The XIX-th edition of the ‘George Enescu’ International Festival and Contest, held in Bucharest during August 30 – September 26, ended Saturday with shows from the series ‘Enescu and his contemporaries’ and ‘Chamber concertos’ at the Romanian Athenaeum, and the closing gala, at Sala Mare a Palatului. The festival opened with a new staging of ‘Oedipe’ by George Enescu, in the rendition of the National Opera of Bucharest jointly with Theatre du Capitole of Toulouse (France), directed by Nicolas Joel. For nearly a month, it brought on stage many great symphonic and chamber orchestras, chamber bands, choirs and famous performers.
The list of orchestras and bands that delighted the public includes Concertgebow Orchester – conductor Mariss Janssons, Royal Philharmonic – conductors Charles Dutoit and Horia Andreescu, Philharmonia Orchestra – conductor Vladimir Ashkenazi, Radio France – conductor Vladimir Kitayenko, and Maggio Musicale Fiorentino – conductor Cristian Mandeal. Appreciated by critics as ranging among the best symphonic bands of the day, the four orchestras invited music lovers to witness exceptional performances, par to those staged anywhere around the world.
A series of ‘Midnight Concertos,’ hosted by the Romanian Athenaeum, delighted the public with works by Vivaldi, Haydn, Schubert, Bach, and with chamber music programs so enjoyed by Bucharesters.
The 2009 edition of the festival also brought many novelties, such as a series of concertos themed ‘Enescu and his contemporaries,’ which featured chamber works in the rendition of young performers and famous bands. One of the unforgettable moments of this edition was the concert of famous British violinist Nigel Kennedy.
The program of the National Opera of Bucharest also featured a series of famous operas and ballets, including Macbeth, Manon Lescaut, The Swan Lake and the premiere of Celan by Peter Ruzicka, with the composer himself as conductor, scheduled in the last week of the event. Ballet lovers were invited at the Great Hall of the National Theater of Bucharest, to enjoy two shows of the Monte Carlo Ballet, with ‘La Belle” – a production by choreograph Jean-Christophe Maillot, on the music of P.I. Tchaikovsky. For the first time, five important concerts (including Oedipe and the Gala Concert of the ‘George Enescu’ International Contest) have been aired by the specialized TV channel Mezzo, while the performance of Concertgebow Orchester – conductor Mariss Janssons – was aired by the Romanian Radio and Television Broadcasting Companies.
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