Pianists Laurent Wagschal, Dana Ciocarlie, Romain Descharmes and Nicolas Stavy will each give a recital (at 12pm, 2.30pm, 5pm and 7pm respectively, on Sunday 29 March 2015). Music to be performed includes the work of three women whose names you have probably not come across before - Helene de Montgeroult (1764-1836) the French pianist/composer (born into an aristocratic family, reputedly it was respect for her compositions which allowed her to survive the Terror), Marie Jaell (1846-1925) who besides composing and teaching, was the first pianist to perform all of Beethoven's piano sonatas in Paris, and Mel Bonis (1858-1937) who was a prolific composer in a whole variety of genres. Also in the mix, will be music by Florent Schmitt, Louis Vierne, Paul Dukas, Gabriel Pierne, as well as Faure, Ravel and Schumann.
But who or what is the Palazzetto Bru Zane?
I have previously come across the work of the Palazzetto Bru Zane mainly in connection with recordings. My review of Laurence Equilbey's new recording of Felicien David's symphonic ode Le Desert has just been published, and last year I reviewed a disc of David's songs (see my review) and both had the support of the Palazzetto Bru Zane. This year they will be sponsoring performances of Herold's Le Pre aux clercs at the Opera Comique, Mehul's Uthal at the Opera Royal de Versailles, and Gounod's Cinq Mars in Munich, Paris and Vienna. All will be recorded for release, and you can already get Charles-Simon Catel's Les Bayadères, Saint-Saëns' Les Barbares and Salieri's Les Danaides (see their website for a complete list). They also produce composer portraits, and are exploring the music which French composers wrote for the Prix de Rome, not just for the competition but the pieces written when the prizewinners were in Rome.
Palazzetto Bru Zane in Venice |
So who, or what, is the Palazzetto Bru Zane. Well the foundation is based in a restored palazzo in Venice, and was created by Dr Nicole Bru in 2009. And simply the foundation and its staff of 15 devote themselves to researching, supporting and performing French music from the period 1780 to 1920, through scores, books, CDs, concerts and seminars. There are annual festivals in Venice and Paris. The Palazzetto Bru Zane and its work is supported by by Fondation Bru, which was started by Dr Nicole Bru to perpetuate the memory of Dr Camille Bru founded in 1935 the laboratories of the Union Pharmaceutique des Sciences Appliquées (UPSA) and his son Dr Jean Bru, who developed the first effervescent aspirin with Vitamin C, Efferalgan, and Betaine Citrate. Dr Nicole Bru is Dr Jean Bru's widow and continued to run UPSA after Dr Jean Bru's death until the firm was sold in 1994.
If you are in Venice, then you can visit the Palazzetto Bru Zane, it is open for guided tours on Thursday afternoons when you can see the frescoes of Sebastiano Ricci and admire the stucco work of Abbondio Stazio.
Elsewhere on this blog:
- Is this a crossover disc? My encounter with tenor Matthew Long - interview
- A Musical Dedication: Homages from Christoph Denoth - CD review
- Palate cleanser: The Indian Queen from The Sixteen - CD review
- 18 century Viennese court style: Raffaella Milanesi - CD review
- Exploring Beethoven: Jonathan Biss - CD review
- New light on old forms: Iestyn Davies in lute songs old and new - CD review
- Celebrating magna carta: Temple Church Choir - CD review
- Bravura brilliance and expressive singing: Lucy Crowe, Tim Mead, David Bates and La Nuova Musica - concert review
- A passion for Gilbert and Sullivan: My encounter with John Savournin of Charles Court Opera - interview
- Sheer beauty of sound: The Holst Singers in Frank Martin - concert review
- Imaginative reconstruction: Music for the coronation of Charles II - CD review
- Bewitching: Carolyn Sampson in Purcell - concert review
- Home
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