3rd Edition of La Folle Journée Russian Rhythms
“Who said you can’t listen to Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich in a T-shirt and old jeans?” René Martin
3rd Edition of La Folle Journée
Russian Rhythms
28-30 September 2012
3 days – 60 concerts – 950 artists
The international “La Folle Journée” festival will take place in Warsaw for the third time, on 28-30 September. During these three days, 950 artists from all over the world will present the musical genius of the greatest Russian composers: Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, Stravinsky and Shostakovich. Tickets are on sale now.
This year’s edition is scheduled for 60 concerts in four locations in the Grand Theatre – the National Opera and in a concert tent set up in the Theatre Square. The various rooms in the National Opera will take on the names of great Russian writers especially on the occasion of the festival: the Moniuszko Hall will be called the Pushkin Hall, the back stage area of the Moniuszko Hall will be called the Dostoyevsky Hall, the small (Młynarski) Auditorium will be called the Chekhov Hall and the Redutowe Rooms will be renamed to Tolstoy Hall. The concert tent, to which admission will be free of charge, will bear the name of Gogol.
During the festival, apart from performances by renowned Polish and foreign artists invited from all over the world, audiences will have an opportunity to see and hear concerts played by young performers – the best ensembles from 10 music schools from all over Poland.
The festival also includes music education programs for children, teens and teachers – the “Labyrinth Event” and concerts for small children, pregnant women and babies – “Smykofonia” (The Toddler Philharmonic).
La Folle Journée RUSSIA is the Polish edition of the international La Folle Journée festival, conceived and directed by René Martin. The first edition of the festival took place in Nantes, France in 1995. Soon afterwards, annual editions spread to Portugal, Spain, Japan, Brazil and Poland. This international event has become so popular that in 2013 it will expand to include Canada and China, with other countries already waiting in line to join.
“We overcome the stereotype of inaccessibility of classical music by encouraging and facilitating the participation of a wide audience in concerts, while keeping the presentation of the music on a high level.” – concludes René Martin, founder of the festival.
Unusual events which go in line with the idea of the festival include e.g. Peter and the Wolf – the Academy Award-winning film adaptation of Prokofiev’s musical fairy-tale with the music played live, Stravinsky hip-hop, a musical animation event based on Stravinsky’s A Soldier’s Tale, concerts by the Russian Horns Orchestra from St. Petersburg and orthodox church music played by the Warsaw Diocesan Choir.
As in previous years, the concert programs and Polish and foreign artists will satisfy even seasoned music lovers, while the duration of each concert (45-60 minutes) and low ticket prices should encourage all those to attend, who’ve had little contact with classical music or who have resisted its charm.
“I am happy to be able to visit Poland – a country of many great artists and composers – for the third time. The atmosphere at concerts – created by artists and audience alike – is unique and arouses the desire to return each year” – adds Martin.
Previous Warsaw editions of La Folle Journée were devoted to the music of Chopin (“Chopin Open” in 2010), and Brahms, Mahler, Liszt, Strauss and Szymanowski (“Les Titans” in 2011). Each time, approximately 100 concerts performed by hundreds of artists from around the world were attended by an audience of nearly 30 000, while the accompanying educational events were attended by a total of 6 500 children from Warsaw’s primary schools.
Tickets priced at PLN 5, 7 and 10 are already on sale at the box office of the Grand Theatre – National Opera, on-line at www.teatrwielki.pl and www.ebilet.pl and in e-Bilet locations.
More information is available at www.2012.szalonednimuzyki.pl.
The organisers of the Festival in Poland – Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra, CREA (Centre de Réalisations et d’Études Artistiques à Nantes), the “Ogrody Muzyczne” Foundation and the Grand Theatre – National Opera extend a warm invitation to participate in a wonderful encounter with Russian classical music.
The festival will feature performances by:
Soloists: Boris Berezovsky (piano), Abdel Rahman El Bacha (piano), Nikolai Lugansky (piano), Vadim Rudenko (piano), Alexander Kniazev (cello) and Andrei Korobeinikov (piano);
Orchestras: Sinfonia Varsovia, The National Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra of the Grand Theatre – National Opera, the Polish Chamber Orchestra and Sinfonia Iuventus;
Conductors: Alexander Vedernikov, Dmitri Liss, Jerzy Maksymiuk, George Tchitchinadze, Aziz Shokhakimov and Antoni Wit;
Chamber ensembles: Trio Wanderer, Borodin Quartet, Motion Trio, Kwadrofonik.
