Borletti-Buitoni Trust
Sunday morning coffee concert 11 June 2023
On the second day of BBT’s 20th anniversary weekend at Wigmore Hall in June 2023, the morning coffee concert was devoted to Bach, sometimes with unusual instrumental timbres. What would Bach of thought of movements from his Third Cello Suite played on the marimba? I’m sure he would have loved it in Simone Rubino’s mesmeric performance. Simone also performed with Multi-Story Orchestra at Bold Tendencies as part of the weekend, and was present at the UK première screening of his film Il Ritmo della Terra, performing in Lamberto Cortini’s chamber score for strings, percussion and voice, now available on First Hand Records for download and streaming.
Ending BBT’s 20th anniversary weekend’s Sunday morning coffee concert in June 2023, devoted to the genius of Bach, Geneva Lewis mesmerised the audience with a performance of Bach’s Chaconne, the final movement of his Partita No 2 in D minor for solo violin. Time stood still…
Sunday evening 11 June 2023
Opening and closing the final concert in BBT’s 20th anniversary weekend at Wigmore Hall in June 2023, Quatuor Ébène ranged over four centuries. Here the quartet opened the concert with one of Henry Purcell’s Fantasias, which led straight into guitarist Sean Shibe playing a John Dowland Fantasia from a century earlier.
In the final concert of BBT’s 20th anniversary weekend at Wigmore Hall in June 2023, guitarist Sean Shibe followed Quatuor Ébène’s Purcell Fantasia No 6 with a Fantasia from nearly 100 years earlier, by John Dowland, before being joined by mezzo-soprano Ema Nikolovska for three Dowland songs. A jump of three centuries brought us to the 20th century for two of Benjamin Britten’s Songs from the Chinese, before a further leap into our own century for two excerpts from Thomas Adès’ most recent opera, The Exterminating Angel, which also saw Ema’s debut on the piano!
Bringing BBT’s 20th anniversary weekend at Wigmore Hall in June 2023 to a triumphant close, Quatuor Ébène returned to the stage to play its signature work, Ravel’s String Quartet in F, which was included on the quartet’s first BBT-supported CD release (originally on Virgin Classics, now Erato), way back in 2008. Second violinist Gabriel Le Magadure wrote about the quartet’s inclusion in the BBT20 weekend: “What a time we had all together for BBT’s anniversary !! It has been a memorable day/evening that we will all remember !! Thank you again so much for your trust and fidelity to us.”