Geelvinck Fortepiano Festival (The netherlands)

The 9th edition of the world’s largest festival of original historic pianos from the 18th and 19th centuries, the Geelvinck Fortepiano Festival, took place from 8 to 22 August 2019. The Muzio Clementi Association of Barcelona was present with performances and presentations by Marina Rodríguez Brià and Joan Josep Gutiérrez.

CALENDAR

• August 8, recital by Marina Rodríguez Brià at the Luthermuseum in de Wittenberg, Amsterdam
• August 10, recital by Marina Rodríguez Brià at the Muziek Museum Zutphen, Zutphen 
• August 12, Sixth International Geelvinck Fortepiano Symposium with the participation of Marina Rodríguez Brià and Joan Josep Gutiérrez on behalf of the AMCB.  Muziek Museum Zutphen, Zutphen
• August 16, premiere of a Prelude & Fugue for pianoforte by Joan Josep Gutiérrez, performed by Michael Tsalka at the Luthermuseum in de Wittenberg, Amsterdam

Friday, July 19, 2019, the 19th recital “at home” was performed by Marina Rodríguez Brià on the piano table Clementi & Co. of 1824.

The program included works by Muzio Clementi and John Field, who had already studied with Clementi and traveled with him to Vienna and Russia, where he lived for more than twenty years and where he formed many pianists. It was he who called “nocturne” to pieces full of poetry, where the right hand generally makes the melody and the left accompanies with wide armonies with pedal, playing the piano already with a totally romantic style.

The sonata op. 34 no. 2 of Clementi is one of the most interesting and complex of this musician. Although it remembers us Beethoven, in 1795, he had not yet composed any symphony and was just beginning his first sonatas.

And finally, the attendees chose the work that closed the recital, from the repertoire that Marina Rodríguez will play at the Geelvinck Fortepiano Festival in Holland this August. Dussek? Cramer Marianna Auenbrugger? More Clementi? The assistants chose Marianna Auenbrugger.

The complete program was as follows:

MUZIO CLEMENTI (1752-1832), SONATA op.34 num. 2 en sol menor (1795)

• Largo e sostenuto
• Allegro con fuoco
• Un poco adagio
• Finale. Molto allegro

JOHN FIELD (1782-1837), NOCTURNE num. 5 en si bemol mayor

• Andantino

MARIANNA AUENBRUGGER (1759-1782). SONATA en Mi bemol mayor, 1st movement

• Moderato

Friday, May 31, 2019, the 18th recital “at home” was performed by Marina Rodríguez Brià on the 1824 square piano Clementi & Co.

The program was devoted to Marianna Auenbrugger and consisted of two sonatas:

1. Marianna Auenbrugger (1759-1782). Sonata in E flat major. Moderato, Largo, Rondo, Allegro.
2. Muzio Clementi (1752-1832). Sonata op. 8 no. 1 in G minor (1782). Dedicated to Marianna Auenbrugger. Allegro, Andante cantabile, Presto.

After the famous duel with Mozart in 1781, Clementi stayed a season in Vienna playing and giving classes. Among others, he probably had Marianna Auenbrugger as a disciple, young pianist and composer. Haydn was a teacher of her and admired her talents and that of her sister to whom he dedicated some sonatas. Marianna’s counterpoint teacher was Antonio Salieri. Mozart and other musicians also frequented the Auenbrugger’s house. Unfortunately, Marianna died in 1782 at age 23. Salieri published the only sonata written by the young woman, along with an Ode composed by himself in his memory. For his part, Clementi dedicated the Sonata Op.8 no. 1 to Marianna. Composed in minor key, the emotion contained in the themes and their treatment speak for themselves.

You can read an article by Joan Josep Gutiérrez Yzquierdo following this link.
You can also read a chronicle from Xavier Febrés on his blog following this link.