Review 2006

A Review of the Seventh Annual Bad Aibling  
 
International Guitar Festival “Saitensprünge” 2006
 
The seventh year’s festival was a charming, highly successful affair.  The 2006 edition of the International Guitar Festival “SAITENSPRÜNGE” in Bad Aibling, proved to be a rousing success.  Eight concerts took place within the main program of the Festival in the two halls of the Kurhaus from November 7 to 26, 2006. And the level of musical performances was breathtaking. There were standing ovations, several animated periods of applause, several curtain calls and encores. “Due to its program and artistic achievements, the “Saitensprünge” has become a musical highlight”, wrote the music expert and journalist Dr. Marco Frei in his article, which appeared in December, 2006 both in the Oberbayerische Volksblatt (OVB) and in the Traunsteiner Tagblatt. 
 
Classical, jazz, Brazilian, Baroque, Flamenco music and original Bavarian Volksmusik were scheduled for the 2006 performances. Once again, absolute world class musicians were present in the persons of Pavel Steidl and Giampaolo Bandini, the New York Trio Del Sol, Biréli Lagrènes Gipsy Project, the Brazilian Ana Caram and the Grammy award winner, David Russell. "Bairische Saitenblicke” and above all, the new program of "Guitarrissimo”- the long night of the guitar- enjoyed overwhelming acceptance. 
 
The growing popularity of “Saitensprünge” can be attested by the increased attendance compared to the previous year, which had also established attendance records.  The increase in guest attendance totaled over three per cent. In addition, the media resonance was remarkable. Several daily papers (Oberbayerisches Volksblatt, Traunsteiner Tagblatt, Süddeutsche Zeitung, etc.) issued detailed reports in word and picture; the television medium (regional television Upper Bavaria) was in attendance, as were reporters from several radio stations (Bayerischer Rundfunk, Radio Regenbogen, Radio Charivari). There was unanimous enthusiasm for the presentations.  The somewhat unclear sign-posting of the parking lots drew the ire of a few of the guests and was the only criticism of the festival.
 

Less spectacular, but nevertheless musically brilliant, the duo Giampaolo Bandini and Pavel Steidl opened the series of performances on November 7.  “Their, in the truest sense of the word, classical repertoire, consisting of works from Mozart, Beethoven, Carulli, Zani de Ferranti and Joseph Haydn was performed at  absolute world class level. Both performed on beautifully constructed and captivatingly sounding reproductions of guitar models from the early 18th century. Pavel Steidl’s fingers moved with electrifying speed over the neck of his Stauffer reproduction. His Italian colleague was no less impressive.  With all his virtuosity and inspired  

depth of creating musical moods, in particular, the Czech master guitarist Steidl emerged also as a brilliant comic with a broad range of comical expressions.
 
An impromptu cabaret performance took place two days later. In the midst of an inspired solo on his 12-string guitar, the chair of the New York jazz mastermind Freddie Bryant suddenly broke. Bryant, who is not only a gifted musical improvisational artist, but also a Tai Chi master, continued to play without missing a note as he landed on his back.

He sat up and played the piece to its conclusion while sitting on the floor of the stage. In a sign of musical solidarity, his accompanists continued performing: Misha Piatigorsky played the Steinway Grand Piano while kneeling, as the multi percussionist Gilad performed in the same manner as Bryant, sitting on the stage. Fortunately, Bryant had not injured himself. Of course, this unusual and brilliant performance was a much discussed subject for the press (see articles in SZ). This performance, fortunately, did not divert from the brilliance of Trio del Sol who proved their musical virtuosity. It was a truly uplifting concert, the very best music for both spirit and soul. 

   
Biréli Lagrène has for years been considered by many experts as the best European jazz guitarist. With great expectations, fans of his music feverishly awaited the opening of the concert on 12 November. And they were not to be disappointed: Lagrène was in top form this evening, likewise his accompanists, the saxophonist Franck Wolf, the rhythm guitarist Hono Winterstein and Diego Imbert at contrabass. After a few bars, one fact stood out, Biréli Lagrène is truly the "Paganini of the jazz guitar", a musician of Olympian stature. Inimitably, with spontaneous joy and casualness he performed musical magic, without ever repeating himself, without letting one moment of boredom arise. He played with a touch of mischief and an enormous musical range in his fingers. Here he wove evenly whole passages from a Violin Sonata by Johann Sebastian Bach into a Django piece; at times he quoted from rock history. He set the tone with the next number, a beautifully melancholic, inspiring ballad.  Nonetheless, there was a touch of jazz swing as in everything Biréli performs. It was a memorable concert, as unanimous approval of the Gipsy Projects prevailed throughout the well over four hundred visitors in the festival room of the Kurhaus. 
   

November 16, Ana Caram. It was a sensation in itself that the Grande Dame of the Bossa Nova travelled especially from São Paulo, Brazil to Europe for this concert. As in 2002, for her first "Saitensprünge" appearance, she performed as part of a duo. This year, however, she graced the stage not with the Chôro guitarist Israel Almeida, but with the Electro Bossa pioneer Michel Freidenson at the grand piano. Ana Caram offered an infatuating cross section of Brazilian music with voice, guitar and transverse flute. Bossa Nova and Samba were the center pieces, supplemented by a multiplicity of more unknown rhythms, in particular from the northeast of Brazil. Half of the audience quietly sang along to the Bossa classical piece "Agua de Beber". At this time most listeners were displaying a relaxed smile. 

   

Well over 400 guests were drawn into the festival room of the Kurhaus to witness this year’s Bairische Saitenblicke. This was certainly due to the knowledge of the organizer who assembled a diverse array of musical styles. The performers presented not only pleasing appearance, they provided for the highest class of entertainment within the genre. The musicians included the Go serer Klarinettenmusi ,  the  Groebenbach Trio,  Rotofenmusi ,  Geschwister Schabmair , the Isarwinkler Sängerinnen,  the Bairer Saitenmusi . The fact that musicians came from as far away as the Salzkammergut added to the attraction of the evening performances. Musicians from Austria as well as Upper Bavaria played clarinet, trombone, harmonica, contra bass, zither, hackbrett and harp. The popular broadcast host and Volksmusik expert Hedi Heres, the experienced master of ceremonies, not only conveyed amusing anecdotes but also interesting historical and cultural highlights. 

 
In the two previous years the Guitarrisssimo Evenings turned out to be favorites. To these successes, this year’s “long night of the guitars" could be included, due to the efforts of Johannes Erkes, the artistic director/conductor of the Saitensprünge. The guitar evenings could be considered as a "Festival within the Festival". There were the two classical guitars of Roman  Viazovskiy and  Nora Buschmann,  the passionate Flamenco guitar of Miguel  Iven, the crossover adventurers,  Buck Wolters  as well as  Thomas Fellow  and  Stephan Bormann  from the duo  Hands on Strings . The Bad Aibling jazz guitarist Heinrich Wulff, presently studying at the Munich jazz conservatoire,
performed with his own quartet and represented, in a convincing manner, the semi-professional new generation.Over four hours, a varied, exciting musical program was offered and: "they were unforgettable hours…” as Ulrich Nathen wrote as a critic of the OVB (Oberbayerisches Volksblatt). Surely, others praised the evening performances.  The Big Band sound resonated through the hall as the concert closed when all musicians improvised Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Girl from Ipanema “- with Nora Buschmann assuming the role of the charming singer. 
 
A concert reflecting the musical past took place on November 24. Those who desired to travel a few centuries into the past with a musical time machine enjoyed the Siren Leopold Trio.Leopold played the lute, which during its time of highest popularity, was considered the “queen" of musical instruments.He also played the Chitarrone, which is similar to the lute. Due to its neck length of nearly two meters, this bass lute appears to be from another world.
The Dutch violinist Eva Stegeman and her compatriot Wouter Mijnders at the violin cello completed the triumvirate. They performed and provided for "champagne sound charm" (Dr. Marco Frei, OVB of November 28, 2006): "and there was for tone and interpretation completely harmonious interaction, as the three were experienced as a trio. There the quick dance set, which set the tone for esprit and liveliness, dream like ebbing and flowing like waves and soft, slow, warm melancholy. One can become addicted to the sound patterns presented by these three musicians. The musicians received animated applause in the well attended small Kurhaus hall. As an encore, a Romanesque by Biagio Marini was performed.
   
The “Grande Finale“took place on Sunday, November 11, 2006. David Russell returned to the stage of the Kurhaus, which has been universally acclaimed for its acoustic perfection. Russell twice before had graced the stage of the Kurhaus in the now seven-year-old history of the Guitar Festival (2001, 2004).  He had presented marvelous concerts before, but the evening’s performance exceeded his previous efforts. Intellectual depth, passion, humor and melancholy presented with musical depth and dedication made this concert, with works from five centuries, a memorable evening of guitar music. It was concert music on a uniquely high level - so purely and intimate as only this instrument can emote. It was a fitting conclusion for the Guitar Festival of "Saitensprünge" in Bad Aibling, a program certainly not lacking in musical highlights!
   

 

Thomas Kraus
 
English version by Jeff Tarver 08061 939 163