24. 02. 2013: Reflexion

When Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger has on 19 April 2005 been elected to pope, the European Organ Festival, Kremnica Castle Organ already prepared presentation of the organ art from The Holy City. For the first time the organist from Vatican, Gianluca Libertucci, gave concert in Kremnica in 2006. But he was not the only discussed artist from Vatican. At that time we also negotiated with the chief-organist of St Peter’s Basilica, Professor James Edward Goettsche, and with composer and former conductor of the Capella Sistina, Mons. Giuseppe Liberto.

Professor Goettsche is respected personality of Vatican, serves as musical director of divine-services in the Basilica.

Within our negotiations Professor Goettsche has referred to importance of the organ music, as was accented by Cardinal Ratzinger, at that time already Pope. Goettsche has been the only musician in connection to the secretariat of the pope. Benedict XVI had an ambition to deepen the contents of liturgical services, to entry of spirit of Latin to verbal and musical unit. But Benedict XVI resigned to his mission as Holy Father, and Professor Goettsche apparently will not visit to Kremnica, however he gave us the written commitment.

Factual representative of the organ art in Vatican is Professor Gianluca Libertucci.

He hosted to Kremnica till now four times, and once to the private event. Libertucci is a friend of the Kremnica festival. In his biography are not many places outside Italy with similar intensity of visits and contacts. In summer 2013 he will play recital with works by J.S. Bach, C. Franck, and Mons. G. Liberto.

We hope the following pope will accent the choral and organ components of liturgical services. The organ as extraordinary instrument has an authentic place in sacred space. The colours of sound, and musical symbols unites in both liturgical as well as interpretative, artistic processes.

09. 01. 2013: Kremnica Castle Organ 2013 - Welcome !

Dear friends of the organ art,

Dear favourers of the festival,

We would like to welcome you to the homepage of the European Organ Festival, Kremnica Castle Organ. Thank you for favour, we wish you all the best in 2013. We will be happy if our festival will bring you artistic asset and enrich you in the field of the organ art.

The 2013 annual is nearly finalized. We can state that consistently selected personalities represent the highest artistic standards in the branch. We look forward to modern and excellent performances of the most prominent pieces for organ.

Since the end of previous annual we have visited to many of organ concerts abroad and within Slovakia, we have discussed with learned organists, and have known the great organ instruments. After all, on this basis we build every concert and every year of our festival. But we can also state the artistic values of our organ, bound also with majestic acoustic space of the Castle Church of St Catherine. We will be pleased as you will visit the forthcoming annual of the festival there, to meeting with excellent organ art and organ interpreters.

Welcome to Kremnica Organ Festival!

Renata Kostalova, M.A. - Stanislav Kowalski, M.A., authors of the festival

12. 09. 2012: Coda 2012

The 2012 annual of the Kremnica Castle Organ is over. There have been heard seven concert-interpretations of excellent qualities, concentred on the small place within the one festival. Each concert by international organists represented own themes. Similarly as previous and following annuals, also the 16th presented the organ art on the highest level of standards. The great number of audience in the St Catherine’s Castle Church documented the public interests in the organ art. By this facts we can state, Kremnica also in 2012 was one of the important capitals of the European organ art.

Renata Kostalova, M.A. - Stanislav Kowalski, M.A. - authors of the festival

Our really perfect organists: Winfried Lichtscheidel, Manuel Tomadin, Espen Melbo, Peter Frisée

02. 08. 2012: News

Professor Thomas Nipp is an organist with respect from the authors of the festival, Kremnica Castle Organ. Not by the facts of number of his concert-tours, but because they are pleased by preciseness and artistic values of Nipp’s interpretations.

Probably as the very characteristic of his recital can be said: Seriousness. It starts already at the concept of the programme. Nipp in each case plays works of Liechtenstein-born composer, J.G. Rheinberger. We can state, he is probably the most enthusiastic promoter and interpreter of Rheinberger’s oeuvre. This year in Kremnica Nipp devoted attention to the 9th Sonata, full of meditative and music ideas. As the next great work we have heard the 5th Symphony by F.-A. Guilmant. It contains four parts, full of contrasts and gradation, reflected in Nipp’s excellent technics of play. The break between the major works has been a little piece “Salve Regina” by Naji Hakim. As bonus has been played Toccata by Eugene Gigout, selected in cooperation with the authors of the festival.The seriousness, preciseness and mastery of programme and interpretations by Thomas Nipp are similar as the basements of the festival, Kremnica Castle Organ. All this qualities are truly welcomed, but must be searched seriously. We are satisfied, that Professor Nipp guested again within our festival.

10. 07. 2012: A perfect start of the festival – Silvia Márquez

As stated in previous posts, the festive opening concert by Professor Márquez has been awaited. It is given by facts of our knowledge on the highest standards of Spanish organists, at least of those already concerted within our festival. Silvia Márquez is an excellent artist with notable fingering, pedal-play, as well as a great fantasy of concept of registration for her performances. She exploited all colours and dynamic shades of the organ at Kremnica. Her brilliant technics of play examined the state of the instrument. Silvia Márquez has not surprised us, she really fulfilled our expectation. By this fact there is a presumption of next invitation of her, because she can tell us a lot.

13. 04. 2012: Professor Dusan Bill

Professor Dušan Bill is choir-master and Slovakia’s best interpret of chorus sacred music today. Leaded by Professor Bill, the Adoremus Choir in collaboration with organist Mr. Marek Vrábel and Mr. Stanislav Kowalski, M.A. prepares a concert within the festival, Kremnica Castle Organ. The chief-points of the programme will be the works by Ján Levoslav Bella (1843––1936). J. L. Bella lived in Kremnica from 1869 to 1881 and served there as town music director. So the works of Slovak master will be performed in authentic spaces connected with his life.

Prof. Dusan Bill realised lots of concert trips to many European countries, U.S.A. and Australia.

26. 02. 2012: Espen Melbø

Young and ambitious artist from Norway, Espen Melbø prepares for our festival his interpretations of great opuses, the Sonata No. 17 by J.G. Rheinberger, and the Symphonic Fantasy and Fugue for Organ, Op 57, by Max Reger. Moreover he will play also the “Vorspiel” to “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg” by R. Wagner, excellently transcribed by Edwin Lemare. His majestic and valuable programme will be surely a pearl of the festival.

We had a meeting with artist in Leipzig, Saxony, where –– following to studies in Oslo with Professor Boysen –– he continues his studies with Professor Stefan Engels at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater “Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy”. Except the dramaturgy of Espen’s recital we have discussed further details of his trip to Kremnica, Slovakia. From Leipzig he will travel via Vienna, on retour he will stay in Zurich, Switzerland. Our young artist is really globetrotter without time for his summer visit to native-place Lillehammer.

10. 02. 2012: Welcome to the European Organ Festival Kremnica Castle Organ 2012 !

Dear Friends of the organ art,

Dear visitors to the European Organ Festival, Kremnica Castle Organ,

Welcome to the homepage of the festival’s 16th annual. Here will be presented information, news, photos, programmes and facts on the actual year of the festival.

The festival will take place on dates as indicated in the section “Programme.” The concerts will take place as usual, always on Sunday at 6 p.m. Programmes of concerts by Silvia Marquez, Peter Frisée, Thomas Nipp and Manuel Tomadin are already completed, the rest will be actualised. The all are characterised by tending to great compositions, to pieces for the great organ. Therefore the symphonic feature of concerts is the chief mark of the festival, enriched by virtuous playing of guest-organists.

Prof. Silvia Marquez will play festive opening concert

The dramaturgy of the festival is based on the modern presentations of notable organ works. The guests are renowned organists of today. This features rank our festival among the extraordinary within Slovakia. However before years there has been presented Requiem by W.A. Mozart, or movie music by Petr Hapka and Karel Svoboda transcribed for organ, the most of concerts have been soloist with accent to virtuoso expression of individual organists.

Forthcoming annual will bring also a little bit different programme. The choir “Adoremus” leaded by Dušan Bill and organist Marek Vrábel will present programme “Spirituality of the Organ Art” where bind both the human voice and the organ. St Catherine’s Church with excellent organ creates authentic space for the spirit ideas with motto “Hommage à parents.”

There will be published news on the 2012 Kremnica Castle Organ before its start, and also in course of the festival.

We also welcome your ideas, questions and remarks, best per e-mail organ@kremnickyhradnyorgan.sk.

We are looking forward to meeting with you at the City Castle of Kremnica, in the St Catherine’s Church.

Renata Košťálová M.A. - Stanislav Kowalski M.A.

authors of the festival

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