TIME is running out to book tickets for the 2017 Brecon Baroque Festival, which celebrates Vivaldi and the music of Venice, and runs from October 26-30, at venues in and around Brecon.
Now in its 12th year, the festival is bigger and better than ever before with more musicians, more music, walks, talks, tours and dancing.
And, for the first time this year, BBC Radio 3 will be recording the Saturday evening concert for broadcast on Tuesday, October 31.
One of the highlights of this year’s Festival is the Parisian chamber group, Ensemble Diderot, directed by Johannes Pramsohler. The group has held residencies at Aldeburgh, Amilly and the Fondation Royaumon and their programme explores sonatas by Venetian masters of the 17th Century including Legrenzi, Castello and Marini.
There are four other landmark concerts over the weekend including I Fagiolini, who make their Festival debut, performing Monteverdi’s ‘The Other Vespers’ directed by Robert Hollingworth in celebration of Monteverdi’s 450th anniversary; a symphonic brass concert, ‘Echoes of St Mark’s’ with the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama; ‘Harmony & Invention’ with Rachel Podger and Brecon Baroque which includes a performance of Vivaldi’s famous The Four Seasons which they are also releasing on CD; Ensemble Diderot performs ‘From Canzona to Sonata: the Chamber Music of Venice’; and ‘Venetian Sparkle’ with the Brecon Baroque Festival Orchestra.
Commenting on the Festival, artistic director Rachel Podger said: “This year’s Brecon Baroque Festival comes hot off the heels of recording Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and we are thrilled to be playing this landmark work on Saturday night. Other events include a pop-up café, Caffe Florian, with live chamber music at The Old Muse, Festival Evensong and Eucharist at Brecon Cathedral, plus a lovely guided walk in the Beacons which includes a tour of Penpont House in the Usk Valley as well as the Festival’s annual Baroque tea dance at Theatr Brycheiniog.”
Visit www.breconbaroquefestival.com for more information and for bookings go to www.theatrbrycheiniog.co.uk or call 01877 611 622. Following a sell-out last year, visitors are advised to book early to avoid disappointment.