The end of summer typically sees Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra at its annual residency at the Klang and Raum Festival in Irsee, Germany. This year, the orchestra opens its 2009-2010 season with not one, but two prestigious engagements at European summer festivals: they will perform at both the inaugural Reate Festival in Italy, as well as Klang und Raum. It’s the beginning of a busy season, during which Tafelmusik will tirelessly represent Canada on the world stage, spending more than 60 days on the road, performing in 17 cities and nine different countries.
Tafelmusik opens its European odyssey in Rieti Italy, August 16-25, where they will perform three separate programs of repertoire ranging from Mozart to Beethoven to arias of the great bel canto composers. The Reate Festival in Rieti Italy is in its inaugural year, and is a multi-disciplinary, international festival led by Artistic Director Kent Nagano. Maestro Nagano issued a personal invitation to Tafelmusik to perform at the festival immediately following their performance on the Orchestre symphonique de Montreal’s series last January. The invitation brings Tafelmusik to Italy for the first time in the orchestra’s history.
August 28 to September 8, the orchestra will be in Irsee in southern Germany, where they will serve as orchestra in residence at the 17th annual Klang and Raum festival. This year’s festival, under the direction of Bruno Weil, will commemorate the 200th anniversary of Haydn’s death and the 200th anniversary of Mendelssohn’s birth. Following the Festival,
Tafelmusik travels to nearby Augsburg, Germany with Bruno Weil to perform Mozart’s Symphony no. 29 in A Major, and Haydn’s Symphony no. 97 in C Major in the renowned Goldener Saal.
Tafelmusik will be back in Toronto in time to open its home season at Trinity St. Paul’s Church with a grand performance of Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks, in which they’ll be joined by Montreal’s Orchestre Baroque Arion.
For more on the orchestra, its touring plans and its season, you can visit the website here.
