The 20th Jubilee Year Festival Sinfonia in Periogord

ended Sunday 29 August 2010 with two brilliant concerts.

BRUNO PROCOPI and  EMMANUELLE GUIGUE

A higlight in this festival was the the visit to the  at the beautiful situated renaissance castle; Chateau de Bourdeille, where an outdoor was arranged inside the magnifique Cour d´Honneur, with works for Viola da Gamba and Cembalo by Johann Sebastian Bach, (1685 – 1750).

Brilliantly performed by the two outstanding musicians BRUNO PROCOPI at Cembalo and EMMANUELLE GUIGUE at Viola Da Gamba. Performing Sonates 1. 3. and 2.

In addition the beautiful Sonate no 11. by Johann Friedrich Ruhe (1699-1776), a lively, forward-looking pieces in three  movements which anticipate early Classical style, as the opening work of the concert. Unfortunately all of Ruhe’s compositions are lost except for five gamba works. Probably written in the 1730´s.

Spite in that that the notes some times were flying in all directions, the two musicians professionally keept the music flowing as nothing happend around them, with a wonderful overview, good sound balance and brilliant collaboration between them.

The village of Bourdeilles is an attractive village next to the river to the south-east of Brantôme, and is dominated by its chateau – or rather its chateaux
.

There are two parts to the Chateau de Bourdeilles:

• a sturdy fortress dating back to the 13th century, constructed on a rocky spur and dominated by an octagonal keep, and a
• Renaissance castle (the part designed by Jacquett de Montbron) with richly furnished rooms such as the sumptuous  ‘Salon Doré with a beautiful painted ceiling.  There is a prestigious collection of furniture including the gilt Spanish bed of Charles V.

One striking feature of this castle is that it was designed by a woman, Jacquett de Montbron.

The surroundings of the castle is very well arranged with beautiful gardens in old style, and the castle is cituated with a wonderful view over the neoghboorhood, and the river running at the feets of the castle rock.

ENSEMBLE ROSALIS with MAGALI LEGER

The final concert with MAGALI LEGER and her ENSEMBLE ROSALIS, was placed at the church at the great monastery in Brantôme. It was focused in the “Cantate da Camera” by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710-1736),

where we enjoyed his Cantatas 4 no.1, 3, and 4. with the beautiful Magali Leger as soprano soloist. Pergolesi´s creative career lasted only six years, but in that time he produced a body of masterworks of incomparable beauty and originality, which we in these perfect surroundings enjoyed performed.

Between them Nicola Antonio Porpora´s (1686 – 1768)

Symphonies for chamber ensemble opus 2, no.2. and 3., from his 6 Sinfonie da camera op.2. Porpora was an Italian composer of Baroque operas, and teacher of singing, whose most famous singing student was the castrato Farinelli. He was born and died in Napoli.  But travelling and working in of Europe and in London, where these Symphonies were composed in 1736.

The Ensemble Rosalis also includes Julie Blais, cembalo

.

Brantôme Abbey, Perigord, was founded in the age of Charlemagne and formed part of the Casadeenne congregation from 1080 until the end of the XVI^th century.  The city of Brantôme is situated in the most romantique Venezian inspired area of Perigord. Where everything is done for making this as a splendid holiday ressort.