About Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival 2005

Ravishing, great music of Ludwig van Beethoven is a focal point of every Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival. Sonatas and quartets, concerts, overtures and symphonies, oratorio and opera, sacral and dramatic music by the author of Eroica and Appassionata performed by the highest quality artists is the core of the repertoire of each festival.

But never is Beethoven there alone. There is the music of many other creators opposite his music – to be a contrast or supplement. The main idea of the 9th Beethoven Festival 2005 is best expressed by its title: “Beethoven between the music of the North and the South”.

Beethoven spent his life both in German Bonn and Austrian Vienna, between his home and the place marked by Beethoven musical tradition.

His art was inspired by the North and the South of Europe, by the “Faustian” culture of the Nordic countries on the North Sea, and by the Mediterranean culture, penetrated by the spirit of antique – both „apollinian” and „dionisian”.
He was also very familiar with Shakespeare and Homer. In his pieces, molded by the “south” homophony, the “north” counterpoint and the art of fugue play the crucial role – especially in the last phase of his output. His music, appealing with a dramatic heroism and entrancing and moving with a deep lyricism, brings a great unity of these both European tradition.

Not only the output of the author of Christus Am Olberge oratorio but also the whole history of European art can be the proof of the penetration and swapping of the North and South elements.
In every phase of the history of music and on each territory of European culture these two “syndromes of features” were equally vital – either opposite to each other or unified. The history of music, were molded by the sagas of the North and the romances of the South, by the Dutch motets and Italian madrigals. The creators of the North were often fascinated with the South and those from the South were attracted by the North. Purcell composed Dido, Haydn – English songs, Tchaikovsky – Italian capriccio, Verdi – the opera Macbet. The composers were also often drawn by the attempt to catch the difference of the characters. That’s why in the output of Mendelssohn we can find the "Italian" and "Scottish" symphonies. Franz Liszt is not only the author of Dante Symphony but also of Faust Symphony.
But first of all the composers composed music which expressed the atmosphere, the character and the spirit of its own “place in the world”. In this way many pieces were created, such as Finlandia by Sibelius, Lithuanian Rhapsody by Karłowicz or Nights in the Gardens of Spain by Manuel de Falla...

The 9th Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival will demonstrate the music, which can help us to realize the great duality of our European origin and to think about the heritage of the romantic North and the classical South. And it primarily offers us the music which can move and fascinate us.

Prof. Mieczysław Tomaszewski, the member of the Artistic Board of the Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival