Under the direction of violinist and conductor Christoph Poppen and soprano Juliane Banse, the festival in Marvão, located in the district of Portalegre, opens with works by Franz Schubert and Robert Schumann, closing with Felix Mendelssohn. The program spans the history of music from the polyphony of the Escola de Évora to the modernity of Maurice Ravel and the contemporary compositions of Luís Tinoco.
The lineup also includes jazz by Mário Laginha and Maria João, fado interpreted by clarinetist António Saiote and singer Ana Margarida Prado. Vasco Araújo’s installation ‘La chute vers…’ will be on display at the castle.
More than two dozen ensembles and soloists will perform throughout the festival, including cellist Manuel Fisher-Dieskau, pianist Aaron Pilsan, the Malion and Arod string quartets, the Maat saxophone quartet, the Officium Ensemble, Juliane Banse, and Christoph Poppen. Many will collaborate in various formations for different recitals.
The first day features the program “Clarinete em Fado,” by António Saiote, accompanied by Artur Caldeira on classical guitar and Daniel Paredes on acoustic bass, following the opening recital with Franz Schubert’s “The Trout,” Robert Schumann’s Quintet, and Brahms’ ‘lieder’.
“Música Inédita da Sé de Évora,” by the Officium Ensemble under Pedro Teixeira’s direction, kicks off the concerts on the second day, which also includes three chamber music recitals. The first two feature the Malion Quartet performing Ravel’s String Quartet and Tchaikovsky’s 3rd Quartet, among other pieces; the third recital is dedicated to songs and solo piano and violin pieces by Lili and Nadia Boulanger.
On July 20, two generations of tenors, Christoph Prégardien and Julian Prégardien, meet in the “Father and Son” program, singing works by Schubert, Mendelssohn, and Brahms, as well as Schubert’s Mass in G Major D.167, joined by the Officium Ensemble, the Marvão Festival Ensemble, and the Malion Quartet, under the direction of Christoph Poppen.
The second book of Bach’s “The Well-Tempered Clavier,” performed by Aaron Pilsan, dominates the schedule on July 21, which also features a recital dedicated to Anton Webern by the Malion Quartet. This program paves the way for the next day, highlighting the music of Arnold Schoenberg, including “Transfigured Night,” performed by the Arod Quartet with Adrien La Marca on viola and Aurélien Pascal on cello.
In subsequent days, works by Joseph Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Ernest Chausson, César Franck, Sergei Prokofiev, and Richard Strauss will be heard, along with Olivier Messiaen’s “Quartet for the End of Time,” the concert “Laço” by Ana Margarida Prado, inspired by fados of João Monge, and the collaboration between singer Maria João and pianist Mário Laginha.
On July 26, the penultimate day’s program begins with the concert ‘Breath of the Earth’, by the participatory project Coro do Festival de Marvão, directed by Pedro Teixeira, and continues with the Maat Saxophone Quartet performing works by Luís Tinoco.
The day concludes with a ‘Memorial Concert’ dedicated to Wolfgang Rhim, who passed away on July 27, 2024. The program combines works by the German composer with pieces by Haydn and Schubert. Paulo Jorge Ferreira will be the soloist on accordion.
The Gala Closure features festival musicians performing works by Robert Kahn, André Previn, Astor Piazzolla, Erneste Lecuona, Francis Poulenc, Rossini, Massenet, Louis Spohr, Fauré, Rachmaninov, Pauline Viardot, and Mendelssohn.
The concerts will be held in the gardens, courtyard, cistern, and keep of the Castle of Marvão, as well as in the churches of Nossa Senhora da Estrela and São Tiago, the Casa da Cultura, and the Roman City Ruins of Ammaia. Guided tours and drawing classes are part of the parallel activities.
