia’ Popular Athenaeum, is called ‘The Ages of music’- auditions and presentations and aims to meet weekly with those interested in good music.

The first part of the project marked Schumann’s personality, whose birth we celebrate this year 200 years from. 

Schumann, the composer and his work were marked by auditions and presentations of several voice clips and piano interpretations of great exception. Thus, the public has experienced special moments hearing and seeing the great pianist Vladimir Horowitz, Ukrainian-born American musician, Helen Grimaud – piano and Thomas Quasthoff - baritone.

It was, therefore, an hour and a half of music and information about the life and the artistic work of Robert Schumann, while the public – adults and youth, could find out what an artistic work and a lied means.

So, every Tuesday in July, we are welcoming everyone who is interested in classical music, at the same hour – 6 o’clock - in the same warm and welcoming place, the Foreign Languages Center.

Translated by Oana Zlatovici - volunteer

Musical auditions at the Foreign Languages Center

Starting from July 2010, the ’Mr.Ghe.Pastia’ Popular Athenaeum initiates a project called ‘The Ages of Music’ with auditions and presentations. 

It will begin on Tuesday, 6th of July 2010, 5 o’clock, at the Foreign Languages Center of ‘Duiliu Zamfirescu’ Vrancea County Library, with the presentation of Robert Schumann whose birth we celebrate 200 years from.

Composer and pianist, representative of the German romanticism from the beginning of the nineteenth century, Schumann is not only a great musician but a leading intellectual of his era.

We invite people from our city on Tuesday to join our first activity called ‘Schumann, the piano creation and the lied as genre from the cycle ‘Schumann – the composer and his work’.

Director,

Valentin Gheorghita

Article translated by Oana Zlatovici - volunteer