Aldeburgh Festival

The Aldeburgh Festival is an English music festival, which is mainly dedicated to the presentation of classical music. It takes place annually in Aldeburgh in Suffolk instead, since 1967, mainly in the concert hall in an old malt house in the neighboring village of Snape.

History of the Aldeburgh Festival

The festival was launched by the British composer Benjamin Britten, singer Peter Pears and the librettist Eric Crozier launched in 1948. The original reason was the desire to create a venue for their joint opera troupe to find the English Opera Group, but the idea of the festival was soon extended to poetry readings, literary and theatrical events, lectures and art exhibitions. The first festival was held to 13 June 1948 by 5. The main venue was the Aldeburgh Jubilee Hall, which was only a few steps from Britten 's old home. Among the first of these works are included Britten's Albert Herring and his composed specially for the festival cantata Saint Nicolas, op.42. ( Death in Venice in 1973, for example, A Midsummer Night 's Dream 1960) In the festival various works of Benjamin Britten premiered.

Over time, the dimensions of the festivals and other venues such as the Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Aldeburgh and the nearby towns of Orford, Blythburgh and Framlingham grew were added. In the 1960s, the festival got its own venue, which was obtained by the conversion of a former malt house in the village of Snape as a large concert hall with 832 seats. The new concert hall was inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth II on 2 June 1967 for the opening of the 20th Aldeburgh Festival.

Two years later, the concert hall was destroyed on the opening night of the festival by a fire. This year, the festival events took place in other rooms, but the following year the reconstructed concert hall was officially opened by the Queen again.

The festival today

Organizer of the festival is in July 2006, the company Aldeburgh Music (previously Aldeburgh Productions and others). Premieres of new music, presenting new interpretations and the rediscovery of forgotten music continue to be focal points of the festival program. Since the beginning of the festival is dedicated to the care of young talents by young artists are brought together with established stars. In 2009, new buildings, the Hoffmann Building, the Britten Studio with 340 seats, the Jerwood Kiln Studio built with 75 seats and some facilities for the artists.

Artistic director of the festival since 2009 the pianist Pierre -Laurent Aimard.

Documents

Weblink

• Www.aldeburgh.co.uk: the festival website

• Music Festival ( UK )
• Festival of Classical Music
• Suffolk
• Culture ( England)