Bratislava Mozart Festival
The Bratislava Mozart Festival has already established its musical tradition in the capital of Slovakia. The newest, already eleventh year, will bring a series of four concerts that stand out for their interpretation and content quality, as well as their venues. The concerts will take place in St. Martin’s Cathedral, in the Klarisky Concert Hall (a former church), in the Mirror Hall of the Primate’s Palace and in the Art Nouveau style Moyzes Hall.
The Mozart Festival consists of four concerts full of exceptional works performed by prominent Slovak and European artists. Lovers of classical music can look forward to extraordinary artistic experiences performed by Mozart-music specialists in representative concert venues with professional accompanying words and refreshments.
In addition to the traditional concerts, the festival will also offer an accompanying programme in the form of masterclasses with renowned musicians or an attractive music walk.
Festival programme:
25 October, 19:00 / St. Martin’s Cathedral
Mozart: Requiem in D minor K. 626
Bratislava Mozart Orchestra on historical instruments / Cantus XVII / Marian Lejava – conductor
Soloists of the Salzburg Concert Society: Marelize Gerber (AT) – soprano, Elsa Giannoulidou (GR) – alto, Matúš Šimko (SK) – tenor, Nicolas Legoux (FR/KH) – bass
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30 October, 19:00 / Klarisky Concert Hall / Concert for the 20th anniversary of the Lotz Trio
Mozart: Notturni & Terzetti
Sei Notturni K. 439, 438, 436, 439a, 437, 549 / Terzetto No. 1 K. 439b / Magic Flute K. 620 (period arrangement) / Cosi fan tutte K. 588 (arrangement by M. Lejava)
Lotz Trio – Róbert Šebesta – artistic leader, basset horn I., Ronald Šebesta – basset horn II., Igor Františák – basset horn III., Guests: Andrea Vizvári – soprano / Terézia Kružliaková – mezzo-soprano / Gustáv Beláček – bass
The Lotz Trio celebrates 20 years on domestic and international stages in 2024. For this occasion, the Lotz Trio has prepared a special programme entitled Notturni &Terzetti, featuring Mozart’s Nocturnes for trio of basset horns and trio of vocal voices, performed in collaboration with elite Slovak vocalists Andrea Vizvári, Terézia Kružliakova and Gustáv Beláček.
The concerts will also include Mozart’s instrumental and vocal-instrumental Terzetti, such as Soave sia il vento from Cosi fan tutte. The celebration of chamber music-making will also include catering and interviews with the performing artists. The concert will take place in the Klarisky Concert Hall, a former Church in the medieval part of the Old Town.
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10 November, 19:00 / Mirror Hall of the Primate’s Palace
Mozart: Quartets
London Haydn Quartet (UK) / Eric Hoeprich (USA) – clarinet
The main foreign star of this year’s edition will be the legendary American clarinetist Eric Hoeprich. Together with the elite British string quartet London Haydn Quartet (performing in Bratislava for the first time ever), he will present a programme in which Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart will not only be arranged, but also arranged by himself.
In the original sound of period instruments and refined style, the arrangement of Mozart’s Violin Sonata by Johann A. André and Mozart’s arrangement of Bach’s Fugue, as well as Mozart’s homage to Haydn in a quartet with the subtitle “hunting”. The concert will be performed in the beautiful space of the Mirror Hall of the Primatial Palace.
A follow-up side event will be a masterclass by Eric Hoeprich on 11 November at the Faculty of Music and Dance of the Academy of Performing Arts.
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24 November, 19:00 / Moyzes Hall
Zimmermann & Mozart: La Lamentatione
Bratislava Mozart Orchestra on historical instruments
Dimitris Karakantas (GR) – concertmaster, violin
The final concert of the 2024 festival edition is an invitation to the best Bratislava symphonic music from the time of Empress Maria Theresa. It will take place in the beautiful Moyzes Hall near the Danube, performed by the Bratislava Mozart Orchestra under the artistic direction of Greek violinist Dimitrios Karakantas.
The title of the concert, La Lamentatione, is taken from Anton Zimmermann’s grandiose Symphony in C minor, which will offer the action-packed drama of the Sturm und Drang style as well as sombre lamentation in a breathtaking format. The next Zimmermann Symphony in E minor and Mozart’s phenomenal Serenade KV 388, written for wind instruments in the charismatic Nachtmusique style, will not break out of the outlined expressive positions.
The finale of this year’s BAMF edition will offer an event with the stunning symphonic sound of Zimmermann’s symphonies, the sonic diversity of the richly represented wind instruments, the wonderful ambiance of the Moyzes Hall and the traditional treat at the concert’s intermission.
Accompanying events
16 November, 14:00 / Primate’s Square
Musical Traces of Bratislava
Musical walk through Bratislava on the theme of the current edition of the festival, guided by Zuzana Godárová in Slovak language
After the walk, the festival invites you to a hot tea / coffee at the Albrecht House on the Kapitulská Street.
29 October and 11 November / VŠMU
Master classes for music students (public)
In cooperation with the Music and Dance Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts and the Clarinettorium project.
