Visit-Montenegro.com : Diversity of Genres and Premieres

Kotor – Music Festival KotorArt and series of concerts titled “Don Branko’s Music Days” shall be opened tonight at the Square of the Cathedral of St. Tryphon. The Festival will begin at 9 pm with the piece called “An evening with Petar Kralj” dedicated to this prominent Serbian actor.

Audience would also experience an unusual musical-scenic form. Program includes Stravinsky’s “Story of the Soldier” and “The Carnival of Animals” by Sen-Sans, which would also be Montenegrin premiere of these pieces.

Beside Petar Kralj as the narrator, also performing are: Rita Kinka and Ratimir Martinovic (piano), Roman Simovic and Jovan Bogosavljevic (violins), Aleksandar Tasic (clarinet), Tatjana Krkeljiv (flute), Timea Kalmar (cello), Srdjan Palackovic (percussions), Jelena Filipovic (viola) and Sinisa Mazalica (bas).

150 artists will perform during KotorArt Festival, which will last until 17 August. Program includes 17 concerts, seminars and concerts for children. Art director of the Festival, Ratimir Martinovic points out to the Montenegrin premiers during KotorArt.

“Among other things, we shall have the opportunity to enjoy in Shostakovich’s “Concert for Piano, Trumpet and Orchestra” and his “Chamber Symphony”, Bartok’s “Romanian Dances”, Dworzak’s “Concert for Violoncello and Orchestra”, Nielsen’s “Suite for strings”, “Tree of Life” by Ivana Stefanovic. And, this is only the beginning of the list”, Marinovic said.

He emphasized that this majority of genres “presents a pallet of costumed concerts intended for the youngest audiences, through purely classical sound of piano, guitar, duo, trio, chamber and symphony orchestras, to the step outside in direction of musical-scenic performances like “Kaligula” ballet or the evening with Petar Kralj.” He added that these two evenings were dedicated to the “music of the world.”

For the first time in Montenegro, performed by Bohemian Symphonic Orchestra from Prague, the audience will have the opportunity to hear Dworzak’s Concert for Cello, with world-class cello-player Yang Chang Cho, as well as the Symphony from the New World.

Other artists who stand out this year, beside Yang, are dark-skinned soprano, Alison Buhanan, pianists Skovorodnikov, Surif and Lehner who will teach piano lessons to students from Montenegro for free.

After this, there is also Festival Orchestra which would have three performances. Montenegrin music forces would be represented through the band “Banda od muzike”, conductor Darinka Matic-Marovic and guitar-player, Milos Karadaglic.

During one month of KotorArt, Chamber Orchestras from Italy and Great Britain would also present their skills to the audience, as well as solo-performers from the US, Montenegro, Argentina, Zagreb Ballet’s from the Croatian National Theatre, as well as KotorArt’s orchestra which will have three performances with almost all the leading conductors and solists present at KotorArt.

Also taking place would be the two costumed concerts for children and two programs with the “music of the world”.

Concerts will take place at several locations: at the Square of St. Tryphon, Church of the Holly Spirit, Summer Stage, Skaljare Market, Piazza of St. Joseph, Mother of God’s Church in Prcanj, Cathedral of St. Tryphon and Church of Blessed Ozana.

All concerts start at 9 pm, except for the “Concert for Children” on 30 and 31 July which start at 8 and 10 pm.

Italian duo Violine and Piano (Silvano Minela and Flavia Bruneto) will perform in the Church of the Holly Spirit on Friday. Program includes Spanish, French and Italian music. Mediterranean passion will be particularly palpable in the performance of De Falia’s popular “Spanish Suite” by this experienced duo.

(17 July 2008)

By: I.K.