Ninth International Guitar Festival of Saitensprünge: A review Willing and São Paulo, Bad Aibling and Buenos Aires were, in a musical sense, drawn together at the Ninth International Guitar Festival of Saitensprünge, which took place from 6 to 28 November 2008. Two thousand, four hundred and twenty guitar fans visited the eight musically brilliant and varied concerts of the main program. The attendance was satisfactory despite the worldwide economic downturn with 82 per cent ticket sales. The number of visitors increased to two thousand, six hundred and eighty when taking into account the three concerts held in gastronomic venues. Thus, the Festival could realize a further rise of the numbers of visitors. Fifty-eight artists from 19 countries (Lithuania, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Cuba, Sweden, the Netherlands, France, Iran, Russia, Curaçao, Uruguay, Argentina, Moldavia, Panama, Georgia, Brazil, Ukraine, and Scotland) equally inspired the public and press. The only point of disagreement was raised in the discussions debating the absolute high point of the Festivals. Was it the two outstanding concerts of the two "world masters of the classical guitar" (OVB), Manuel Barrueco and David Russell? Was it the highly successful “Tango Night for All the Senses”? On the other hand, was it the fulminate appearance of Constanze Friend and Thomas Fellow, alias Friend`n Fellow? Some will claim the Guitarrissimo! Night should be considered as the highlight of the festival. Of course, preferences will vary… The Baltic Guitar Quartet presented the prelude, in the concert hall of the Kurhaus. Unfortunately, this was a disappointment for the fans of the charming Lithuanian Guitarist, Ieva Baltmiskyte. She seductively performed for the trailer of this year’s Saitensprünge - yet, she was not to be experienced in the Kurhaus this year. The musician had opted for a solo career and surprisingly, in early autumn, had taken leave from the quartet. In her place was Belgian’s Chris Ruebens who performed in the opening concert. He somewhat compensated for her absence with his dazzling virtuosity, demonstrated in part with his own composition, “Summer Dance”. Dances (Danzas) was on the program of the now three-quarter-Baltic BGQ. Among other pieces, the musicians presented an outstanding premiere of the "Three Dances" by the Baltic composer Jonas Tamulionis (born 1949). Within a few days of the presentation of the concert’s “bill of fare”, the "culinary” master program of the Guitar Festivals in the restaurants NiBa and Mamajuana were fully booked. Clemens Wagner, Reinhard Roller and Stefan Knoll, music notables from the region, performed in the NiBa. Due to the overwhelming public resonance the two "Locos por la Rumba (Crazy for Rumba), guitarist Ricardo Volkert and El Quintero performed an encore in the Mamajuana. "Attentive listening prevailed during the concert of Manuel Barrueco in the festival hall of the Kurhaus. ", so ran the headlines of the concert review in the local press, (OVB). After many years of fruitless efforts, Johannes Erkes, the musical director/conductor of the Saitensprünge, succeeded in enticing this master guitarist to Bad Aibling. Barrueco’s musical genius has been described as attractive and astonishing. His performances are dynamic, finely shaded with the highest clarity, and purity of tones. The trills are clearly audible and sensibly performed tone for tone. Rich tones with a touch of bass, assured virtuosity , performed with ease even during rapid interludes (…) Barrueco evokes an unlimited variety of tone coloring and play techniques, his guitar sings, dreams, sobs and dances, and all of this with the most graceful buoyancy", thus writes Rainer W. Janka in his concert review. Two days later it was to be experienced, of what Thomas Fellow is capable, if he is not with fever - as was the case with his concert as one half of the Duo Hands on Strings in the previous year - and now with the talented singer Constanze Friend at his side offering vocal and spiritual support . There, he demonstrated the full measure of his musical virtuosity. Fellow replaces with his acoustic nylon string guitar easily a complete band, he unbelievably grooves; in addition, this exquisite, expressive soul voice! And as the bond of this connection of Friend`n Fellow, a dreamlike interaction, which allowed a high degree of interplay between the musicians. Fire and flame – distinctly better without fever and flu. A celebration for all who prefer an alternative to classical music. "During the entire extensive program the public listened attentively and as the evening progressed, an almost revert silence prevailed during the softer interludes. And this, although the more than 400 visitors at the tables were offered beverages and culinary delights." So wrote Christiane Giesen in her print media appraisal of this year’s performance of Bairische Saitenblicke. According to Giesen, “it was genuine Alpine Folk Music of the highest level”. As from the outset, this indispensable component of the Bad Aibling Guitar Festival enjoys the appreciation of the local residence and increases in popularity from year to year. Christiane Giesen: "six excellent groups of Folk Music from Germany and Austria performed a never monotonous, well coordinated program. It owes its popularity not least to the humorous, always adept presentation of the Austrian, Dr. Franz Gumpenberger. The former family judge has already moderated well over 2500 radio and television broadcasts." No less successful, in respect to musical and public-magnetism was the 2008 edition of the Guitarrissimo! - Evening. Highlight after highlight followed late into the night during this year’s “Festival within the Festival". Again ,exciting Aibling debuts were offered, as well as fulminate Flamenco guitarist Jan Hengmith who had already performed in Bad Aibling ", so the OVB critic and musicologist Marco Frei in his review of the evening. The Aibling-Debut artists of 2008 were David Hansson and Thomas Hansy of the Swedish Gothenburg Combo, the duo Kevin Seddiki and Bijan Chemirani, the Dutch Esther Steenbergen Trio and the jazz pianist Vitali Hertje. In alternating as well as varied, multi tonal sets, these musicians presented exciting music from a wide pallet of musical genres. The Brazilian Bossa musician Ana Caram cannot be considered an "Aibling Debutante". After duo appearances with the guitarist and Cavaquinho player Israel Almeida, as well as with the pianist Michel Freidenson in the previous year, she was to be experienced for the first time with her band with Freidenson at piano and key board, Pichu Borelli at the five-string e-bass and Fabio Bergamini on percussions. Ana Caram was born in 1958, the same year, which is considered the birth year of the Bossa Nova, the Brazilian counterpart to North American jazz. Celebrated this evening was among other musical genres, 50 years of Bossa Nova. Ana Caram presented, in this sense, many classical compositions by Jobim, Gilberto and Co, and just a few of her compositions - which some of her fans deeply regretted, just as they were disappointed in the relative brevity of the concert. On the occasion of Tango Night, a few days later, the second South American music genre on the rank of musical geniality was given spectacular, broad recognition. The phrase “for all senses" proved to be appropriate in the fullest sense of the word. The Argentine guitarist and composer, Luis Borda opened the concert as a soloist with the piece "Rey Bonzo", a stirring homage to the musician, Romero Manzi. He admirably followed with his ensemble, creating excitement with E- and U-musical content, varying between self-compositions and Tango classical composers. He performed, at first, concertante, and then dance accompanied older, but fresh Tango pieces. For genuine culinary delights, an extensive and sumptuous buffet laden with Argentine specialties was offered. Two pairs of professional dancers, Enrique y Judita as well as Oscar y Paola exhibited Tango dance in its entirety. A small introduction to the Tango dance was included before the dance floor was filled with all who ventured to demonstrate their dance talents. A musical program of world class was presented by David Russell, “last but not least“, during the "Grand Finale" of the Saitensprünge 2008, in a masterful synthesis of baroque and modern music , with works from José Broca, François Couperin, Isaac Albéniz, Julián Arcas, Jean Baptiste Loeillet, Steve Goss and P. Rosheger. Although Russell has ranked for decades among the small circle of the world’s best concert guitarists, he succeeds in musically incorporating his never superficial virtuosity with his still seemingly perfect interpretations. Thus, the conclusion of the Ninth International Guitar Festival of Saitensprünge took its form in masterful, vibrant guitar artistry. The public demonstrated its appreciation with enthusiastic, prolonged applause. Thomas's Kraus (text and photo) |
