PressReleasedate:6February2017
THETRANSFORMATIONOFSCHUBERT
PlusmusicrangingfromRenaissance
lutetoLatinJazz,JuliaWolfeandSteve
Reichandadeeplyfeltmusicaltribute
toFife’sminers
DeeplyrootedthemesandhistoriespermeatetheEastNeukFestival(ENF)thisyear.Artistic
directorSvendMcEwan-Browndeftlyinterleavesfivedaysofworldclasschambermusicwith
twosignificantcreativeprojectsrepresentinglocalheritageandmodern-dayculture;de
Profundis,atributetotheFifeminingcommunityanditsbrassbandlegacyledbyrenowned
trumpetvirtuosoJohnWallace,andtheworldpremiereofanewlycommissionedworkfrom
NorwegiancomposerHenningSommerroinspiredbyoneofthemostImportant17thcentury
Scandinavianpoets,ThomasKingo,whoseancestryliesinCrail.
“WithENFreachingits13thedition,itsfirstteenageyear,wepromisedtomisbehavealittle.So
we’vedecidedtoalsotakethefestivaloutofthevenuesandintoFife’sstreets,fields,harbours,
cafes,gardens,beachesandmore."commentedSvendMcEwan-Brown.Somusicwillresonate
morethaneveraroundtheEastNeukthisyearinanewprogrammingstrand,
FESTIVALLAROUND,whichseesENFartistsandyoungmusicianspoppingupinunusuallocations
fromdistilleriestodoorsteps.ButatthebeatingheartoftheEastNeukFestivalitisalways
chambermusic-performedbymusiciansofworld-classrenownandinsight,includinglegendary
pianistElisabethLeonskaja,theBelceaQuartetandScottishChamberOrchestraaswellas
youngergenerationartistssuchasJulianBliss,SeanShibeandtheCastalianQuartetperforming
musicrangingfromBachtoJuliaWolfe.
SCHUBERTIAD
Between1816and1826thetwenty-somethingSchubertunderwentaprofoundtransformation
andleftbehindtheinfluencesofhisteachersandthecomposershereveredtodevelophisown
uniquevoice.McEwan-Brownhasinvitedsomeoftheworld’sfinestSchubertianstoprogramme
worksthatillustratehowgreatthatdevelopmentwasinfiveconcertsofchambermusic,solo
pianoandsong.Celebratedpianist,ElisabethLeonskajajuxtaposeshisearlysonataD459with
theimmenseAmajorD845,thenjoinstheBelceaQuartetforthefirsttimeinthe‘Trout’
Quintet.Risingstar,theCastalianQuartet,performshisearlyD353quartettocomplementthe
BelceaQuartetplayingallthreelatequartets.PianistMalcolmMartineaupartnersDutch
baritoneThomasOliemansforaselectionofsongsfromthe‘goldenyears’1815/16andthe
maturepoeticmasterpieceDieSchöneMüllerin.Addingfurtherperspectives,themusicof
Schubert’steacher,Salieri,andtwoofhismusicidols,MozartandHaydn,alsofeatureinother
partsoftheENFprogramme,whilepre-concerttalksandonlineblogaboutSchubertintheleaduptotheFestivalarealsoprogrammed.
JULIANBLISS
AcclaimedclarinettistJulianBlisslovestoexploretheextremeversatilityofhisinstrumentandis
thelynchpinforaneclecticrangeofprogrammesembracingclassical,contemporaryandjazz.He
teamsupwiththeCastalianQuartetforthefirsttimeinMozart’sClarinetQuintet,partners
guitarvirtuosoSeanShibeforacontemporarynighttoincludeSteveReich’sElectric
Counterpoint,andfinallyjoinshisownSeptetforanightofLatinjazzandsambarhythms.
…/
SoftLOUD
SoftandLoudisthethemeforguitaristSeanShibe’sthreeFestivalconcerts,exploringthe
contrastingqualitiesofacousticandelectricguitars.HeincludesmasterpiecesfromJSBachand
JamesOswald(Bach’sFifecontemporary)inthetranquilclifftopchurchatStMonansforthe
former,andthelikesofSteveReich’sNewYorkCounterpointandhisowntakeonJuliaWolfe’s
Lad(originallyforninebagpipes)inAnstruther’shistoricDreelHallsforthelatter.
DEPROFUNDIS
EastNeukFestival’sBigProjectsarespeciallycreated,collaborative,highcalibremusicalevents
thatbringtogetherprofessionalandlocalamateurmusiciansandresonatewithmeaninginthe
specificenvironmentinwhichtheytakeplace:pastsuccessesincludeDavidLang’schoralwork
MemorialGroundin2016andJohnLutherAdams’AcrossTheDistancefor32hornplayers
(2015)andInuksuitfor30percussionists(2014).Thisyear’scentrepiecewillbeDeProfundis
featuringapproximately60brassplayers,includingthehighlyregardedTullisRussellMillsBands
andTheWallaceCollection,ledbyFife-borntrumpeterJohnWallaceCBE(formerprincipal
trumpetofThePhilharmoniaandPrincipaloftheRoyalScottishConservatoireofMusic).The
projectpaystributetothegenerationsofFifeminerswhotoiledundergroundinabysmal
conditionsandalsoplayedbeautifulmusicinthepitbands.WallaceandMcEwan-Brownare
devisingaperformancethatwilldrawontheGaelicPsalmtraditionsoftheWesternIslesand
othersourcematerialincludingplainsongoftheDeProfundisandOutoftheDeep.DeProfundis
willbeperformedintheTheBowhouse(abarnontheAnstrutherestate),anewENFvenue.The
pitsandmillsmaynowbeclosed,butthemusicliveson.
NORTHTOSOUTH
ApairofconcertstouchonFife’sancientlinkswiththeNordicandBalticcountries.Inthe
FootstepsofThomasKingobringstogetherScottishandScandinavianmusicianstofollowaCrail
weaverwholeftScotlandtoworkattheDanishCourtinthe1580s.Hisgrandson,alsoThomas,
wastobecomeoneofthemostimportantpoetsandcomposersofhisageinScandinavia.
InspiredbyKingo’sstory,NorwegiancomposerHenningSommerrohascomposedChrysillis,a
musicaljourneyfromScotlandtoScandinaviaforShetlandfiddlerChrisStout,harpistCatriona
McKayandtheever-inventiveensemble,MrMcFall’sChamber.ThepremiereofChrysillisplays
attheheartofaconcertoftraditionalandreinventedmusic,alsofeaturingNorwegiansNils
OklandandMatsEilertsen.Toclosethe2017Festival,theScottishChamberOrchestratakesa
musicaljourneynorthfromOrkneyforGrieg,SibeliusandDagWirenbeforeturningsouthto
ItalytoclosethefestivalwithTchaikovsky’sSouvenirdeFlorence.
ENFRETREAT
Nowinitsthirdyear,theENFRetreatonceagainoffersuptotenoutstandingyoungstring
playersfromaroundtheglobethechancetocometothisinspirationalfestivalsettingand
immersethemselvesinmusicunderthementorshipofsomeoftheworld’smostrevered
musicians,includingAlexanderJaniczekandtwoformermembersoftheAlbanBergQuartet,
ValentinErbenandIsabelCharisius.Theyshowcasethefruitsoftheirjoyfullaboursintwo
concertsofpiecesbyMozartandDvořákandotherworksstudiedduringtheRetreat.
FESTIVALLAROUND
TheBowhouseandDreelHallsarenottheonlynewvenuesatthisyear’sFestival:Kingsbarns
DistillerythegardensofKellieCastle,therollinglawnsofCamboHouseandthearoma-filled
CocoaTreeCaféinPittenweemarejustsomeoftheunusualvenuesthatwillresoundtothe
musicofthetalentedyoungplayersfromtheTullisRussellMillsBandandLiveMusicNow,plus
FestivalartistssuchasSeanShibe.TheFESTIVALLAROUNDprogrammewilldevelopandmultiply
asthemonthsprogressfromnowuntiltheFestivalbeginssotherewillbemanymorepop-up
eventsindoorsandout,includingaspecialserenadeonadoorstep(seewebsitefordetails).
…/
ClareHewitt,MusicOfficeratCreativeScotlandsaid:“Thisyear’sEastNeukFestival
encompassesallthatmusichastooffer,spanningBachtothepresentdayandperformedby
stellarartists.Theline-upincludesrisingstarslikeSeanShibewithhisSoftLOUDperformances,
alongsidethegravitasofpianistElisabethLeonskaja.Thefestival’sannualBigProjectisalwaysa
highlight:in2017DeProfundiswillbringtogetherprofessionalandlocalamateurmusiciansasit
takesusundergroundinacelebrationofFife’spitbandheritage.Whetherdivingintothe
SchubertiadorstumblingacrosslivemusicinunusualspacesthroughFESTIVALALLAROUND,the
festivaliscertaintosurpriseanddelightaudiencesasitfillsallofEastNeuk’shiddencorners
withmusic.”
Furtherpressinformation:
DebraBoraston
T.01424883307M.07989434388
[email protected]
Fullprogrammeinformation,daybydaywww.eastneukfestival.com
BoxOffice:HubTicketsT.01314732000www.hubtickets.co.uk
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TheEastNeukFestivalgratefullyacknowledgesfinancialsupportfromthe
NationalLotterythroughCreativeScotland’sOpenProjectFund,FifeCouncil,
DunardFundandTheMissesBarrieCharitableTrustanditsmanysupporters
amongprivatetrusts,foundationsandindividualdonors.
NotestoEditors
CreativeScotlandisthepublicbodythatsupportsthearts,screenandcreativeindustriesacrossallpartsofScotland
onbehalfofeveryonewholives,worksorvisitshere.Weenablepeopleandorganisationstoworkinand
experiencethearts,screenandcreativeindustriesinScotlandbyhelpingotherstodevelopgreatideasandbring
themtolife.WedistributefundingprovidedbytheScottishGovernmentandtheNationalLottery.Forfurther
informationaboutCreativeScotlandpleasevisitwww.creativescotland.com.Followus@creativescotsand
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