To open the Festival we will recall Rossini’s memorable “Petite Messe Solennelle”, which Corboz conducted in the Basilica and in which I shared the instrumental part with the exceptional accordionist João Barradas.
João and I will perform the Prélude religieux from the Petite Messe as an “In memoriam” to Michel Corboz.
We will close this opening concert with Astor Piazzolla’s famous “Four Seasons”, drawing on João Barradas’s virtuosity and the excellent String Quintet, with whose musicians I have meanwhile collaborated on Schumann’s beautiful Piano Quintet.
On the second weekend, on 10 June, we turn, as Filipe de Sousa surely would, to the great young talents standing out on the Portuguese music scene.
Once again we will welcome pianist Vasco Dantas, who has previously enjoyed great success in Ericeira and who, with conductor Rita Castro Blanco, will present Dmitri Shostakovich’s brilliant Concerto for Piano, Trumpet and Orchestra.
Trumpeter João Moreira will join the Mafra Festival Orchestra in a concert that I expect to be sensational!
And on what will be an exceptional weekend, on 11 June we are giving “carte blanche” to Mário Laginha, who will be joined by guitarist Miguel Amaral in this surprise concert.
Eddie Van HalenThe piano is a universal instrument. Anyone who starts with the piano, learns theory and reads music can go on to any other instrument.
On Saturday 17 June we return to the Palace, where in the Sala da Tijoleira we will welcome two French-speaking pianists, Véronique Guillo from France and Ghizlane Hamadi from Morocco, who formed an important duo years ago, the Duo Guillo/Hamadi.
Works by the great Moroccan composer Nabil Benabdejali and Ravel’s famous La Valse will be part of the programme.
“FRANCOPHONIE AND MUSIC”
IS SUPPORTED BY:
And on the 18th we will once again have a “Concert for Families”, this time with Turkish pianist Rüya Taner and saxophonist Kursat Basar, in a lighter programme of film music and Turkish folk music – a musical experience that Filipe de Sousa would surely approve of.
“CONCERT FOR FAMILIES”
IS SUPPORTED BY:
The musicologist Filipe de Sousa was responsible for in-depth historical research and for promoting Portuguese musical heritage and the heritage connected with it.
The fact that the two great reference figures, the leading “castrati” Farinelli and Caffarelli, were both connected with Portugal and with Mafra would certainly have been a source of inspiration for our patron.
Farinelli, who spent 22 years exclusively at the court of Madrid, was the protégé of Maria Bárbara de Bragança, Queen of Spain, and Caffarelli was summoned to Lisbon by her brother, King José – both children of King João V, the monarch of Mafra – which is why this fact deserves to be remembered.
The repertoire of the “castrati” has been taken up by countertenors, a voice type that is gaining ever greater relevance. I asked the promising Brazilian countertenor Luan Góes – who, together with his compatriot, the excellent pianist João Elias Soares, already well known to us, created the original “Duo Off Barock” – to bring to the Mafra Library a recital transposed to our times. Beyond the Baroque repertoire, we will therefore have a different perspective, with a special focus on works by Sergei Rachmaninoff in this year dedicated to him internationally to mark the 150th anniversary of his birth.
I am convinced that Filipe de Sousa would agree with this programme, conceived with his personality in mind and intended to recall the fundamental role of this Mafra figure, whom the Festival will not allow to be forgotten.
