A Little Night Music
The Radio France Festival in Montpellier
7/14/20264 min read
Music and Countryside have sustained us over the past twenty five years in France. We could not have survived without either of them. However, being close to the city of Montpellier had not been part of the plan. We are so glad that we discovered it, for its music culture has thrilled us with its mixture of symphony and chamber concerts, jazz and opera. Now it is time for The National Orchestra of Montpellier and all their attendant staff to take a well earned break. Step in Radio France Music Festival . Every July internationally famous artists and orchestras are invited to perform in Montpellier, and the concerts are broadcast on 'France Musique' our favourite radio channel. Many are broadcast live. Most of these concerts take place in The Corum or at the Opera house (Comédie) where new budding artists are also given the opportunity to perform earlier in the day. There are concerts in other venues too, including the open air amphitheatre at Chateau d'O which houses jazz concerts. Last night we attended the final concert of the Festival. It was to be The National Orchestra of France performing Wagner, with Marie Nicole Lemuir singing Wagner lieder. This was followed by Mahler's wonderful 5th Symphony( think Dirk Bogarde in Death in Venice.)
As the orchestra assembled , we were astonished by its size and the range of instruments. But then the enormous brass tuba, many trumpets, trombones and shiny brass horns told us of the full-blooded Mahler work that we were about to hear. That said, I secretly looked forward to the quieter fourth movement too, in which the single harpist and multitude of strings would take over, with their haunting melody .
Needless to say there was a long ovation at the end of the concert As everyone filed out into the balmy night air, I felt a mixture of elation, and sadness that this wonderful festival had drawn to a close.
At one time we might have booked a number of concerts in a row, including ones in the middle of the day, staying nearby in a small hotel. No longer! Recent heat waves have taught us that crossing Montpellier in the middle of the day is not for the faint hearted. Moreover, this year, the heat is more intense than ever. We decided to limit our festival visits to the evening, staying within the air conditioned confines of the concert halls. On Friday night we enjoyed Bruch's wonderful Second Violin Concerto played by Hilary Hahn and accompanied by the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Orchestra. Last week we enjoyed another famous French violinist, Renaud Capuçon playing Brahm's with the Festival Orchestra of Budapest .
Chateau d'O is a wonderful outdoor concert location. We love to go there in summer and so we had festival tickets reserved last week to hear the saxophonist Charles Lloyd. When evening fell we were in two minds whether to go at all. Temperatures were still in the thirties, and there would likely be no respite from the heat. In the event we did go and enjoyed the occasion. We even managed to stay relatively cool.
Before the concert began we sat under he pine tree to enjoy a drink together beforehand .
One evening we arrived early so we decided to stroll along the promenade that leads to La Comédie. The fountains were playing, while in the bandstand a modern group serenaded the crowds.
Meanwhile, small children played in the playpark nearby. Can you guess what the theme of this play area is? Montpellier is, indeed, a city of Music.
As we drove home on that final evening we felt a little sad. But Montpellier has announced its music programme for the coming season, so we already have some concerts and operas to look forward to. What's more, now is the time for us to go local. 'Les Amis des Orgues de Lodève' ( Friends of the Organ) have arranged some local concerts this summer. We shall certainly be going along to hear that wonderful organ filling Lodève Cathedral with music. What's more , there will also be a night of jazz in the beautiful cloisters. Whilst we continue to battle with this unpleasantly hot summer, nights of music do bring a little relief. Vive la Musique!
