Sir András Schiff and COE Soloists at the Fondation Louis Vuitton
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After our summer appearances together at the Lucerne Festival, Sir András Schiff joins the COE once more for a return visit to the prestigious Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris on 15 September.
The wind Soloists who will be joining Sir András on this occasion for Mozart’s Quintet for piano and wind K452 are Kai Frömbgen on oboe, Romain Guyot on clarinet, Claudio Alberti on bassoon and Jasper de Waal on horn.
The COE’s string Principals Lorenza Borrani on violin, Pascal Siffert on viola, Richard Lester on cello and Enno Senft on double bass team up with Sir András for Schubert’s famous “Trout Quintet”. The setting of his popular “Forelle” song for piano and strings pairs perfectly with Schubert’s Introduction and Variations on “Trockne Blumen”, which was also originally based on a song, and sees Sir András accompanying Clara Andrada on flute. The programme additionally features Schönberg’s String Trio.
For his solo recital two days earlier, on 13 September, Sir András Schiff will play Schubert’s Piano Sonata in B flat major and Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor.
The concert of Sir András Schiff with the COE Soloists was streamed live. The video remains available for on-demand watching until 15 December on the website of the Fondation Louis Vuitton.
“There are orchestras, good ones, great ones and then there is the COE. This is a community of individuals who love music and who obviously enjoy being together. Like in good chamber music, there is a constant flow of give and take. It is a unique ensemble. There is no routine. Most of the members play chamber music – in string quartets, wind quintets and different formations – when they are not in the orchestra, so there is a high level of listening to one another. They come from different countries and schools of playing, but they have their very own sound as an ensemble. The collective sensitivity and intelligence of this group is admirable. Together they represent the very essence of Europe. It makes me happy and proud to be associated with this unique ‘orchestra’.”
Sir András Schiff on the COE
“Andràs is a musician and a person I have admired since my childhood. Many years ago [in 2010], I remember travelling to Lisbon for concerts at the Gulbekian. It was one of the first occasions I was playing as Principal flute in the COE. Former Principal players oboist François Leleux and violinist Marieke Blankestijn were playing a chamber music concert with him. From that very moment, I have wished for that same opportunity one day…and voilà!
Schubert’s Trockne Blumen is one of the most meaningful pieces in the current repertoire for flute. There are many great scores for orchestra, but unfortunately there aren’t so many jewels of chamber music from that period. It is a demanding piece for both musicians with incredibly virtuosic moments, while the delicacy of the original song always remains present.
It is a real dream to be able to share the stage with my very admired András Schiff. I am very thankful with this opportunity wich I’m sure is going to be an inspiring experience. I hope you will all come to Paris!”
Clara Andrada on making chamber music with Sir András Schiff
Following our concerts with Renaud Capuçon last year, we are very much looking forward to be returning to the impressive Fondation Louis Vuitton. The lively arts hub was created by the architect Frank Gehry, whose many other masterpieces include the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. The auditorium’s acoustics are second to none, having been masterminded by Nagata Acoustics, responsible for concert halls across the world including the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, and the Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul where we performed with Leonidas Kavakos in March 2018.