The festival has come and gone, and my plan of writing two blog posts per week has failed miserably! I managed 500 words on the middle Monday, sitting outside St Andrew’s in Naunton, while Steven Isserlis played some Bach to a filled church. Sleep was often in short supply (whether due to long hours, late concerts, partying neighbours or busy minds) during the two weeks, and free time (with no ringing phones or email access) to sit and think about writing about the festival happened only that one time. It was really lovely to get away from town – even if I spent two hours of my time there standing in Naunton Recreation Ground, ensuring nobody parked on the cricket square, and rather foolishly getting quite sunburnt (I had suncream in the car, but did I think to use it…?). Sitting outside the church having lunch, the cello and harpsichord wafting out the door, in the sunshine made a welcome change from the more fast paced office/venue atmosphere — it’s exciting to be in the thick of it, but you need a break from time to time!
“Sitting outside the church having lunch, the cello and harpsichord wafting out the door, in the sunshine…”
More than just programme notes — at almost 100 pages it’s a great musical reference book for any music lovers’ library.
As well as extensive notes on the music performed at this year’s festival it contains artist and composer biographies as well as musical journalism of the very highest quality, all written by renowned musicologists, journalists and commentators such as Stephen Johnson, Christopher Cooke, Andrew Stewart, Professor Ray Tallis and more — plus Festival Director Meurig Bowen.
Look inside…sample pages
Features include
An ‘unquiet mind’ — a reflection on Schumann in this anniversary year.
A portrait of Brett Dean, insight into composer and murderer Carlo Gesualdo, and profile of Norwegian legend Ole Bull.
The background to Michael Zev Gordon’s new work Allelle.
Professor Raymond Tallis on ‘music, the mind and the brain’.
The 2010 Festival book is now available by post for just £5 including post and packing. UK addresses only. Allow up to 28 days for delivery.
How to order
Send a check payable to Cheltenham Festivals for £5 (this includes postage)
Send to Music Festival programme book offer, Cheltenham Festivals, 109 Bath Road, Cheltenham, GL53 7LS
Include your name and postal address on the back of your cheque
We will post out as soon as possible, but please allow up to 28 days for delivery
In a classical exclusive at HSBC Cheltenham Music Festival on Tuesday, James Rhodes played his encore using the latest technology in place of traditional paper music.
Classical pianist James Rhodes, famed for his prodigious talent and rock star attitude, performed a sell-out recital of Bach, Beethoven and Chopin. Following rapturous applause he opted for a Chopin prelude as his final encore. James didn’t have his sheet music to hand, so instead turned to his new tablet computer, found an app with the Chopin score, and played from this. To turn the page, all he had to do was tap the screen.
Composer, murderer and 450 years old this year — Meurig Bowen brings us closer to Carlo Gesualdo.
With the ever increasing interest in ‘early music’ throughout the 20th century, Carlo Gesualdo — Prince of Venosa, mid-way between Naples and Bari — has been a source of fascination for many. Part of that interest, for sure, is Gesualdo’s status as music history’s most notorious double murderer; his wife, Maria d’Avolos and her lover Don Fabrizio Carafa were caught in flagrante by Gesualdo, and suffered gruesome deaths on the night of 26 October 1590, their many-times stabbed corpses left out in the street. But musicians have been even more drawn to the consequence of that crime of passion — a compositional output, late in life, ridden with guilt and remorse (so the story goes), and exhibiting in the chromatic harmony an outrageous daring that was well ahead of its time.
Join us for our Bonne Maman Big Read in association with Vintage Classics — Thomas Hardy’s Far From the Madding Crowd.
The classic tale of passion and love has fascinated readers since its publication in 1874. Join Gabriel Oak, Sergeant Troy and Farmer Boldwood as they battle for Bathsheba Everdene’s affection.
In addition to events at the festival, we’ll be hosting free book groups in the months leading up to the festival. So why not read Far From the Madding Crowd with your book group this summer?
“Rhodes is definately one to watch… a pianist with rock-star attitude”
Classic FM Magazine
TODAY: James is featured in the The Times (Saturday 10 July) — worth picking up a copy if you want to find out what makes him tick.
MONDAY: catch James on BBC breakfast TV.
TUESDAY: James Rhodes at the HSBC Cheltenham Music Festival, 6pm at the Parabola Arts Centre, re-defining the audience of a young classical pianist — make sure you’re there. sample audio / more about the event | call 0844 576 8970 to book
Composer Michael Zev Gordon talks to Science Weekly at guardian.co.uk — listen to the podcast for a fascinating insight into a science and music collaboration.
What did you think of the Science Festival this year?
It’s beyond anything that I imagined. Every year I leave thinking ‘how could we possibly do any better?’, and then to sell more tickets at the start of the festival than we’d sold throughout the whole of the last year [and] to know that it’s our 10th year coming next year, is beyond my wildest dreams. I can’t tell you how proud I am to be a scientist these days because of Cheltenham.
