November 2009

With 2009 drawing to an end, I look back with many happy memories. Prague is my second home and this year there were so many wonderful concerts, some memorable meals and parties with our wonderful friends who are some of the greatest musicians in Europe, and great sightseeing. Two favorites are the Museum of Music with the incredible collection of instruments and an amazing collection of musical manuscripts and instruments (Lobkowicz was a major patron of Beethoven, dedicatee of the 3rd, 5th and 6th Symphonies and the Op. 18 quartets), and incredible paintings by Canaletto, Brueghel and others - an absolute gem. 

The Haydn Bicentenary in Eszterhaza was a really awesome experience, the superb Haydn concerts played with original instruments in the Palace where Haydn gave the first performances - unforgettable. Then Vienna with so much of musical interest and a wonderful private concert by the Aron Quartet. Corfu this year had many new attractions, our first time in a lovely hotel, and two extraordinary days in Albania and superb concerts by the Herold Quartet in exclusive settings including a most attractive winery and a charming small square in the World Heritage site of the Old Town of Corfu.

So now to look forward.

Prague Christmas - 21 to 29 December
This is a really magical time of year in one of my favourite places. Superb concerts, opera, and ballet and a magical festive atmosphere with the world famous Christmas Market in the Old Town Square. Bookings close on 21 November.

St. Goar, Rhine Valley, Germany - 12 to 19 May
We visit the Beethoven city of Bonn with its fantastic Beethoven House Museum and attend a concert in the superb chamber music concert hall. Driving along the Rhine to Bonn, we stop at Königswinter where we take the rack railway to the top of the Drachenfels Mountain. I have been reading a lot about Beethoven's early years and this mountain was very important to him all his life.There are so many fascinating books about him especially by people who knew him. There is a legend that in this mountain is the cave where Siefried, the hero of the Nibelungenlied, killed the dragon. Our hotel is opposite the Lorelei rock where legend tells us that the siren called Lorelei bewitched the sailors and lured them to their death.This is the deepest and narrowest part of the Rhine.This magnificent and romantic part of Germany has many renowned castles built in the 13th Century on the hills overlooking this great river with wonderful vineyards on the slopes. We stay in a friendly family run hotel which welcomes amateur musicians. Meals in the hotel will be a highlight. With their own butchery and bakery, the family provides menus with wonderful fresh produce which include typical food from this region and superb wines from their winery which we visit for tastings. Other meals will be in local gourmet restaurants. We take two cruises on the Rhine, visit a winery for wine tastings and take a guided walk with the vintner in the vineyards; we also explore historic towns such as St Goar and Bacharach and some of the stunning Castles. Chamber music playing with coaching is in the mornings and there is freelance playing on several evenings. Bookings have already started and it would be advisable to reserve single rooms especially as soon as possible as there are limited numbers.

Prague Spring Festival - 21 May to 2 June
The Prague Spring Festival is one of the most famous and prestigious in Europe. We have eight concerts and one opera during our stay. The atmosphere in this stunning city is very special at this time with music everywhere, lots of spring flowers and so many green areas and parks. The great Czech cellist, Michal Kanka will be celebrating his 50th birthday with us at a party in my apartment in the hotel on 21 May. There will be a recital in the Prague Spring Festival on 24th May and on 1st June a concert with the Prazak Quartet of which he is a member. There will be extensive sightseeing,and some walks with our wonderful guides, Pavel and Jara,who are so knowledgeable and interested in us and all our questions! We visit my two favourites the Musical Instruments Museum and the Lobkowicz Palace and many other places. Bookings have already started with a substantial discount for early payment. It would be advisable to book early as tickets for the opera sell quickly and I only make reservations once deposits are paid.

Budapest and Vienna - 4 to 14 June
Budapest is a superb city with much of musical interest. Our centrally located hotel, set in charming gardens in a tree lined street was built at the turn of the 19th and 20th century. The rooms have lovely antique furniture in the style of the building but with modern bathrooms, phone and TV. These are ideal places for playing chamber music. We have a concert in the Palace of Arts - the fantastic new concert hall - and a performance at the State Opera House, as well as some special visits and excursions. Single rooms are limited and immediate booking is suggested. There is a discount for early payment in full. Vienna is always interesting and enjoyable with so much of musical history. There will be chamber music playing with coaching by the very popular Aron Quartet. On our last day, there will be a concert by the Vienna Chamber Orchestra - a great way to end a fantastic ten days. Our apartment hotel is particularly welcoming in the Alte Wien style - to stay there is an experience in itself.

Prague Summer Festival - 21 August to 2 September
This very popular Holiday has wonderful music and so much more. Prague is usually not crowded at this time and we have extensive sightseeing, as described above for May, as well as several concerts and of course lots of chamber music playing with coaching. Prague is a very green city and our hotel overlooks the main city, a superb position near the Castle. Meals vary from typical Czech menus to international cuisine, several in the hotel restaurant, outdoor barbeque area and terrace with splendid views.

Asolo and Venice - 4 to 12 September
The Asolo International Music Festival will be a highlight, as will the world famous Human Chess Game in Marostica which is held every two years. There will be one day to visit Venice and another exploring the islands of Murano and Burano in the Venice lagoon. Other afternoon excursions will be to places nearby. Igor Polesitsky and Roger Low, two of Italy's leading chamber musicians, will be our coaches. Many of you will remember them coaching in Florence, also in Asolo. They are charismatic and highly experienced teachers, and very popular with our participants. The hilltop town of Asolo, in the foothills of the Dolomites is certainly one of the most beautiful and historic in the country and the lower part of the town has wonderful villas and superb gardens with spectacular views. This is the location for our hotel, a completely restored and refurbished old Venetian farmhouse. Set in extensive gardens with mature shrubs and trees, terraces and lawns this is an ideal place to play music, socialise and to relax.

Asolo and Venice can be combined with the Corfu Chamber Music Holiday.
Stay over in Venice on 13th September then take the ferry to Corfu the next afternoon, arriving the following evening. The ferries are like small cruise boats with restaurants, cafe/bars, swimming pools and a large range of cabins. Several of our participants have travelled this way and they all enjoyed the unique, spectacular views of Venice while sailing past the Grand Canal, St Mark's Square, the Doge's Palace and the Vivaldi Church, it is amazing to look down on the maze of canals and houses. You would then have the 15th at leisure in Corfu before the Holiday starts on 16th. You could also stay longer in Venice or the Veneto area and arrive around midday on 16th, as these ferries also sail on Wednesdays. 

Divertimenti in Corfu 16 - 30 September.
This is the 23rd year on this beautiful, lush green, cultured island. Our friendly, family run hotel, which everyone enjoyed so much this year, is being refurbished this winter ready for the 2010 season. The family chapel was a very popular place for chamber music. The Albanian trip is now one day, Hydrofoil to Saranda in 30 minutes, then drive to Saranda Castle, then on to Gjirokastra for sightseeing and an interesting and delicious lunch consisting of lots of different dishes and local wines. After lunch we drive to Butrint for a tour of over two hours. The reason we can do all this in one day is that from Butrint we take the new fast road to the border and on to the Greek port of Igoumenitsa, from which there is a large, comfortable and fast ferry taking around an hour. This is a much quicker way to get back to Corfu. I am planning most meals in the hotel with the wonderful home cooked food from fresh local produce and some meals at special restaurants or tavernas. We go south to a fantastic fish restaurant on a charming beach:the delightful beachside restaurant set in the gorgeous gardens at the St George's Bay Country club is ideal for a pre concert dinner. The roof garden of a hotel and a restaurant in a beautiful square in Corfu Old Town are sure to be very popular. We are now planning the Divertimenti in Corfu Festival with wonderful concert venues such as the small square in the Old Town of Corfu. Details and programmes in the next Newsletter. 

Our Musical Family.

The Prazak Quartet have their first concert on 17 November on their 12 day tour of Japan. Several friends who have been on various Chamber Music Holidays will be at their concert in Tokyo on the 20th and will no doubt see them after the concert. I hope some of them will attend Michal's 50th birthday party on 21 May. 

The Herold Quartet was highly successful in Corfu this year and attracted some people connected with concert organising which should be very interesting. Before Corfu they played the Dvorak Quintet with their great hero, Josef Suk, in a wonderful Castle in the Czech Republic. Josef Suk plays his great grandfather's Anton Dvorak's viola. Peter and Jan are finding being devoted fathers of young children quite hectic! 

The Kinsky Trio is busy as usual and has just had an excellent review of their Martinu Trios in the Gramophone Magazine. The two children are very active - at four and one they keep their parents busy; the latest photos are really gorgeous! 

The Kocian Quartet has been making several new recordings and their Smetana and Sibelius quartets had a very good review in The Strad (I think the photo is not at all like them!). They recently played a concert in the Rudolfinum in Prague with the legendary Josef Suk playing first viola in the Dvorak quintet. 

The Stamic Quartet have concerts in Prague and are touring in Germany and Switzerland these next weeks and have concerts in Romania early in 2010. 

All these ensembles are associated with Chamber Music Holidays and many of you have met them at parties in Prague, Corfu and Eszterhaza, as well as at Asolo. 

I seem to have got carried away this month. I promise a shorter Newsletter for December! Once again thank you all for your interest and support and please forward this Newsletter to friends who may be interested.  Do continue to send me contacts with people who may be interested in joining us. Thank you to everyone who has sent me their change of e-mail address, this is most helpful. If you have written an e-mail to me which has not been answered, please re-send it as I am still finding important emails and application forms in junk or spam filters.

I really enjoy your emails responding to the Newsletter - do keep writing! I hope to see you at Christmas in Prague or in 2010.

All best wishes for the end of 2009 and the start of 2010.

Vivienne E. Pittendrigh

Previous Newsletters

October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
June 2009
May 2009
February 2009
December 2008
October 2008