The Printemps des Arts continues its musical journey and begins its second weekend with the return, this year, of the “Surprising Night,” this Thursday, March 20, for a discovery of unique sound worlds!
Then, the first portrait of Haydn, the following day, with the young and talented Parker Quartet, then a “Baroque Night” on Saturday and two new Scriabin portraits to end this weekend, including a first in Monaco, the piece “Prometheus” with a light organ.
SURPRISING NIGHT | Thursday, March 20
This Thursday, March 20, at the Rainier III Auditorium, the “Surprising Night” will invite the public to discover unheard sound worlds. Last year, Pierre Jodlowski’s musical creation “Induction” impressed the audience during the “Surprise Journey.” This year, he returns with choreographer Gaëtan Morlotti and dancers from the Princess Grace Academy.
During the same evening, we will experience another astonishing event with the Ensemble Intercontemporain, conducted by Peter Eötvös, performing a creation by the German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen: “Momente.” In this work, a solo singer, choirs, and instrumentalists will perform a suite of “moments,” sounding like snapshots and composing a large form with abstract contours!
HAYDN PORTRAIT 1 | Friday, March 21
“Papa Haydn,” the Austrian composer and creator of intense and intimate music, will be celebrated this Friday, March 21. We will see the Parker Quartet, which won its first grand prize at the International Bordeaux Competition in 2005 and has established itself as a “quartet that propels music irresistibly” according to the Washington Post. The young American musicians will perform “Quartet No. 66 in G major, op. 77 No. 1” and “Quartet No. 23 in F minor, op. 20 No. 5.”
The “encounter with the works,” around the Haydn portrait, with musicologist Emmanuel Hondré and a 3-minute creation by Colin Roche, around the cigarette (!), with Constance Ronzatti on violin, will open the evening.
BAROQUE NIGHT | Saturday, March 22
This evening will take baroque to its extremes, from the very first steps of this music made of improvisation at the beginning of the 17th century, to the last sparks that still shine when the classical style of Mozart and Haydn eventually triumphs!
The Kapsberger Ensemble, directed by Rolf Lislevand, will recreate, on this occasion, the variety of forms and sounds of this rich period with pieces by Frescobaldi, Gianoncelli, Piccinini, Da Milano, Foscarini, or even the composer from whom it takes its name, Johannes Hieronymus Kapsberger.
The Amoroso Ensemble, on its part, has chosen one of the rarest facets of the great master of classicism, Haydn, by performing his trios calling upon the “baryton,” an instrument whose strings are not bowed but still resonate…
The start of the day will be devoted to “Young Talent”! A saxophone Masterclass will launch this Saturday at the Théâtre des Variétés, with Carmen Lefrancois.
Then, a concert at 6 PM featuring saxophonist and pianist Nathanaël Gouin, who will be joined by the Paris National Conservatory of Music and Dance. They will perform “Jungle” by Lauba, “Prelude, Cadence, and Finale” by Desenclos, and “Sonata” by Denisov.
SCRIABIN PORTRAITS 2 & 3 | Sunday, March 23
After a first episode with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Liège at the festival’s opening, the Scriabin portraits continue this Sunday, March 23, from 11 AM at the Salle Empire, with a double discovery: that of a promising young pianist, Geoffroy Couteau, and that of often mystical music sounding like a “black and white” ritual.
This concert will be preceded by a 3-minute creation by Sébastien Gaxie, with Constance Ronzatti on violin and Nathanaël Gouin on piano.
The third Scriabin portrait, “Scriabin in the light of fire,” will take place at 6 PM at the Grimaldi Forum. The music of the Russian composer wanted no limits, so the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Michail Jurowski, will perform “Prometheus or the Poem of Fire, op. 60,” written for orchestra and “light organ”! Performed for the first time in Monaco, this work will immerse the audience in a unique experience, as colors will be projected along with the musicians, engaging all senses…
An “encounter with the works” around the Scriabin portrait with musicologist Anne Rousselin will take place at 4:30 PM under the Verrière of the Grimaldi Forum, to open the evening.
