Artistic adventures in Ireland's medieval city 07-16 - AUGUST - Kilkenny Arts Festival
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Artistic adventures in
Ireland’s medieval city
07–16
AUGUST
kilkennyarts.ie 2015
01
Welcome to ten days of artistic adventures…
Photo Jean-Baptiste Millot
Photo Matthew Thompson
In the historic Castle Yard, we’re joining forces with The legendary William Christie & Les Arts Florissants The great Martin Hayes returns as host and co- Giants of world music bound for Kilkenny include
Druid and Lincoln Center Festival to present return to Ireland after 20 years for ETERNAL curator of the MARBLE CITY SESSIONS, gathering Toumani Diabaté and Amjad Ali Khan.
DruidShakespeare, an epic theatrical experience which HARMONY: THE MUSIC OF JS BACH, a unique series extraordinary musicians from around the world for
many are calling one of the events of the decade. of 18 concerts exploring Bach’s timeless music. nine collaborative concerts.
Photo Nadia F Romanini
Photo Marcoborggreve
Photo Conor Horgan
Photo Eric Antoniou
Major international artists making their Irish debuts in Musical titans joining us this year include pianist Sir Visual artist in residence Mick O’Dea will be creating One of the world’s finest writers, Robert Pinsky, is
our Bach series include Iranian harpsichordist Mahan András Schiff and viol master Jordi Savall. A Festival Portrait, painting and sketching Festival artists, Festival poet in residence for 2015.
Esfahani and Chinese Bach specialist Zhu Xiao-Mei. scenes and performances throughout the ten days.
Front Cover image: Alexander Haiden/Grafenegg
02 03
Book your seat…
For 42 years our funders and partners have played an invaluable role in helping Kilkenny Arts Festival to
flourish. We greatly appreciate their continuing support.
PRINCIPAL FUNDER
ONLINE today at kilkennyarts.ie
BY PHONE from 6 July on +353 56 775 2175
PUBLIC FUNDERS
IN PERSON from 6 July at the Festival Box Office
14 John Street, Kilkenny
Weekdays: 10am - 5.30pm (closed Monday 3 August)
HEADLINE EVENT PARTNERS During the Festival: daily 10.30am - 7.30pm
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o’neill foley
MAJOR DONORS
Mrs Loretta Brennan Glucksman Mrs Joneen Casey
EVENT PARTNERS
Bank
MEDIA PARTNERS
SUPPLY PARTNERS
KILKENNY
HONDA
Hotel CENTRE
Leisure Club & KO Spa
CULTURAL PARTNERS
DruidShakespeare. Photo Reg Gordon
BUTLER GALLERY
BUTLER GALLERY
OPERA THEATRE COMPANY
BUTLER GALLERY
04 05
an exhilarating epic ... nothing can quell the
DRUID (IRELAND) IN A CO-PRODUCTION WITH
extraordinary vitality of Hynes’ production, its ability to
LINCOLN CENTER FESTIVAL (USA)
match the play’s shifting moods and its visual appeal ...
AND IN ASSOCIATION WITH KILKENNY ARTS FESTIVAL
it is a staggering venture Michael Billington, The Guardian
Director
DruidShakespeare Garry Hynes
Associate Director
(design)
Francis O’Connor
Richard II, Henry IV (Parts 1 & 2) Associate Director
and Henry V (movement)
David Bolger
Co-Costume
by William Shakespeare Designer
in a new adaptation by Mark O’Rowe Doreen McKenna
directed by Garry Hynes Lighting Design
James F Ingalls
Sound Design
Gregory Clarke
This epic theatrical event distils four of Shakespeare’s Music
greatest plays into one thrilling drama played over six hours. Conor Linehan
Dramaturg
A sweeping narrative of family, ambition, war and the
Thomas Conway
making of nations, DruidShakespeare is performed with
an exceptional ensemble cast and a rousing parade of Voice Coach
characters, including one of the playwright’s greatest Andrew Wade
comic creations, Falstaff. Fight Director
Donal O’Farrell
Experience Druid’s most ambitious project ever in the
unique atmosphere of the Castle Yard, Ireland’s finest
Cast
open-air theatre space.
Clare Barrett
The production can be seen either as a full cycle Derbhle Crotty
on a single day, or over two successive evenings. Peter Daly
Gavin Drea
Please note: this is an outdoor performance. Garrett Lombard
Please dress for the weather. Karen McCartney
Charlotte McCurry
With thanks to Kilkenny Design Centre
Duration Aaron Monaghan
Full Cycle: 6 hrs 30 mins approx., including three intervals (2 x 15 mins & 1 x 30 mins) Marie Mullen
Part 1: 3 hrs 15 mins, including 15 min interval Rory Nolan
THU FRI SAT SUN WED THU FRI SAT SPECIAL
Part 2: 2 hrs 45 mins, including 15 min interval John Olohan
6 7
5PM 5PM
8 9 12 13 14 15
7.30PM 6.30PM 7.30PM 7.30PM 5PM 5PM
DEAL
FOR THIS
EVENT
Aisling O’Sullivan
Marty Rea
See page 58 SHAKESPEARE AND IRELAND
FC FC P1 P2 P1 P2 FC FC
Photo Matthew Thompson
Rothe House, Sunday 9 August 4.30pm
THE CASTLE YARD Full Cycle - FC Part 1 - P1 Part 2 - P2 Garry Hynes and members of the Druid company discuss the challenges of staging
ADMISSION Shakespeare for an Irish audience in conversation with Fintan O’Toole. Free but ticketed.
ALL PERFORMANCES (FULL CYCLE OR IN TWO PARTS) €60/€52
EXCEPT THU 6 AUGUST PREVIEW (€40) & WED 12/THU 13 AUGUST (€45/€40) SEE ALSO ‘TYRONE GUTHRIE & THE SHAKESPEARE REVOLUTION’ P.17
06 07
ETERNAL HARMONY: THE MUSIC OF JS BACH OPERA THEATRE COMPANY (IRELAND)
THE WELL-TEMPERED CLAVIER, BOOK 1 The Human Voice a love affair at the
end of the line
by Francis Poulenc
Mahan Esfahani harpsichord
Iran
IRISH DEBUT
Director Tom Creed
Soprano Kim Sheehan
Piano Michael McHale
Esfahani’s performance of the first book of Bach’s PROGRAMME I
Friday 7 August 1pm
Well-Tempered Clavier was … riveting Preludes and Fugues 1-12 A young woman is driven to the
The Guardian point of desperation as she tries
Duration 60 mins approx.
to connect with her ex-lover over
the telephone in Francis Poulenc’s
It was an idea only Bach could have conceived: to compose a collection PROGRAMME II
Saturday 8 August 1pm SPECIAL spellbinding one-act opera, The
of preludes and fugues for keyboard, circling in turn through all 24 DEALS
Preludes and Fugues 13-24 FOR THIS
Human Voice (La voix humaine).
major and minor keys. Bach envisioned the book as a teaching aid
EVENT Poulenc creates an atmospheric
“for the use and profit of the musical youth”, but in the centuries that See page 58
Duration 60 mins approx. and theatrical soundscape, using
followed it has become one of the most influential works in the history
unaccompanied singing (soprano
of Western classical music. The idea was so good that Bach repeated
Kim Sheehan) interspersed with
it later in life, composing a second book of 24, but the first book of FRI SAT
ST JOHN’S PRIORY evocative instrumental outbursts
The Well-Tempered Clavier is the best known and, over two lunchtime
concerts in St John’s, acclaimed harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani makes 7 8 ADMISSION €16/€14
1PM 1PM FOR EACH CONCERT
(renowned pianist Michael McHale)
to convey the woman’s heartbreak.
his eagerly anticipated Irish debut performing the complete Book I.
Based on the classic play by
Jean Cocteau, and directed by
Bach and the Tom Creed (Deep, Kilkenny Arts
Festival 2014), The Human Voice
Chain of Being is a profound and emotional
exploration of love and loss.
In this special lecture with musical
illustrations from the harpsichord, Duration 60 mins approx.
Mahan Esfahani examines the
cyclical patterns in Bach’s works, and
explores the ways in which his music
was heard by his contemporaries.
Duration 60 mins approx.
SAT
8
4.30PM
ST JOHN’S PRIORY
ADMISSION €14/€12
SPECIAL FRI SAT
7 8
DEAL
FOR THIS WATERGATE THEATRE
EVENT ADMISSION €16/€14
See page 58 8PM 3PM
08 09
ETERNAL HARMONY: THE MUSIC OF JS BACH
THE HUBERT BUTLER ANNUAL LECTURE
GOLDBERG VARIATIONS I The Goldberg Variations stands as one of Bach’s
Sax Allemande
greatest achievements, a work in which the
composer’s technical ingenuity dovetails perfectly
with his inspiration. As a centrepiece of its Bach
The Age of Unreason
series, the Festival is offering audiences a very
Germany rare chance to experience three contrasting
interpretations of the ‘Goldbergs’ by leading
Nationalism and Jihad
IRISH DEBUT international artists, all making their Irish debut.
This first concert is perhaps the most radical. The
in the 21st Century
saxophone is not an instrument associated with
classical chamber music, but Sax Allemande has set Lara Marlowe USA Lara Marlowe with members of the Northern
pure pleasure out to challenge that perception, collecting an Echo
Introduced by Olivia O’Leary
Alliance mujahideen group who were fighting
Klassik Award for best chamber music recording the Taliban in Afghanistan in the wake of 9/11.
Schweinfurter Tagblatt
and reinvigorating the classical repertoire. On
Duration 60 mins approx. the opening night of the Festival, Sax Allemande
performs the Goldberg Variations in the candlelit
Black Abbey – a spellbinding space for this blend of
FRI SPECIAL timeless genius and contemporary sounds. Liberal democracy triumphed over fascism in the 20th century, The Hubert Butler Annual Lecture was
7
DEAL
THE BLACK ABBEY FOR THIS but as the new century advances, the ideals of Wilsonian established in 2007 to honour the Kilkenny
ADMISSION €20/€17.50 EVENT The Goldberg Variations series is generously democracy and European integration appear to be fading. A writer, historian and broadcaster whose
9.30PM See page 58
supported by Mrs Joneen Casey. remarkable consistency of vision and clarity of
significant proportion of 740 million Europeans have embraced
anti-immigrant, anti-EU populist nationalism, while growing mind made him unique among essayists and
numbers of the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims espouse jihadism. whose work evinced an unsurpassed moral,
political and literary integrity.
National Front leader Marine Le Pen is likely to lead the first round
of the next French presidential election. Meanwhile Islamic State, Duration 60 mins approx.
an unholy alliance of Salafist extremists and survivors of Saddam
Hussein’s Ba’athist regime, holds large swathes of Syria and Iraq.
SAT
Foreign correspondent Lara Marlowe has spent most of her
35-year career covering France and the Middle East, reporting
8
6PM
ST CANICE’S CATHEDRAL
ADMISSION €16/€14
extensively on the rise of the French National Front and on
Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Marlowe looks at the historical and
ideological roots of both movements, and attempts to explain why
extremism is such a powerful magnet in the 21st century.
The Diplomatic In the surroundings of a 16th-century townhouse, one of
Imaginary The irrepressible Sax Allemande returns for a second – and Ireland’s leading diplomats discusses 21st-century foreign
Saloon
very different – concert that takes us from the height of
German Romanticism to New York’s Tin Pan Alley and the
early years of jazz. Mixing the waltzes and capriccios of
Coffee Club policy in conversation with Festival Director Eugene
Downes. Rory Montgomery is Second Secretary-General
of the Department of the Taoiseach with responsibility
Brahms with the ragtime of Scott Joplin and the preludes for European and international affairs, and has served as
SAT of Gershwin, Imaginary Saloon is a dazzlingly entertaining SAT Irish Ambassador to the European Union and to France.
8 8
LEFT BANK musical journey in the relaxed ambience of the Left Bank. THE HOLE IN THE WALL Complimentary gourmet coffees will be served.
ADMISSION €16/€14 ADMISSION €12/€10
4.30PM 11AM
Duration 60 mins approx.
Duration 60 mins approx.
10 11
think the Starship Enterprise
ARCHITECTS OF AIR (UK) crossed with the sci-fi movie
Mirazozo Fantastic Voyage
The Irish Times
After two sell-out runs, Architects of Air are back for a third year in the Castle Park with
another luminarium – or giant, light-filled inflatable sculpture – for you to explore. Mirazozo is
SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
the sister to Miracoco – the luminarium that was such a hit back in 2013. Inspired by Islamic
architecture, and featuring a stunning labyrinth of domes, chambers and tunnels, Mirazozo
Photo Aaron J. Montes
is packed with enchanting spaces and beguiling light effects. It’s the perfect place to play, 11AM-6PM 11AM-6PM 12PM-6PM 12PM-6PM 12PM-6PM 12PM-6PM 12PM-6PM 11AM-6PM 11AM-6PM
wander (and wonder), or simply relax.
KILKENNY CASTLE PARK
The luminarium is wheelchair accessible. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. ADMISSION €5. TICKETS CAN BE PURCHASED AT THE MAIN CASTLE GATE.
12 13
Toumani &
the finest Toumani
collaboration since
his classic work with
OPERA THEATRE COMPANY (IRELAND)
Sidiki Diabaté Mali Ali Farka Touré
Susanna’s Secret
The Guardian
a smoking hot comedy
by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari
Photo Youri Lenquette
Director Tom Creed
Conductor Andrew Synnott
Soprano Rachel Croash
Baritone Rory Musgrave
A man suspects his wife is having
an affair when he smells cigarette
smoke on her clothes, and sets out
to discover her secret - with hilarious
consequences. Rachel Croash (soprano)
and Rory Musgrave (baritone) star
in Wolf-Ferrari’s frothy comic opera
about the secrets that couples keep.
Sung in English, in a new translation
by Tom Swift, Susanna’s Secret (Il
segreto di Susanna) is a stylish and
wryly observant comedy of marital
misunderstanding. Directed by Tom
Creed (Deep – Kilkenny Arts Festival
2014), with Andrew Synnott conducting
the OTC touring ensemble, this is a rare
opportunity for opera lovers to see
this classic short work, and a perfect
Toumani Diabaté is a superstar of African music and “the the Set offers a rare, intimate opportunity to hear two
introduction to opera for newcomers.
Hendrix of the kora” (The Sunday Times), the elegant and generations of this extraordinary family playing with
beguiling 21-stringed harp played for centuries at the dazzling virtuosity and profound spirit.
Duration 60 mins approx.
Malian court. The 71st generation in an unbroken line of
musicians stretching back 700 years, Toumani has done Duration 80 mins approx.
more than any artist to bring this instrument to the world,
SPECIAL
DEAL recording a string of Grammy-award-winning albums
FOR THIS
EVENT and collaborating with everyone from Taj Mahal to Björk.
SAT SUN SAT SPECIAL
See page 58 His son Sidiki is one half of Mali’s most successful hip-
8 9
DEAL
8
WATERGATE THEATRE SET THEATRE
hop group, and a dazzlingly talented kora player in his FOR THIS
ADMISSION €16/€14 ADMISSION €27/€23.50 EVENT
6PM 3PM own right. Together, father and son produced one of See page 58
10PM
the most acclaimed albums of 2014, and this concert in
14 15
ETERNAL HARMONY: THE MUSIC OF JS BACH
THE MASS IN B MINOR
Chamber Choir Ireland
Camerata Kilkenny Ireland
& Paul Hillier UK
one of the leading choral practitioners in the world …
singing of this standard is a rarity
culturenorthernireland.org on Paul Hillier & Chamber Choir Ireland
Composed over 25 years towards the end of the composer’s life, the Mass in B minor
(BWV 232) is the culmination of Bach’s spiritual journey and one of the crowning glories
of Western music. The piece was last performed at the Festival some 30 years ago by
Malcolm Proud and Maya Homburger’s Kilkenny Arts Week Baroque Ensemble: an early
incarnation of Camerata Kilkenny. This year, in a unique collaboration for the Festival,
Camerata Kilkenny joins forces with Chamber Choir Ireland – the country’s flagship
choral ensemble – for a one-off performance of the Mass under the direction of Paul
Hillier, one of Europe’s most distinguished choral conductors. From the dramatic Kyrie
to the sublime Agnus Dei, this special performance by two world-class ensembles in
St Canice’s is set to be a highlight of the 42nd Festival.
Duration 2 hrs approx. (including interval)
Presented in association with Chamber Choir Ireland
SAT ST CANICE’S CATHEDRAL
8
8PM
ADMISSION
ZONE A PREMIUM €40/€35
ZONE B REGULAR €35/€30.50
16 17
ETERNAL HARMONY: Tyrone Guthrie &
THE MUSIC OF JS BACH
The Shakespeare Revolution
THE CELLO SUITES Christopher Fitz-Simon Ireland Vivien Leigh, Tyrone Guthrie and
István Várdai
Laurence Olivier
cello
Hungary The Anglo-Irish director Tyrone the Abbey Theatre, explores Guthrie’s Duration 60 mins approx.
Guthrie is recognised as one of the world through his letters, which he
most influential figures in 20th- is editing for publication. Addressed
century theatre. Working on both to his mother Norah and his sister
sides of the Atlantic, he brought a Peggy, who married Hubert Butler,
revolutionary new approach to the they feature searching observations
István Várdai is a special kind of genius classical repertoire and also to the on leading actors of the day, including SUN
Parlando design of theatres themselves. In this
fascinating talk, Christopher Fitz-
Siobhán McKenna, Sybil Thorndike,
Alec Guinness, John Gielgud and 9
11AM
PARADE TOWER
ADMISSION €12/€10
Simon, author and former director of Laurence Olivier.
PROGRAMME I PROGRAMME II
Sunday 9 August 1pm Monday 10 August 1pm
Cello Suite no. 1
Cello Suite no. 4
Cello Suite no. 5
Cello Suite no. 2
Cello Suite no. 3
Cello Suite no. 6
To Find a Heathen Place
Duration 65 mins approx. Duration 80 mins approx. and Sound a Bell
Bach’s Cello Suites are among his best-loved compositions, a By Kerry Hardie and Olivia O’Leary
central part of the classical repertoire often featured in films like
Bergman’s Autumn Sonata. Performed at the Festival over the
decades by masters such as Steven Isserlis and Jean-Guihen
Queyras, this year the complete cycle will unfold over the course
of two lunchtime concerts by one of the rising stars of the
classical world: István Várdai. From the sunny gigue of the first
suite to the moody, dark prelude of the fifth, Várdai will explore
the full range of these masterworks in the intimate atmosphere of
St John’s Priory.
Director Sean Hardie AD 591. Rome has fallen and Europe Written by poet and novelist Kerry
Music David Power and is in chaos. In Ireland, a handful of Hardie, with broadcaster Olivia O’Leary,
The Hungarian cellist István Várdai is one of the most exciting
Ciarán Somers monks leave the austere rule of and performed by musicians David
young musicians in the world, performing at major international
Readers Barry McGovern, Comgall of Bangor. One of them, Power and Ciarán Somers, and readers
venues to great acclaim and collecting numerous international
Fiachra, walks south to found a Barry McGovern, Olivia O’Leary, Alan
prizes. Last year he won the ARD Cello Competition in Munich – Olivia O’Leary, Alan
monastery at Ullard. Others, led by Counihan and Eamonn Hunt, this
the world’s leading such event – and earlier this year was awarded Counihan & Eamonn Hunt
Columbanus of Leinster, set sail, unique and poetic work resurrects the
the Liszt Prize, Hungary’s highest classical music award.
carrying the teachings of the Celtic forgotten story of Columbanus, a saint
Church into the very heart of Europe… of the early Celtic Church and arguably
SUN
one of the most consequential figures
SUN MON
ST JOHN’S PRIORY
SPECIAL
9 PARADE TOWER Through a mix of poetry and music,
in European history.
9 10
DEALS ADMISSION €16/€14
FOR THIS To Find a Heathen Place and Sound a
ADMISSION €16/€14 6PM
EVENT Bell tells the story of these monks. Duration 60 mins approx.
1PM 1PM FOR EACH CONCERT See page 5818 19
immaculately judged,
wonderfully gracious and
ETERNAL HARMONY: THE MUSIC OF JS BACH admirably sensuous
The Guardian
CANTATAS
Les Arts Florissants France
& William Christie USA/France
Musical direction, organ William Christie is one of the greatest musical magicians
& harpsichord William Christie of our time.
Soprano Rachel Redmond
Tenor Reinoud Van Mechelen In the 36 years since founding Les Arts Florissants, Christie
and his extraordinary ensemble have rediscovered the
Bass Andrew Foster-Williams
world of the French baroque, partnering with the world’s
Musicians of Les Arts Florissants
leading festivals and venues and making close to 100
recordings. Christie himself is feted as one of the most
distinctive and compelling of artists.
PROGRAMME
‘Wedding’ Cantata BWV 202 More than two decades since their last Irish appearance,
Sonata in G for two flutes and continuo BWV 1039
Christie and Les Arts Florissants make a long-awaited
Cantata BWV 55 (Ich armer Mensch)
return visit with a trio of leading international soloists.
Orchestral Suite no. 2 BWV 1067
‘Coffee’ Cantata BWV 211 Their programme ranges across some of Bach’s most
playful works, including the ‘Wedding’ Cantata, the
Duration 2 hrs approx. (including interval) glorious Orchestral Suite no. 2 and the ‘Coffee’ Cantata,
which pokes fun at the coffee-drinking craze of Bach’s own
day and is the nearest he came to writing a comic opera.
This is set to be an unforgettable evening, and a very rare
opportunity to hear these legendary artists in an intimate
programme portraying Bach’s diverse genius.
Photo © Denis Rouvre
SUN ST CANICE’S CATHEDRAL
9
7.30PM
ADMISSION
ZONE A PREMIUM €50/€45
ZONE B REGULAR €44/€3920 21
a cooking live band from a dream dance club ETERNAL HARMONY: THE MUSIC OF JS BACH
The Observer
BRANDENBURG CONCERTOS 1, 2 & 4
Da Lata Camerata Kilkenny
UK
Bojan Cicic director/violin
Croatia
it is striking how Written for the Margrave of Brandenburg, the PROGRAMME
Brandenburg Concertos are some of the most dazzling Brandenburg Concerto no. 2
exclusive the
classical pieces ever written. Bach set out to confound in F major BWV 1047
Champions League Brandenburg Concerto no. 4
expectations, transcending concerto conventions and
of baroque violinists filling each piece with rich melody, virtuoso flourishes in G major BWV 1049
remains… Croatian Brandenburg Concerto no. 1
and astonishing shifts. For Eternal Harmony, Camerata
in F major BWV 1046
baroque violinist Kilkenny, our ensemble in residence, expands to
Bojan Cicic stands orchestral dimensions to present three of the larger- Duration 60 mins approx.
on the threshold of scaled ‘Brandenburgs’ in the magnificent surroundings
of the Black Abbey.
that pantheon
De Standaard Guest director and violinist Bojan Cicic is one of the
MON
rising stars of period performance in Europe. He leads
both period and modern orchestras, including the
10
7.30PM
THE BLACK ABBEY
ADMISSION €20/€17.50
Budapest Festival Orchestra, le Cercle d’Harmonie,
the European Union Baroque Orchestra and Classical
Opera Company, while recent projects have included SPECIAL
DEAL
a recording of the Brandenburg Concertos with FOR THIS
EVENT
Florilegium, Vivaldi’s Summer with the European See page 58
Union Baroque Orchestra and his BBC Proms debut.
The Man Orphaned at nine, left to fend for himself in his
teenage years, widowed at 35 and losing many
It’s more than 20 years since songwriter and multi-
instrumentalist Chris Franck and DJ Patrick Forge joined Behind the of his children, Bach nevertheless forged a calm,
unruffled conviction of his musical destiny. In this
fascinating talk, Gerry Murphy goes in search
forces and set about redefining Brazilian music, marrying
samba rhythms to Nu Jazz to produce something stylish
and irresistible. Blending their own original material with
Music of one of the great minds of human history,
uncovering the puckish humour, mordant wit and
SUN
dazzling remixes of everyone from Bebel Gilberto to Sly Gerry Murphy Ireland passion for excellence that runs through the great
composer’s work.
and Robbie, Da Lata have been in a class of their own ever
9
9.30PM
SET THEATRE
ADMISSION €20/€17.50
since. Four albums into a musical journey that has taken
them through everything from Afrobeat to hip-hop, with a MON
Gerry Murphy is a composer and former Head of
10
touch of electronica and house, they bring their pulsating PARADE TOWER Music at Gonzaga College, Ranelagh. His latest
live show to Kilkenny with six musicians, Latin tempos and ADMISSION €12/€10 composition premiered at the New Ross Piano
irresistible grooves. Bring your dancing shoes! 6PM Festival 2014, while the NSO performed his
overture Good Friday-Belfast: 10-4-98 as part of
Duration 90 mins approx. Duration 60 mins approx. this year’s season.22 23
THE SPIRIT OF THE VIOL
Mr Savall, the least
ostentatious of performers,
ETERNAL HARMONY: THE MUSIC OF JS BACH
Jordi Savall
seemed plunged in the
viola da gamba emotion of performance
and of life
Spain The New York Times
Photo Marco Borggreve
Grand master of the viol, Jordi Savall, is a PROGRAMME
global cultural citizen equally at home in
Western baroque or the ancient music of
featuring selections from THE ART OF FUGUE GOLDBERG VARIATIONS II
Jerusalem, Istanbul or the Balkans.
Through more than 200 recordings and
MARIN MARAIS
SAINTE-COLOMBE LE PÈRE
SAINTE-COLOMBE LE FILS
James McVinnie organ Mahan Esfahani harpsichord
thousands of performances, both as a virtuoso LE SIEUR DE MACHY UK Iran
JS BACH
solo artist and as conductor of his three
celebrated ensembles, Savall has dedicated
Duration 75 mins approx. McVinnie dispatches his performances with an instinctive sense of rhythm and a
his working life to unearthing buried musical
treasures and introducing audiences to lost with great vitality gift for interpretation, Esfahani has firmly
worlds of emotion and beauty. The Telegraph established himself as one of today’s most
thrilling harpsichordists
For this rare Irish concert, Savall presents a Duration 75 mins approx. Gramophone
programme of selected works by baroque
masters including Monsieur de Sainte- Composed in Bach’s final years and left unfinished at his Duration 70 mins approx.
Colombe (father and son) and Marin Marais death, The Art of Fugue (BWV 1080) is one of the most
- whose work he has done so much to revive, profound and significant works in musical history. Bach described his Goldberg Variations as “prepared
not least through his soundtrack for Alain for the soul’s delight.” For Mahan Esfahani, they
Corneau’s Tous les Matins du Monde. Turning his back on the dawning rococo era, the composer “stand out as an example of their creator’s total
returned to the heart of the baroque and found exhilarating compositional originality.”
It was Marais who first exploited the similarity new possibilities within the fugal form, based on a single
of the viola da gamba to the human voice theme and increasing in complexity as the work progresses. After an exuberant saxophone interpretation from
in Les Voix Humaines, one of the works that The score of this late masterpiece did not specify Sax Allemande, this second of three performances
Savall will perform in Kilkenny. In a candlelit instrumentation, and it has been performed on a startling of the iconic work is by the internationally acclaimed
Black Abbey, the hushed whispers of Savall’s range of instruments from viol consorts to brass ensembles; Iranian harpsichordist, one of the Festival’s artists
instrument will create an atmosphere at this solo performance on that ‘king of instruments’, the organ, in residence, following his interpretation of The
once intimate and profound. is by a rising international star. Well-Tempered Clavier over the opening weekend.
Esfahani’s musical interests are strikingly diverse,
James McVinnie is internationally renowned both as soloist ranging from the renaissance to the present day,
and ensemble player. Recent highlights have included concerts but Bach is his foremost passion. This late-night
in the Salzburg Festival with Mozarteumorchester Salzburg, concert in the Long Gallery of Kilkenny Castle, one
and the BBC Proms with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra. of Ireland’s most beautiful rooms, promises to be an
SPECIAL A strong advocate of new music, James collaborates with unmissable experience.
DEAL leading composers and artists including fellow members of
FOR THIS
EVENT the Bedroom Community collective Nico Muhly and Sam The Goldberg Variations series is generously
See page 58 Amidon (one of our artists in residence in 2014). supported by Mrs Joneen Casey.
TUE SPECIAL TUES THE LONG GALLERY SPECIAL
11 11
MON ST CANICE’S CATHEDRAL DEALS DEAL
10 THE BLACK ABBEY ADMISSION €16/€14
FOR THIS KILKENNY CASTLE FOR THIS
EVENT EVENT
ADMISSION €30/€26 1PM See page 58 10PM
ADMISSION €20/€17.50 See page 58
9.30PM24 25
ETERNAL HARMONY: THE MUSIC OF JS BACH
CLAVIER ÜBUNG III (GERMAN ORGAN MASS)
Photo Dylan Vaughan
Malcolm Proud organ
Ireland
Clavier Übung III (often called the ‘German Organ Mass’) is one Duration 70 mins approx.
Photo David Ignaszewski
of the pinnacles of music written for the ‘king of instruments’.
The work follows the form of the Lutheran mass, ranging across SPECIAL WED
ST CANICE’S
12
an astonishing variety of forms and styles to present a profound DEAL
FOR THIS
mediation on faith. Taking on this masterpiece is artist in residence EVENT
CATHEDRAL
Malcolm Proud, a regular performer at the Festival since its first See page 58 1PM ADMISSION €16//14
edition in 1974. His interpretations of Bach have gained widespread
acclaim, with his recording of this work hailed as “a major
achievement” (The Organ Magazine).
MARBLE CITY SESSIONS
CELTIC DIALOGUES Dante in Dunmore
Jordi Savall Spain
Jordi Savall testifies to a
In 1996, Robert Pinsky published what many consider
to be the definitive modern verse translation of Dante’s
Martin Hayes Ireland
common cultural heritage
of infinite variety. He is a
Inferno. As poet in residence at this year’s Festival, Pinsky
leads an audience down into Kilkenny’s Dunmore Cave -
or Dearc Fhearna, the Cave of the Alders - for a one-off
Duration 60 mins approx.
& Friends
reading of excerpts from the work. This is an unmissable
man for our time. opportunity to experience Dante’s work in a spine-tingling
The Guardian setting, famous in ancient times as one of the three WED
darkest places in Ireland.
12
3.30PM
DUNMORE CAVE
ADMISSION €16/€14
Please note: Dunmore Cave is not wheelchair accessible.
It was while appearing in the 1988 Festival that viola da gamba
master Jordi Savall encountered Irish traditional music for the first
time. Since then Savall has cemented his reputation as a musical
polymath and a champion of early music in all its forms, but he
MARBLE CITY SESSIONS
Martin Hayes & David Power
Photo Con Kelleher
remains captivated by Celtic musical traditions. For this opening
concert in the 2015 series, Savall joins Marble City Sessions host
Martin Hayes and fellow artist in residence Dennis Cahill to bring their
collaboration to a new stage, further exploring the lost connections
SPECIAL
DEALS
FOR THIS
Ireland
EVENT
between the courtly elegance of early music and the old melodies See page 58
of the Irish tradition. Featuring regular Savall collaborators Frank For this special performance in one of the city’s most historic WED 1710 COURTYARD AT
McGuire on bodhrán and Andrew Lawrence-King on harp, Celtic
Dialogues promises to be an encounter to remember between
courtyards, Marble City Sessions host Martin Hayes teams
up with his frequent collaborator David Power, a master of
SPECIAL
DEAL
FOR THIS
12
6.30PM
SMITHWICK’S EXPERIENCE
KILKENNY
legendary musicians. the uilleann pipes whose career has encompassed All-Ireland EVENT ADMISSION €12//10
TUE ST CANICE’S CATHEDRAL See page 58
11 ADMISSION medals, membership of seminal ensembles (including Hayes’
Duration 2 hrs approx. (including interval) ZONE A PREMIUM €30/€26 own Masters of Tradition tours), Broadway productions and
7.30PM
ZONE B REGULAR €26/€23 several critically acclaimed albums.
Duration 45 mins approx.26 27
ETERNAL HARMONY: MARBLE CITY SESSIONS
THE MUSIC OF JS BACH
Amjad Ali Khan
GOLDBERG VARIATIONS III The finest living
exponent of the sarod with Amaan & Ayaan Ali Khan
Zhu Xiao-Mei
The Guardian India
piano
China/France
IRISH DEBUT Duration 90 mins approx. One of Indian music’s greatest stars makes a very rare Irish
appearance in what promises to be a Festival highlight.
“There is no essential difference between classical and
popular music,” Amjad Ali Khan has said. “Music is music.
I want to communicate with the listener who finds Indian
a pianist who goes right to the SPECIAL
classical music remote.” For more than 50 years, Khan has
DEALS
essence, ignoring fear FOR THIS
EVENT
done just that, breathing new life into the sarod – one of the
Le Monde See page 58 most beguiling instruments in the world – composing new
ragas, releasing a string of acclaimed recordings (including
the Grammy-nominated Ancient Sounds), and collaborating
This third and final concert in our series of Goldberg
with a breathtaking array of musicians, from the Britten
Variations marks the Irish debut of an extraordinary artist. As
WED Sinfonia to folk singer Carrie Newcomer. In Kilkenny, Khan
a young woman, pianist Zhu Xiao-Mei was sent to a labour
camp during Mao’s Cultural Revolution, where she nonetheless 12 SET THEATRE
ADMISSION €27/€23.50
joins forces with his sons, Amaan and Ayaan (both sarod
The Tao of Bach
masters in their own right), to explore the Indian classical
managed to continue her Bach studies in secret. Since 9.30PM
tradition he has done so much to renew.
emigrating to France 30 years ago, her interpretations of
Bach (in particular) have become celebrated for their depth of
understanding, and an approach that connects Bach’s musical
philosophy with the ancient Chinese tradition of the Tao.
Taoism, or Daoism, is an ancient Chinese
In her own words, “the Goldberg Variations is like the water in religious and philosophical school of thought
a river. At the end of the work, the water continues to flow. It that emphasises living in harmony with the Tao,
is at once the same and not the same. You have lived, you’ve the ultimate creative principle of the universe.
understood something, everything is over and at the same It has had a profound influence on Zhu Xiao-
time everything can start again. That’s something that is much Mei’s relationship to music – and above all to
more than simply Chinese or Taoist. It is the expression of Bach. In this intimate conversation, Madame
life itself.” Madame Zhu’s public performances are rare and Zhu discusses the ways in which Taoism has
carefully chosen, and she has decided to perform in Kilkenny nourished and informed her artistic philosophy.
Photo Martin Jehnichen - Accentus Music
the work that lies closest to her heart.
Duration 60 mins approx.
The Goldberg Variations series is generously supported by
Mrs Joneen Casey.
TUE
Duration 75 mins approx.
SPECIAL
11
6PM
ROTHE HOUSE
ADMISSION €12/€10
WED
12
DEAL
THE BLACK ABBEY FOR THIS
ADMISSION €25/€22 EVENT
7.30PM See page 5828 29
no other living
American poet
- no other living
Robert Pinsky USA
Introduced by Colm Tóibín
American, probably -
has done so much to
Photo Dylan Vaughan
For our 42nd edition, the Festival welcomes one of the world’s
put poetry before the finest writers as poet in residence. “Poetry,” Robert Pinsky has
public eye said, “is one of the most fundamental pleasures a person can
The New York Times experience.” In the course of an extraordinary 40-year career,
Pinsky has brought that pleasure to countless readers through a
series of acclaimed collections celebrated for their jazz-inflected
ETERNAL HARMONY: THE MUSIC OF JS BACH SEE ALSO ‘DANTE IN DUNMORE’ P.25
sensibilities and their breadth of subject matter, from the history
of the saxophone in ‘Ginza Samba’ to the impassioned political
poems of Gulf Music.
THE VIOLIN & HARPSICHORD SONATAS Since serving three terms as US Poet Laureate, Pinsky has taken
Maya Homburger violin
every opportunity to speak up for poetry in public, founding
the Favourite Poem Project (see below), publishing guides for
reading poetry, and becoming the first – and perhaps only – poet
Switzerland to appear as himself on The Simpsons. A skilled saxophonist, his
Malcolm Proud harpsichord
collaborations with leading jazz musicians reveal the importance
of sound and rhythm in his work, and his reading in the Parade
Tower is a rare chance to encounter at first hand one of the
Ireland finest poets of our time.
Duration 60 mins approx.
Photo Eric Antoniou
Bach’s six Sonatas for Violin and Harpsichord are seminal works which FRI
point towards a new era in classical music. Moving from the older trio
sonata to a form which assigns the three musical lines between the violin
14
6PM
PARADE TOWER
ADMISSION €16/€14
and the two hands of the keyboard player, these sonatas created a genre
which Mozart, Beethoven and others would take to fresh heights. These
two lunchtime concerts in St John’s offer a rare opportunity to hear the
full cycle of these marvellous sonatas performed by Maya Homburger and
Malcolm Proud, Festival artists in residence whose recording of the sonata
Poetry Workshop Kilkenny Poetry Broadsheet Favourite Poem Project
cycle was released to great acclaim in 2008.
In this workshop for poets, Join us at the Parade Tower to mark the publication When Robert Pinsky was appointed US Poet
PROGRAMME I
Robert Pinsky hopes to find of Kilkenny Arts Office’s Poetry Broadsheet, launched Laureate, he invited ordinary Americans to read
Thursday 13 August 1pm
examples of the relation between by former US Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky. The aloud their favourite poem for an archive at
Sonata no. 2 in A major BWV 1015
SPECIAL sound and imagination, discovery Broadsheet aims to give local writers a platform for the Library of Congress. Almost 20 years later,
DEALS Sonata no. 1 in B minor BWV 1014
FOR THIS Cantabile ma un poco Adagio and purpose — some of the quick, their work, and this year poems were selected by 2015 the Favourite Poem Project has amassed an
EVENT intuitive processes of poetry. guest editor Tony Curtis. A highly accomplished poet archive of 25,000 letters and spawned three
See page 58 (movement from early version of
Sonata no. 6) Participation is by application: and winner of the National Poetry Prize, Tony’s has anthologies. Now Pinsky brings the project to
Sonata no. 3 in E major BWV 1016 email info@poetryireland.ie for published nine collections including Pony and Folk. Kilkenny, where a select group of Festival artists
further details. Places are His latest collection, Approximately in the Key of C, and local students will read their favourite poem
Duration 60 mins approx. strictly limited. is forthcoming from Arc Publications. before a live audience, and explain why it means
THU FRI so much to them.
ST JOHN’S PRIORY In partnership with Poetry Ireland Duration 90 mins approx.
13 14
PROGRAMME II
ADMISSION €16/€14 Friday 14 August 1pm Duration 90 mins approx.
1PM 1PM FOR EACH CONCERT Sonata no. 4 in C minor BWV 1017
Sonata no. 5 in F minor BWV 1018
TUE THU SAT
Sonata no. 6 in G major BWV 1019 THE HERITAGE COUNCIL PARADE TOWER
Duration 60 mins approx.
11
10AM
ATTENDANCE BY
APPLICATION
13
6PM
ADMISSION FREE
BUT TICKETED
15
3PM
PARADE TOWER
ADMISSION FREE BUT TICKETED30 31
MARBLE CITY SESSIONS with special guests ETERNAL HARMONY:
Colin Dunne, Kate Ellis, THE MUSIC OF JS BACH/
The Cork Julie Feeney, Martin Hayes, MARBLE CITY SESSIONS
Iarla Ó Lionáird, Nick Roth,
Partitas & Potts
Gamelan Ensemble Duke Special & West Cork
Ukulele Orchestra Aoife Ní Bhriain violin
Ireland Ireland
In Javanese traditional music, a ‘gamelan’
is an orchestra composed of beautifully
decorated, tuned percussion instruments. Very few musicians feel equally at home in both
The brainchild of Mel Mercier, composer, classical and traditional music, but Aoife Ní Bhriain
performer and lecturer in Music at is one. A virtuoso classical violinist, she is also the
UCC, the Cork Gamelan Ensemble is a winner of no fewer than seven All-Ireland titles at the
groundbreaking group that creates and Fleadh Cheoil.
performs a fresh, dynamic and enchanting
repertoire of contemporary music. In these unique concerts Aoife explores her
musical heritage on both sides, interweaving dance
Performing a programme of original movements from Bach’s solo partitas and sonatas with
compositions in collaboration with a tunes from the late fiddler Tommy Potts, whose album
mouthwatering assembly of Irish and of radical reinterpretations of traditional airs, The
international guests – including artist in Liffey Banks, is now regarded as a classic. Bringing
residence Martin Hayes, chanteuse Julie together both Eternal Harmony and the Marble City
Feeney, saxophonist Nick Roth, cellist Sessions in the 16th-century drawing room of Rothe
Kate Ellis, West Cork Ukulele Orchestra, House, Partitas & Potts charts the space between two
fiddle player Martin Hayes, the inimitable very different forms of dance music.
Duke Special and dancer Colin Dunne –
the Cork Gamelan Ensemble promises Duration 60 mins approx.
an unforgettable evening of music (and
dance) as you’ve never heard it before.
This performance celebrates the launch of
the Ensemble’s first CD, The Three Forges.
Duration 2 hrs approx. SPECIAL
DEALS
SPECIAL FOR THIS
DEALS EVENT
FOR THIS See page 58
EVENT
See page 58
THU SAT
the Cork Gamelan Ensemble’s synthesis of Javanese THURS ST CANICE’S CATHEDRAL 13 15 ROTHE HOUSE
ADMISSION €16/€14
13
ADMISSION
and Irish trad, and more, has been a revelation 10.30PM 6PM
ZONE A PREMIUM €27/€22
Irish Examiner 8PM ZONE B REGULAR €23.50/€1932 33
LIZ ROCHE COMPANY (IRELAND)
IN A CO-PRODUCTION WITH THE ABBEY THEATRE AND
DUBLIN DANCE FESTIVAL
Bastard Amber
Roche’s Co-commissioned by Kilkenny Arts Festival,
Bastard Amber is a major new work by leading
choreography is Irish choreographer, Liz Roche. Moving her
delicately woven rigorous exploration of the body into the realm
of the soul, this enthralling piece is partly inspired
but its threads by WB Yeats’ seminal poem ‘Sailing to Byzantium’
possess an elusive and the meditative golden paintings of the late
Patrick Scott.
tensile strength.
Entrancing. A profound journey into humankind’s spiritual
quest, Bastard Amber is filled with unforgettable
The Times imagery and stunning design, conjuring a lustrous
Byzantine world of contradictory influences, a
TWO LECTURES meeting place of East and West.
EXPLORING VISIONS
OF BYZANTIUM With a sublime international company of dancers
performing alongside live musicians and featuring
THE LOST MUSIC OF an original score, Bastard Amber is a provocative
BYZANTIUM and haunting experience.
ALEXANDER LINGAS
(Canada/Greece) Co-commissioned by the Abbey Theatre, Dublin
Dance Festival and Kilkenny Arts Festival. An
YEATS’ BYZANTIUM Affiliate Event of Yeats2015, Ireland’s national
ROY FOSTER (Ireland) celebration of WB Yeats.
See page 39 for details. Duration 70 mins approx.
SPECIAL FRI SAT
Photo Luca Truffarelli
14 15
DEALS
FOR THIS WATERGATE THEATRE
EVENT ADMISSION €20/€17.50
See page 58 8PM 8PM34 35
Schubert’s last sonata took on a rare, devotional quality
here ... Everything about this performance - from the music
itself to Schiff’s own presence - felt transfigured
The Sunday Telegraph
THE LAST SONATAS OF HAYDN, MOZART,
BEETHOVEN & SCHUBERT
Sir András Schiff piano
Sir András Schiff is an artistic titan of our time. PROGRAMME
Born in Budapest, for decades he has performed in HAYDN
the world’s leading festivals and venues, releasing a Sonata no. 62 in E flat major Hob XVI:52
string of acclaimed recordings, receiving countless
BEETHOVEN
international awards and becoming not only a
Sonata in C minor op. 111
towering representative of Central European culture
but also a vocal advocate for broader civil rights MOZART
and freedoms. Sonata in D major K576
Direct from the Salzburg Festival, Sir András comes SCHUBERT
to Kilkenny to perform works at the very heart of his Sonata in B flat major D960
repertoire: the last sonatas by the great masters of
Duration 2 hours approx.
Viennese Classicism – Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and
(including interval)
Schubert. From Beethoven’s transcendent Sonata in
C minor to Schubert’s otherworldly Sonata in B flat,
Sir András takes us on a journey through the sublime,
leavened with surprising touches of humour. This will
be his first appearance in Ireland since 2011, and an
unmissable chance to witness a master at work amid
the splendour of St Canice’s.
Photo Nadia F Romanini
FRI ST CANICE’S CATHEDRAL
14
ADMISSION
ZONE A PREMIUM €50/€45
8PM ZONE B REGULAR €44/€39
o’neill foley36 37
MARBLE CITY SESSIONS MARBLE CITY SESSIONS
The Brooklyn Rider Brooklyn Rider USA
The Marble City Sessions storm
into the final weekend with this
Almanac USA mouthwatering collaboration
Martin Hayes
between artists in residence
Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill
Ireland and one of New York’s hottest
& Dennis Cahill
ensembles, Brooklyn Rider. This
pioneering group is celebrated for its
one of the wonders of contemporary music USA collaborations with leading musicians
from jazz, traditional, indie rock and
MARBLE CITY SESSIONS The Los Angeles Times a wealth of non-Western forms, and
tours globally with Yo-Yo Ma and the
Maighread & Brooklyn Rider are one of the
most adventurous string quartets
Silk Road Ensemble. Tonight these
extraordinary artists come together
Tríona Ní
for the first time in Europe on a new
of the 21st century. Named after journey across musical frontiers.
the New York borough where they
Dhomhnaill
make their home, the quartet has Duration 90 mins approx.
spent the last ten years gleefully
dissolving the boundaries between
& Friends Ireland
musical worlds and performing
a repertoire that stretches
from Bartók to contemporary
composers like John Zorn, John
Luther Adams and Philip Glass.
Maighread and Tríona Ní Dhomnhaill
delivered from the get-go … theirs were Making their Irish debut as artists
voices of the gods, sent to elevate us all in residence at the Festival, in
The Irish Times this late-night concert Brooklyn
Rider perform music from their
Maighread and Tríona Ní Dhomnhaill have been at new album, The Brooklyn Rider
the heart of the Irish traditional music scene for over Almanac. Featuring compositions
40 years. Born into a celebrated singing family from by members of the quartet and
the Donegal Gaeltacht, the sisters (along with their favourite collaborators including
brother Mícheál) formed the legendary group Skara Bill Frisell and Wilco’s Glenn
Brae while still in their teens. Tríona went on to join Kotche, The Brooklyn Rider
The Bothy Band, one of the most significant groups Almanac ensures that “any
in the history of Irish music, and it was not until previous notions you had of string
the 1990s that the sisters began to work together quartet music will get shaken up
again, producing the classic album Idir an Da Sholas/ and ultimately thrown out for
Between the Two Lights. Their live performances are good” (Times Union).
heart-rending events, and the Black Abbey is the
perfect venue for their spellbinding harmonies, with Duration 75 mins approx. SPECIAL
some special guests dropping by. DEAL
FOR THIS
EVENT
Duration 75 mins approx. See page 58
Photo Sarah Small
FRI SPECIAL FRI SPECIAL
14 14
THE BLACK ABBEY DEALS THE BLACK ABBEY DEALS SAT
15
FOR THIS FOR THIS SET THEATRE
ADMISSION €22/€19 EVENT ADMISSION €22/€19 EVENT
7.30PM See page 58 9.30PM See page 58 ADMISSION €27/€23.50
10PM38 39
ETERNAL HARMONY: THE MUSIC OF JS BACH
Photo Dylan Vaughan
GREAT CONCERTOS A BACH MEDITATION:
THE VIOLIN SONATAS AND PARTITAS
Camerata Kilkenny
with
Maya Homburger (Switzerland) director/violin
Maya Homburger The Lost Music of Yeats’
(Switzerland) baroque violin
Byzantium Byzantium
Rachel Beckett (UK) flute
Claire Duff (Ireland) violin
Malcolm Proud (Ireland) harpsichord
Alexander Lingas Roy Foster Ireland
Canada/Greece
PROGRAMME PROGRAMME
Keyboard Concerto no. 1 in D minor BWV 1052 The Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, BWV 1001-1006
Concerto for Two Violins in D minor BWV 1043 In parallel with the performances of In the 150th anniversary of Yeats’ birth, Roy Foster
Brandenburg Concerto no. 5 in D major BWV 1050 Duration 3 hrs approx.
Bastard Amber, co-commissioned by the discusses the background and meaning of the two
Festival and inspired in part by Yeats’ famous poems about Byzantium. His talk traces some
Duration 60 mins approx.
great poem ‘Sailing to Byzantium’, two unexpected Irish inspirations and echoes, as well as
This mouthwatering programme from Camerata Kilkenny For this free late-night event in The Black Abbey, talks explore visions of that ancient city. exploring what the poems say about sex and death:
features three of Bach’s greatest concertos. Malcolm distinguished violinist Maya Homburger, who has In the first of these, Alexander Lingas the two topics (according to Yeats) “of the least
Proud is the soloist in the Harpsichord Concerto no. 1 in recorded the magnificent sonatas and partitas to uncovers the lost traditions of Byzantine interest to a serious and studious mood”.
D minor, a revolutionary piece with the expressive drama great acclaim, proposes a radical new approach. music. When Constantinople fell to the
of Beethoven or Brahms. Two of Bach’s most popular Instead of a conventional concert, Homburger will Ottomans in 1453, sacred Byzantine Roy Foster is Carroll Professor of Irish History at
creations follow: the sublime Concerto for Two Violins in play in one continuous flow, moving around the chant (the eastern sibling of Gregorian chant) was lost and the University of Oxford and a well-known cultural
D minor, with soloists Maya Homburger and Irish Baroque abbey in a remarkable, contemplative journey for almost forgotten. Lingas – founder and Artistic Director of commentator, critic and broadcaster. His many
Orchestra leader Claire Duff; and Brandenburg Concerto performer and audience alike. Cappella Romana, an ensemble celebrated for its recordings books include the two-volume authorised biography
no. 5, with Rachel Beckett joining Maya Homburger and of this repertoire – takes us in search of the sacred music of Yeats, a number of works on Irish history and
Malcolm Proud as soloists. that was heard in Hagia Sophia, the great church built by literature, and the widely praised Vivid Faces: the
the Emperor Justinian in the same century in which Canice revolutionary generation in Ireland 1890-1923, just
founded his monastic settlement at Kilkenny. published in paperback.
SAT SPECIAL SAT
Duration 60 mins approx. Duration 60 mins approx.
15
DEALS
15
ST JOHN’S PRIORY FOR THIS THE BLACK ABBEY
ADMISSION €16/€14 EVENT FREE AND UNTICKETED
1PM See page 58 9.30PM
SAT SPECIAL SAT SPECIAL
DEAL DEAL
15 15
PARADE TOWER FOR THIS PARADE TOWER FOR THIS
ADMISSION €12/€10 EVENT ADMISSION €16/€14 EVENT
See page 58 See page 58
11AM 6PM40 41
ETERNAL HARMONY: THE MUSIC OF JS BACH
THOMAS TALLIS: the voices of
Andrew Carwood
A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS and his eight
Photo Dylan Vaughan
cohorts could
The Cardinall’s probably start
a blaze in the
Musick UK
Antarctic!
The Times THE MUSICAL OFFERING BACH’S MOTETS AND THEIR FOREBEARS
Camerata Kilkenny The Cardinall’s Musick UK
In 2010, The Cardinall’s Musick’s performance of works by Tallis and Byrd PROGRAMME Maya Homburger (Switzerland) violin
was one of the highlights of the Festival and, this year, the celebrated Videte miraculum Rachel Beckett (UK) flute
British ensemble makes an eagerly awaited return with two concerts. This E’en like the hunted hind Marja Gaynor (Finland/Ireland) violin/viola the best ensemble singing talent Britain
first programme presents a selection of masterworks by Thomas Tallis, the Jesu salvator saeculi can produce
Sarah McMahon (Ireland) cello
great Elizabethan who wrote some of the most beautiful and profound Why brag’st in malice high
Gaude gloriosa Malcolm Proud (Ireland) harpsichord International Record Review
music of the Renaissance. As a special addition to the programme, The
Magnificat a 5 PROGRAMME
Cardinall’s Musick joins forces with leading Irish choral singers to perform
Iam Christus astra ascenderat JS Bach: Lobet den Herren BWV 230
Tallis’ spectacular 40-part motet Spem in alium – one of the summits of PROGRAMME
Homo quidam fecit JS Bach: Fürchte dich nicht BWV 228
choral music – in the glorious acoustic of St Canice’s. The Musical Offering for harpsichord and chamber
Homage to Tallis (by Cheryl Frances-Hoad) JS Bach: Komm, Jesu, komm BWV 229
instruments BWV 1079
Spem in alium JS Bach: Singet dem Herrn BWV 225
Formed by Andrew Carwood in 1989, The Cardinall’s Musick has Duration 55 mins approx. And works by Heinrich Schütz,
established itself as one of Britain’s foremost choral ensembles. Taking Duration 1 hr 45 mins approx.
Melchoir Franck and Johannes Eckard
its name from Cardinal Wolsey, the group has developed an outstanding In 1747, when Bach was finally admitted to the presence
reputation in the music of the English Renaissance, winning no fewer of Frederick the Great of Prussia, the king played a Duration 80 mins approx.
than four Gramophone Awards for Early Music (including one for their SAT ST CANICE’S CATHEDRAL
theme and commanded Bach to improvise a fugue,
recording of Tallis’ Ave rosa sine spinis), while also embracing a wide
variety of styles and periods from Bach to world premieres by composers
15
7.30PM
ADMISSION
ZONE A PREMIUM €30/€26
which he did in a manner that astonished those present.
Bach followed this feat by composing one of the
Bach’s magnificent Motets look back to the composers
who first merged the Renaissance motet with the
such as Michael Finnissy, Simon Whalley, Matthew Martin and Judith Weir. ZONE B REGULAR €26/€23 German Lutheran chorale. For this final programme in
pinnacles of his art: The Musical Offering, a collection of
the Bach series, The Cardinall’s Musick sets Bach’s work
works all based on that same theme. On the final day of
in the context of his forebears, combining the work of
SPECIAL the Festival, ensemble in residence Camerata Kilkenny
DEALS masters such as Heinrich Schütz with four of Bach’s six
FOR THIS perform this mysterious late masterpiece, which they
EVENT
Motets, including Singet dem Herren, which features one
recorded in 2011 to great critical acclaim.
See page 58 of Bach’s most uplifting melodies.
SPECIAL SUN SUN SPECIAL
16 16
DEALS ST JOHN’S PRIORY DEALS
FOR THIS THE BLACK ABBEY FOR THIS
EVENT ADMISSION €16/€14 ADMISSION €25/€22 EVENT
See page 58 See page 58
1PM 3PM
Airs on a Bach String No other composer has had so much of his music
adapted, orchestrated, jazzed up or messed about as
Bach – an indication of his continuing pre-eminence.
Ian Fox Ireland As the Festival’s epic Bach series draws to a close,
critic and broadcaster Ian Fox introduces and plays
some of the most intriguing examples of the afterlife
SUN
of the great composer’s music, from symphonic
16
PARADE TOWER
ADMISSION €12/€10 adaptations to jazz and electronics.
11AM
Duration 70 mins approx.
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MARBLE CITY SESSIONS
Festival Finale
hosted by Martin Hayes
with
Thomas Bartlett
Brooklyn Rider
Dennis Cahill
Maya Homburger
Aoife Ní Bhriain
Maighread Ní Dhomhnaill
Jane Smiley USA Tríona Ní Dhomhnaill
Iarla Ó Lionáird
Robert Pinsky
America’s Tolstoy
The Guardian
Last year saw the introduction of a new Kilkenny highlight:
the Festival Finale, featuring a constellation of artists who
were in residence during the Festival, plus special guests.
Since A Thousand Acres, her reworking of King Lear, won
Continuing the tradition of that sold-out, unforgettable
the Pulitzer Prize in 1992, Jane Smiley has been feted as
night, this year’s Finale is again hosted by Marble City
one of the great contemporary American novelists. A
Sessions co-curator Martin Hayes, and features a wealth
writer with Dickensian range, she has tackled everything
of performers not only from the Sessions but also from
from fourteenth-century Greenland (The Greenlanders)
our Bach series, as well as poet in residence Robert
to contemporary Hollywood (Ten Days in the Hills), and
Pinsky. This unique evening will also premiere some
she comes to Kilkenny with her most ambitious project
new collaborations and projects which the artists have
yet. The 1,300-page ‘Last Hundred Years’ trilogy tells the
been developing during the Festival. With special guests
multigenerational story of the Langdons, Iowa farming
including Gloaming members Thomas Bartlett and Iarla
folk, from 1920 to 2019. Told from multiple points of
Ó Lionáird, it promises to be a spectacular climax to ten
view, with an unerring feel for the changing historical
days and nights of artistic adventures in the Marble City.
landscape and the tensions of family life, the trilogy is
already being hailed as her finest achievement.
Duration 2 hrs 45 mins approx. (including interval)
Duration 60 mins approx.
SUN ST CANICE’S CATHEDRAL
16
7.30PM
ADMISSION
ZONE A PREMIUM €40/€35
Photo Ross Costigan
SUN ZONE B REGULAR €35/€30.50
16
PARADE TOWER
ADMISSION €16/€14
5PMYou can also read
