The festival’s final concert opens with a family affair – pianists Dénes Várjon and Izabella Simon perform Ravel’s ‘Mother Goose Suite’, narrated by their daughter Liána Izabella Várjon. We experience Paganini fireworks in the hands of virtuoso Sergey Malov followed by Armenian Khachaturian’s rhapsodic trio, filled with striking East Eurasian folk elements. French composer and pianist Louise Farrenc, banned from studying composition at the Paris Conservatoire, later became the only woman to hold the position of Professor of Piano at the Paris Conservatoire during the 19th century. Her powerful music is receiving a resurgence of interest round the world, and we are delighted that her piano quintet, with the unusual inclusion of contrabass, will round off our festival.
Ravel – Ma Mere L’Oye (Mother Goose) – Dénes Várjon, Izabella Simon (piano), Liána Izabella Várjon (narrator)
Paganini – Paganini Plus – Sergey Malov (violin)
Khachaturian – Trio for Clarinet, Violin and Piano – James Campbell (clarinet), Monique Lapins (violin), Gabriela Glapska (piano)
Farrenc – Piano Quintet No 2 in E major – Helene Pohl (violin), Gillian Ansell (viola), Rolf Gjelsten (cello), Hiroshi Ikematsu (contrabass), Dénes Várjon (piano)
