The Monte-Carlo Spring Arts Festival has confirmed they are going ahead as planned with their annual cultural event that spans five weekends from 13^th March to 11^th April.
The Monte-Carlo Spring Arts Festival is moving forward with strict sanitary measures in place as well as mandatory PCR tests for all international visitors. Performances are scheduled at various venues around the Principality over five weekends starting on 13^th March.
The theme of this year’s festival is an ‘Exploration of the Second Vienese School’ and will feature performances from several well-known and respected artists.
The festival opener will be at the Grimaldi Forum on Saturday 13^th March and features music by Anton Webern and Alban Berg as performed by the National Orchestra of France under the direction of Daniele Grotti, with soprano Chen Reiss singing. The pieces they will perform are Anton Webern’s Langsamer Satz en mi bémol majeur (version orchestre à cordes) followed by Alban Berg’s Sieben frühe Lieder and Lulu-suite. The concert starts at 3pm.
On Sunday the 14th, soloists from the Ensemble Intercontemporain will be doing their renditions of Franz Liszt’s La lugubre gondola I, Alban Berg’s Quatre pièces, pour clarinette et piano, op. 5, Ein Stelldichein, pour hautbois, clarinette, violon, violoncelle et piano, Weihnachtsmusik, pour deux violons, violoncelle, harmonium et piano and
Fantaisie, pour violon et piano, op. 47 by Arnold Schönberg and Anton Webern’s
Deux pièces, pour violoncelle et piano. The concert will be held at the Oceanographic Museum and the show begins at 2:30pm.
Also on Sunday the 14^th, the Ensemble Intercontemporain will be joined by Hideki Nagano on piano under Matthias Pintscher’s direction for a concert featuring post World War I music by Liszt and his contemporaries.
Arnold Schönberg’s Cinq pièces pour orchestre (réduction pour orchestre de chambre du compositeur), op. 16 and his Symphonie de chambre n°1, pour quinze instruments solistes opus 9, Johann Strauss’s Kaiser Walser, arrangement d’Arnold Schönberg pour flûte, clarinette, quatuor à cordes et piano, op. 437 and Rosen aus dem Süden, transcription d’Arnold Schönberg pour piano, harmonium et quatuor à cordes, op. 388, La Lugubre Gondole n°1, pour piano by Liszt and Alban Berg’s Quatre pièces, pour clarinette et piano, op. 5. The concert starts at 4pm at the Grimaldi Forum.

Saturday, 20^th March at 9am, a Master Class by famed pianist Bertrand Champayou will take place at the Auditorium Rainier III. Admission is free but seating is limited, so reservations are required.
That same afternoon, at 2:30pm at the Oceanographic Museum, an afternoon with Franz Liszt is scheduled. Pianist Beatrice Berrut will perform several pieces from the Austrian composer including La Lugubre Gondole II, 3 Odes funèbres, S. 112, Am Grabe Richard Wagners, S. 202 and Csárdás macabre, S.224.
Before the main event, a prelude introducing composer-in-residence Gerard Pesson will feature budding pianist students from the Beausoleil Music School.
Finally on 9^th April, Andreas Staier will hold a Master Class on the harpsicord at the Auditorium Rainier III from 2pm to 5pm. There will be free admission with reservations. Spaces are limited.
 
Photo: printempsdesarts.mc