Français
From January 10 to 19, the 41st edition of the Festival de Musique de Saint-Barthélemy takes place, with a sumptuous artistic line-up featuring star dancers from the Paris Opera, virtuoso artists, conductors and jazz musicians. An event not to be missed under any circumstances.
Dancers from the Paris Opera Ballet, virtuoso musicians who perform all over the world, and a jazz quartet as bewitching as it is breathtaking. If grumblers sometimes point out the lack of cultural events on Saint-Barthélemy, there's no excuse for missing the 41st edition of the Festival de Musique. From January 10 to 19, Festival president Corinne Hennequin and all the volunteers in the organizing association will be offering the island's residents a dream line-up of artistic delights.
Classical music," explains Corinne Hennequin, "by its timeless and universal nature, transcends social barriers and unites all classes. Wherever we come from, it speaks to us with a common voice, reminding us that emotion has no rank or frontier. "To embody the elegance, beauty and wildly precise emotion and artistry of the works to be performedthe Festival, the organizers have succeeded in assembling an exceptional "troupe" of guests. On our little island paradise, we'll be welcoming sixty talented musicians, dancers, opera dancers, conductors, technicians and volunteers," enthuses Corinne Hennequin. We'll have the pleasure and honor of welcoming eight dancers from the Paris Opera ballet, including Germain Louvet, who took part in the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. "What's more, the president took care to illustrate a more than legitimate desire by putting women in the spotlight throughout the Festival.
From Swan Lake
to Don Quixote
The Festival kicks off with two evenings of dance on the Ajoe stage in Lorient, on Friday January 10 and Saturday January 11. Opening the evening at 7.30pm, Sylvie Millerot's dancers perform "Dance with Kim". They will then, no doubt, gladly relinquish the stage to dancers from the Paris Opera Ballet. The "étoiles" Hannah O'Neill, Germain Louvet and Marc Moreau, the "sujets" Aubane Philbert, Bianca Scudamore and Daniel Stokes, and the "coryphées" Jennifer Visocchi and Yvon Demol. The first part will feature the following interpretations: Swan Lake with the waltz from Act 1, Le Parc, Clair de lune and The Nutcracker with the pas de deux from Act 3. After an intermission, the second part will be as follows: Run, Death of the Swan, Romeo and Juliet (pas de deux from the balcony) and, for the finale, Don Quixote with the pas de deux from act 3.
On Monday January 13, a concert for children will take place at 6.30pm in Gustavia's Catholic church. An interpretation of Serge Prokofiev's 1936 musical tale, Peter and the Wolf, by eight of the Festival's guest musicians: Maureen Nelson on violin (Peter), Alex Sopp on flute (The Bird), Alecia Lawyer on oboe (The Duck), Alec Manasse on clarinet (The Cat), Andrew Brady on bassoon (The Grandfather), Bernard Scully on horn (The Wolf), Matthew McClung on percussion (The Hunters) and Blanche on narration. One of many not-to-be-missed events. For youngsters discovering this tale, as well as for older children, some of whom may have owned a 45rpm copy of Peter and the Wolf as a child, listening to which would send shivers down their spines every time the horn or, for the more sensitive, the oboe entered the stage!
The candlelight concert
If there's one magical moment during the Festival, it's undoubtedly the candlelight concert in Gustavia's Anglican Church. It's scheduled for Tuesday, January 14 at 7.30pm. Audiences will hear Frantz Schubert's String Quintet in C major performed by Jessica and Kobi Malkin (violins), Rebecca Young (viola), Owen Young and Oliver Herbert (cellos). But also Bach's Suite for Solo Cello No. 1 in G major by Francis Gouton, Beethoven's "Spectacles" duet in E-flat major by Rebecca Young (viola) and Leonard Frey-Maibach (cello) and, finally, three Gershwin preludes for quartet and cello by Oliver Herbert, Owen Young, Francis Gouton and Leonard Frey-Maibach. The evening continues after intermission with performances of Lohengrin's Pièce solennelle pour quatuor et violoncelles, a duo for violin and cello by Kodaly, Villa-Lobos's Assobio a jato and Boccherini's String Quintet in C major.
Orchestral evening
On Wednesday, January 15, fans of great music, enlightened or otherwise, are invited to the Lorient church for an orchestral evening led by conductor Rei Hotoda. The program includes Glinka's Ruslan and Ludmila Overture, Mozart's symphony concertante for violin, viola and orchestra in E-flat, Hendel's Arrival of the Queen of Sheba, Koussevizky's double bass concerto and, after intermission, Dvorák's New World Symphony No. 9.
Piano recital and chamber music
Thursday January 16, back at the Gustavia Catholic Church for the piano and chamber music recital. Starting at 7.30pm, piano magician Olga Zado will take the audience on a journey to sublime musical lands. This will include performances of Francis Poulenc's trio for oboe (Alecia Lawyer), bassoon (Andresw Brady) and piano, Chopin's Mazurka, Schumann's Fantasie Stücke for clarinet (Jon Manasse) and piano, Chopin's Introduction and Polonaise brillante with Nina Bernat on double bass. After intermission, Dvorák's Quintet for Piano and Strings No. 2 in A major will be heard on violin by Jennifer Frautschi and Alexi Kenney, viola by Nora Chastain and cello by Francis Gouton.
Excerpts from Italian
operas
For the evening of Friday January 17 in the Lorient church (8pm), conductor Ted Sperling will lead the musicians in excerpts from Italian operas. The program features works from the repertoires of Rossini, Puccini and Verdi. From the Barber of Seville to William Tell, La Bohème, La Traviata, Otello and Rigoletto.
A jazz finale in the Anglican Church
To bring the Festival to a close, a jazz quartet will take over Gustavia's Anglican Church for two evenings (Saturday, January 18 at 7.30pm and Sunday, January 19 at 6pm): March Mallow. Under Astrid Veigne's sunny voice, Eric Doboka on guitar, Thomas Plès on double bass and Christian d'Asfeld on piano will take the audience into a less "classical" universe. Although...
