ASSOCIAÇÃO DE AMIGOS DE MÚSICA
Dear Amigos,
September greetings !
Our concert season is about to start with the first two piano recitals on Tuesday, September 23rd, 2014 at 19:00 and Thursday, September 25th, at 19:00 at our new venue “Os Agostos” and the Annual General Meeting (AGM) before the Thursday recital
The Ukrainian pianist Evgeny Gromov is looking forward to his first Algarve visit (with his wife Alexandra, who is the one with a driving licence!) And as he does not think his English language ability is up to snuff for some introductions to his amazing programme of music, he has sent a small written “Introduction”. Please find it attached to this Newsletter.
I think we are in for two very enlightening and enjoyable evenings of music entertainment.
On Tuesday, September 23rd, 2014 door will open at Os Agostos at 18:00 (see Directions attached); drinks and canapés will be served at 18:30 and the concert begins at 19:00.
On Thursday, 25th, September there will be a one-time slight change in this schedule, for the following reason: You have all in the meantime had the convocations to the AGM which we have to conduct in September (within 3 months into our membership year) and which will give us a chance to put all the changes to our statutes to you, our members. We shall also have to hold elections of officers. So, for convenience sake we are asking you to come to the second concert at Os Agostos an hour earlier, i.e. between 17:00 and 17:30 so that we can do this business before drinks and canapés will be served at 18:30. Then the Amigo concerts will start at 19:00.
Please make your reservations: reservasconcertos@gmail.com, or tel: 91 479 7980
This earlier start (than at CCSL) will mean that the concerts will be over earlier in order to give attendees the chance to go to a bar or restaurant in the vicinity afterwards. For this purpose please find attached a list of possible restaurants in the Agostos area.
Let me take this opportunity to thank you for the confidence you have shown in us by renewing your membership. We have had a wonderful renewal rate of 70%, and are looking forward to a few more in order to augment our budget and to cover the cost of an amazing programme planned for the 2014/15 season. We are not quite there yet !
You can, of course, give us a cheque at the concerts, if you like to avail yourself of this opportunity. Also, please know that family and friends are always welcome – their contributions, as usual, help enormously to defray some of the costs.
For your agendas here the dates for the future concerts:
October 28 and 30, 2014 Peter Jablonski and Rebecca Barham, piano duo
November 18 and 20, 2014 Anne Kaasa, piano
January 27 and 29, 2015 Anna Fedorova, piano and Jamal Aliyev, cello
February 17 and 19, 2015 Juho Pohjonen, piano
March (dates to be defined) Lucy Parham with Dame Harriet Walter in their Chopin programme
April 14 and 16, 2015 Paul Crossley, piano
May 13 and 15, 2015 Katya Apekisheva, piano
June 9 and 11, 2015 Holger Groschopp, piano and Adele Bittner, cello
See you soon,
Helga Hampton
A brief introduction to my recitals for Amigos de Musica in September 2014
By Evgeny Gromov
A few days ago was the 250th anniversary of the death of the French composer and music theorist of the Baroque epoch, Jean Philippe Rameau (died September 12, 1764 in Paris) and also the 140th birthday of the Austrian composer, theorist, teacher, and painter – a leading figure of music expressionism, the founder of the New Viennese School, developer of the 12-tone technique, or dodecaphony, Arnold Franz Walter Schoenberg (born September 13, 1874 in Vienna). In the course of this year I have concentrated my attention as a scholar and performer on these two giants, hence my programme suggestions for these 2 Amigo recitals.
In the first programme, “Jean Philippe RAMEAU et la musique française de la Belle Epoque”, I am trying to give an exposition of the keyboard music of a man who wrote “Traité de l’harmonie réduite à ses principes naturels …” and “Les Indes galantes” in all its multi-faceted diversity by using the most attractive and famous fragments. By extracting from his original five Suites for harpsichord I attempt to unveil the profound mutual relationships and direct influence of Rameau’s creativity on the principles of aesthetics and their practice implementation of the great French artists at fin-de-siecle (end XIX, beginning XX century).
The title of my second programme, “SCHOENBERG and DEBUSSY: Two faces of Europe and Modernism” seems to speak for itself – it was conceived as a vis-à-vis encounter of two music geniuses who radically changed the course of music evolution in XX century. In spite of the many obvious differences in origins and nationality, if looked at with more inquisitive attention, common traces such as the radicalism in their achievements become noticeable. They share an unshakable faith in art values, in self-confidence and the awareness of occupying unique positions in art. Their individual integrity, uncompromising standards, fearlessness, indeed an “allergic” sensitivity to the musical narrative and, at the same time, a sophisticated ability to convey most delicate impulses of humane soul, are remarkable. The importance of these two titans in the evolution of XX century music can hardly be overestimated.
In one sentence: each of these two programmes represents a dialogue – in the first one, that of a Master with adoring and devoted pupils, and in the second – that of two equally great Master-contemporaries with each other.
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How to find Os Agostos: GPS: Lat N 37 07’17,14” / Long W 56’
From Sta. Barbara de Nexe follow signs to “Agostos” and Bordeira for ca. 2 km when you come to a fork saying Benatrite, stay on the left and go 1,5 km up to a cross roads with yellow houses and signs again for Bordeira and Agostos pointing right down out of the cluster of houses. From here you can already see the entrance to “Os Agostos” in the gap on a wall on the left hand side. Enter. A long drive through the garden will take you around the buildings, following the “P” all the way to the large parking lot. Walk up by the marquee to the central terrace – voila!
From the A22 after exit “14” for Faro – Estoi – Sao Bra, follow the signs to Sao Bras. This will take you around and northward under the motorway. Immediately behind the underpass, turn left around a large tree towards Bordeira. Going on this rural road up through the village of Alface , ignoring the next 2 signs for Sta. Barbara de Nexe, keep going straight for 4 km through Bordeira and at the end of the village you will come to signs (not very easily visible) on a garden wall on your left “Quinta da Raposeira” and ”Agostos” and “Restaurant Mac Jetes”. Follow that winding road for 1,5 km until you come to the Os Agostos estate wall on your right. Take the 2nd entrance gap in the wall. A long drive through the garden will take you around the buildings, and following the “P” you will reach the large parking lot. Walk up past the marquee to the central terrace. You have arrived.
From the Loule “Continente” round-about exit towards Goldra (avoiding Barreiras Brancas and Betunes) and drive for 5 km until you come to the Gorjoes T-junction; turning left would take you to St. Luke’s Church and Palhagueira; you however turn right and after just 10 m immediately left, following the signs for Agostos, Bordeira. In 1,5 km you come to a cluster of houses on a small cross roads. Go across and slightly downwards when you see immediately the “Os Agostos” entrance gap in the wall on your left. Drive through the garden following the “P” sign all around the buildings to a large parking lot. Walk up by the marquee to the central terrace. You have arrived.
List of restaurants near Os Agostos. These are located within a 10 minutes drive from Os Agostos
QUINTA DAS RAPOSEIRAS – Entrance (turn left out of Os Agostos – less than 5 minutes)
· MAC JETES Tel: 917224392 Portuguese and international food. Located above Chez Malice .
· CHEZ MALICE Tel: 289997276. French food. Service can be slow.
PALHAGUEIRA VILLAGE (turn right out of Os Agostos – Le Marquis is opposite St. Luke’s Church)
. LE MARQUIS – see www.restaurant-le-marquis.com Tel: 289992018. Continental food.
SANTA BÁRBARA DE NEXE
O ALAGOAS Tel: 289992835. Fish and seafood. Good wine collection
LA PIAZZA – see www.restaurantlapiazza.pt Tel: 289999430. Italian.