Felicja Blumental
The 10th anniversary of a festival celebrating the centenary of the late Polish-Brazilian pianist Felicja Blumental (19-24 May 2008 at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art in Israel) will include the Armonico Consort UK performing Purcell's Dido and Aeneas on original instruments, and pianists from Poland, Canada and Germany taking part in a piano extravaganza - performing concertos for two, three and four pianos with the Israel Chamber Orchestra. A ballet specially choreographed by Lior Lev will be performed by the Kamea Dance Company, accompanied by a CD of music by Soler and Seixas performed by Felicja Blumental. There will also be a tribute to the late David Oistrakh, vocal recitals, films, a concert for children, a special lecture by Moti Omer about the influence of the piano on famous paintings and a Brazilian group performing Choros. Felicja Blumental was born in Warsaw on 28 December 1908 and studied there at the National Conservatory - composition with Karol Szymanowski and piano with Joseph Goldberg, Zbigniew Drzewiecki and Josef Turczynsky. She performed in Brazil in 1942, and a successful début in Rio de Janeiro led to extensive tours in Latin America, totalling more than a hundred concerts. She specialised in unusual music - particularly from around the turn of the nineteenth century, but also the Partita for Harpsichord and Orchestra by Krzysztof Penderecki (dedicated by Penderecki to Blumental, and performed about fifty times by her with the composer conducting). Lutoslawski orchestrated his Paganini Variations for Blumental, and she gave the first performance with the Florida Philharmonic and Brian Priestman. Felicja Blumental died in Tel Aviv on 28 December 1991.
Information: www.blumentalfestival.com
Posted: 17 March 2008
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