Chamber Music Short Breaks in the UK (2021 season)

Chamber

Music

Short Breaks in the UK

2021 SEASON THE NAVARRA STRING QUARTET THE ELIAS STRING QUARTET WILLIAM HOWARD & THE CARDUCCI STRING QUARTET

THE CASTLE HOTEL, TAUNTON THE SWAN HOTEL & SPA, LAVENHAM

CHAMBER MUSIC SHORT BREAKS IN THE UK

While these events are undeniably indulgent and leisurely retreats, they are also intended to stimulate the mind and delight the artistic sensibilities.

Hear great classical music performed by outstanding musicians of international repute.

Enjoy the intimacy and intensity of a recital hall little bigger than a large drawing room.

Listen to pre-concert talks by eminent musical experts.

Mingle with the musicians and the speakers as well as like-minded fellow music lovers.

Stay in famous and very comfortable hotels, and enjoy great food.

Opt for a package which includes accommodation and dinners, or select tickets for individual concerts (complimentary interval drinks for all).

Martin Randall Festival staff are in attendance to help these events run smoothly and enjoyably.

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CONTACT US: +44 (0)20 8742 3355

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CLASSICS ACROSS THE CENTURIES 23–25 February 2021 The Swan, Lavenham

BASICALLY BEETHOVEN 26–28 March 2021 The Castle Hotel, Taunton

SCHUBERT & DVOŘÁK 16–18 April 2021 The Castle Hotel, Taunton

THE NAVARRA STRING QUARTET

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SPEAKERS Pre-concert talks by musical experts.

THE ELIAS STRING QUARTET

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THE HOTELS Two of the most comfortable and welcoming in England.

WILLIAM HOWARD & THE CARDUCCI STRING QUARTET

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BOOKING Booking form, details about booking, and our terms and conditions.

Cover photograph: ©Benjamin Ealovega, 2018.

WWW.MARTINRANDALL.COM

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THE NAVARRA STRING QUARTET CLASSICS ACROSS THE CENTURIES 23–25 February 2021 (mh 645) The Swan, Lavenham Price: from £830 Speaker: Richard Wigmore Magnus Johnston, Marije Johnston violin Sascha Bota viola Brian O’Kane cello

‘One can depend on exceptional quality and relax in the knowledge that all will be looked after, even the small details.’

– previous participant.

In their concerts the Navarra range over three centuries and five countries, choosing attractive and contrasting pieces that reveal the string quartet in its different shades and colours. Much-loved works by Haydn (The Dream) and Mozart (Spring) are set alongside later great works: Dvořák’s exhilarating final Quartet is a distinctively Czech take on the Austro-German quartet tradition, and Mendelssohn’s impassioned homage to Beethoven, his Opus 13, is perhaps the greatest quartet ever composer by a teenager.

Three masterpieces by Beethoven include the first Razumovsky Quartet and a specially commissioned arrangement of the famous Pathétique Sonata.

The Navarra String Quartet has built an international reputation as one of the most dynamic and poetic string quartets of today.

Selected for representation by YCAT, they have been awarded the MIDEM Classique Young Artist Award, a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship, a Musica Viva tour, and appeared at major venues and festivals worldwide including Wigmore Hall, Lincoln Center, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Sydney Opera House, and the BBC Proms.

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PROGRAMME

PRACTICALITIES

TUESDAY 23 FEBRUARY, 5.15pm Talk at 4.45pm Beethoven, Pathétique sonata (arr. M. Hidalgo for the Navarra Quartet) Janáček, Kreutzer Sonata No. 1 Beethoven, No. 7 in F, Op. 59 No. 1 Razumovsky

PRICES – per person Two sharing: standard double or twin £830; superior double or twin £920; Junior suite (‘Gainsborough’) £1,020; Suite (‘Constable’) £1,080. Single occupancy: double for sole use £890; superior double for sole use £990.

WEDNESDAY 24 FEBRUARY, 11.00am Talk at 10.30am Haydn, No. 5 in F, Op. 50 The Dream Mendelssohn, No. 2 in A, Op. 13 WEDNESDAY 24 FEBRUARY, 5.15pm Talk at 4.45pm Mozart, No. 14 in G, K387 Spring Bartók, No. 3 Dvořák, No. 13 in G, Op. 106

Included: four concerts and pre-concert talks, accommodation for two nights, breakfasts, two afternoon teas, two dinners, interval drinks, programme, tips for hotel staff.

INDIVIDUAL TICKETS: will be released at a later stage if there is availability.

THURSDAY 25 FEBRUARY, 11.00am Talk at 10.30am Beethoven, No. 1 in F, Op. 18 Ravel, String Quartet in F

Photograph: Navarra String Quartet, ©Sarah Wijzenbeek.

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THE ELIAS STRING QUARTET BASICALLY BEETHOVEN 26–28 March 2021 (mh 679) The Castle Hotel, Taunton Price: from £860 Speaker: Richard Wigmore Sarah Bitlloch, Donald Grant violin Simone van der Giessen viola Marie Bitlloch cello

‘Beyond excellent.

The musicianship and rapport between the players was fantastic’ - participant, The Elias String Quartet in 2018

The Elias String Quartet have long been celebrated, in Britain and abroad, for their subtle and fiery Beethoven performances.

In the composer’s 250th anniversary year they present four of his quartets, from two contrasting works from Op. 18 to the sublime late A minor, Op. 132, with its otherworldly ‘Sacred Song of Thanksgiving’.

The Elias frame Beethoven with a delightful quartet from Haydn’s pioneering Op. 33 set, and the last and most lyrical of Schumann’s three quartets. They also pay tribute to two British composers: Henry Purcell’s Fantasias were much admired by Benjamin Britten, whose elegiac last quartet evokes his beloved Venice.

The Quartet was formed in 1998 at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester where it worked closely with the late Dr Christopher Rowland. It has performed at some of the world’s most prestigious chamber venues, including Carnegie Hall New York, the Washington Library of Congress, Musikverein Vienna, Konzerthaus Berlin and Het Concertgebouw Amsterdam.

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PROGRAMME

PRACTICALITIES

FRIDAY 26 MARCH, 5.30pm Talk at 5.00pm Haydn, Op. 33, No. 5 in G How Do You Do? Beethoven, No. 15 in A Minor, Op. 132

PRICES – per person Two sharing: standard double or twin £860; Garden Room £1,050. Single occupancy: double for sole use £980; single bedded room £860.

SATURDAY 27 MARCH, 11.00am Talk at 10.30am Britten, No. 3 in G, Op. 94 Beethoven, No. 8 in E minor, Op. 59, No. 2 Razumovsky SATURDAY 27 MARCH, 5.30pm Talk at 5.00pm Purcell, Fantasias Beethoven, No. 3 in D, Op. 18 Schumann, No. 3 in A, Op. 41

Included: four concerts and pre-concert talks, accommodation for two nights, breakfasts, two afternoon teas, two dinners, interval drinks, programme, tips for hotel staff.

INDIVIDUAL TICKETS: £20 mornings, £25 evenings. Interval drinks and a programme are also included. See page 15 for ticket bookings.

SUNDAY 28 MARCH, 11.00am Talk at 10.30am Beethoven, No. 4 in C minor, Op. 18 Scottish Folk Tunes

Photograph: The Elias String Quartet, ©David Shapiro.

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WILLIAM HOWARD & THE CARDUCCI STRING QUARTET SCHUBERT & DVOŘÁK 16–18 April 2021 (mh 705) The Castle Hotel, Taunton Price: from £860 Speaker: William Howard

Matthew Denton, Michelle Fleming violin Eion Schmidt-Martin viola Emma Denton cello William Howard piano

At the heart of this weekend are three of Schubert’s most distinctive and enduringly popular chamber works: the Trout Quintet, Death and the Maiden Quartet and E flat Piano Trio. Curated by William Howard in collaboration with the superb Carducci String Quartet, the programmes also offer a varied selection of more intimate pieces by Schubert.

Each concert includes a work by Dvořák, who, like Schubert, was not only one of the greatest melodists of the 19th century, but also shared an astonishing imagination for instrumental colour, nowhere more evident than in his own Piano Quintet.

William Howard’s distinguished career as soloist and founder/pianist of the Schubert Ensemble has taken him to over 40 different countries. He has performed regularly at major UK festivals and London venues, including Wigmore Hall and Kings Place, and can be heard on more than 40 CD recordings. He has lectured for MRT in Warsaw and Bologna.

Founded in 1997, the internationally acclaimed Carducci String Quartet have performed in prestigious venues across the globe. Winners of numerous competitions and, in 2016, a Royal Philharmonic Society Award, they maintain a busy schedule of concerts alongside a strong commitment to educational work and run their own annual Festival near Gloucester.

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PROGRAMME FRIDAY 16 APRIL, 5.30pm Talk at 5.00pm Schubert, Adagio and Rondo Concertante for Piano Quartet D487 Dvořák, String Quartet No. 12 in F, Op. 96 American Schubert, Piano Quintet in A, D667 Die Forelle

SUNDAY 18 APRIL, 11.00am Talk at 10.30am Schubert, Ave Maria (arr. for Cello and Piano) Schubert, Ständchen (arr. for Piano by F. Liszt) and Impromptus in G flat and E flat from Op. 90 Dvořák, Three Waltzes Op. 54 for Piano Schubert, Piano Trio No. 2 in E flat, D929 PRACTICALITIES

SATURDAY 17 APRIL, 11.00am Talk at 10.30am Schubert, String Trio Movements in B flat D471 Dvořák, Three Poetic Tone Pictures for Piano, Op. 85 Schubert, 3 Ecossaises D816 and Ungarische Melodie D817 (both for Piano) Schubert, String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, D810 Death and the Maiden SATURDAY 17 APRIL, 5.30pm Talk at 5.00pm Schubert, Notturno in E flat D897 for Piano Trio Schubert, String Quartet No. 10 in E flat, D87 Dvořák, Piano Quintet No. 2 in A, Op. 81

PRICES – per person Two sharing: standard double or twin £860; Garden Room £1,050. Single occupancy: double for sole use £980; single bedded room £860.

Included: four concerts and pre-concert talks, accommodation for two nights, breakfasts, two afternoon teas, two dinners, interval drinks, programme, tips for hotel staff.

INDIVIDUAL TICKETS: £20 mornings, £25 evenings. Interval drinks and a programme are also included. See page 15 for ticket bookings.

Photographs: William Howard, ©Ben Ealovega.

The Carducci String Quartet, © Tom Barnes.

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2020 & 2021 MUSIC ALONG THE RHINE 30 – 7 JUNE 2020 MUSIC IN THE LOIRE VALLEY 7–13 JULY 2020 THE DANUBE: CELEBRATING BEETHOVEN 24–31 AUGUST 2020 THE DIVINE OFFICE 28 SEPTEMBER– 2 OCTOBER 2020 VENICE: PAGEANTRY & PIETY 2– 7 NOVEMBER 2020 POLYPHONY IN PORTUGAL 16–21 MAY 2021 MUSIC ALONG THE RHINE 15–22 JUNE 2021 MUSIC IN SUFFOLK 5–8 JULY 2021 MUSIC ALONG THE DANUBE 20 –27 AUGUST 2021 OPERA IN SICILY 2–8 NOVEMBER 2021 Please contact us for full details of any of our festivals in 2020, or to register your interest in 2021.

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CONTACT US: +44 (0)20 8742 3355

SPEAKERS Photographs: Left, Richard Wigmore. Right, William Howard, ©Edward Webb.

RICHARD WIGMORE

WILLIAM HOWARD

Music writer, lecturer and broadcaster for BBC Radio 3. He writes for BBC Music Magazine and Gramophone and has taught classes in Lieder history and interpretation at Guildhall College of Music & Drama, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance and Birkbeck College. He read French and German at Cambridge and later studied Music at Guildhall. His publications include Schubert: The Complete Song Texts and Pocket Guide to Haydn.

William Howard’s distinguished career as soloist and founder/pianist of the Schubert Ensemble has taken him to over 40 different countries. He has performed regularly at major UK festivals and London venues, including Wigmore Hall and Kings Place, and can be heard on more than 40 CD recordings. He has lectured for MRT in Warsaw and Bologna.

Photograph left: ©Benjamin Ealovega, 2018.

WWW.MARTINRANDALL.COM

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THE HOTELS

THE CASTLE HOTEL, TAUNTON

THE SWAN HOTEL & SPA, LAVENHAM

The Castle is renowned for its excellent service, for comforts traditional and modern, and for its superb catering. It has been owned and run by the Chapman family for over 60 years. Chamber music events have been held here since 1977, and Martin Randall Travel took over the running of them in 2003.

The Swan Hotel at Lavenham has been an inn since 1667 and is one of the most charming and best-known small-town hotels in England.

It spreads through a number of contiguous half-timber buildings which date to the 15th and 16th centuries.

The hotel’s bedrooms are individually and charmingly decorated. Doubles and twins are mainly of a good size, and the largest – the Garden Rooms – overlook the garden. There is no single-occupancy supplement for the rooms with single beds. The majority of rooms have a bath with a shower fitment.

The hotel has a lift, though some bedrooms are then accessed via stairs. The Music Room is on a mezzanine level, up a flight of stairs from the lobby.

Taunton lies on the doorstep of Exmoor and the Quantocks, areas with some of the loveliest countryside in England. www.the-castle-hotel.com

The bedrooms have been renovated in a pleasingly restrained manner which retains their historical character. Most bathrooms have a bath with shower fitment. Facilities include a bar, extensive lounge areas, a brasserie and the Weavers’ House Spa. Dinners are served in the gallery hall.

Due to the historical nature of the building, the hotel does not have a lift, and on the ground floor there are steps to negotiate.

A limited number of bedrooms are available on the ground floor. If you have access requirements, please contact us as soon as possible.

Lavenham is only around 60 miles from London and yet it feels a world apart, and an age away. Surrounded by gently rolling farming country, this Suffolk village is noted for its outstanding 15th-century church and halftimbered medieval houses. www.theswanatlavenham.co.uk

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CONTACT US: +44 (0)20 8742 3355

BOOKING FORM | CHAMBER MUSIC SHORT BREAKS IN THE UK: 2021

NAME(S) – We do not use titles on documents issued to tour participants unless you want us to by including them here: Participant 1: Participant 2: CONTACT DETAILS – for all correspondence: Address: Postcode Telephone (home) Mobile For speed and efficiency, we provide your tour and booking documents online where possible.

Please conf irm whether you are happy to receive documents online: Yes No E-mail EVENT & ACCOMMODATION – please select your choice(s) of event and room-type: The Elias Quartet 26–28 March 2021

The Castle Hotel, Taunton Single room Double for sole use

William Howard & The Carducci Quartet 16–18 April 2021

Standard double – two sharing Garden Room – two sharing With:

Navarra Quartet 23–25 February 2021

twin beds

double bed

The Swan Hotel & Spa, Lavenham Double room for sole use Superior double for sole use Standard double – two sharing Superior double – two sharing Junior suite – two sharing Suite – two sharing With:

twin beds

double bed

BOOKING FORM | CHAMBER MUSIC SHORT BREAKS IN THE UK: 2021

FURTHER INFORMATION and special requests, including dietary requirements:

PAYMENT We prefer payment by bank transfer, cheque or debit card. We also accept payment by credit card. All money paid to us is fully protected regardless of payment method.

Please tick an option: ANK TRANSFER. Please give your surname and B tour code (eg. MH123) only as a reference and ask your bank to allow for all charges.

Account name: Martin Randall Travel Ltd B ank: Handelsbanken, 2 Chiswick High Road, London W4 1TH ccount number: 8663 3438 • Sort code: 40-51-62 A IBAN: GB98 HAND 4051 6286 6334 38 Swift/BIC code: HAND GB22 CHEQUE. I enclose a cheque payable to Martin Randall Travel Ltd – please write the event code on the back (e.g. MH123).

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DEBIT OR CREDIT CARD. I authorise Martin Randall Travel to contact me by telephone to take payment from my Visa credit/Visa debit/ Mastercard/AMEX. Please tick payment amount: EITHER Deposit(s) amounting to 10% of your total booking cost.

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Martin Randall Travel Ltd Voysey House, Barley Mow Passage, London W4 4GF Tel: +44 (0)20 8742 3355 | info@martinrandall.co.uk www.martinrandall.com

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BOOKING DETAILS & OUR CONDITIONS We recommend that you contact us first to make a booking option which we will hold for one week. To confirm your place(s), please then send your booking form and the deposit (10% of your total booking cost) to us within this period. If you are booking within ten weeks of the event, we require full payment.

Alternatively, you can make a confirmed booking online at www.martinrandall.com.

Extending your stay Please contact us for a quote if you would like to stay any extra nights in the hotels.

Our contract with you. From the time we receive your signed booking form and initial payment, a contract exists between you and Martin Randall Travel Ltd. Insurance. We recommend you take out travel insurance to protect you in the event of cancellation and loss or theft of belongings.

Overseas residents must take out travel insurance to include cover for medical treatment, repatriation, loss of property, cancellation charges and that protects the cost of your international travel (in the unlikely event that we cancel the event). Experience indicates that free travel insurance offered by credit card companies is not to be relied upon.

If you cancel. If you have to withdraw from your booking, there would be a charge which varies according to the period of notice you give. Up to 57 days before the event’s start date, the deposit is forfeited. Thereafter a percentage of the total cost will be due: from 56 to 29 days: 40% from 28 to 15 days: 60% from 14 to 3 days: 80% within 48 hours: 100% We take as the day of cancellation that on which we receive your written conf irmation of cancellation.

Individual concert tickets For Lavenham concert ticket availability, please contact us on 020 8742 3355.

For events in Taunton, individual concert tickets are handled by the hotel. Please call 01823 272 671 or visit the-castle-hotel.com How strenuous?

Everything takes place within the confines of the hotel. Please read the hotels information on page 12. If you use a wheelchair or have difficulties with negotiating stairs, and please contact us if you would like to discuss your access requirements in general.

If we cancel the event. We may decide to cancel an event if there were insufficient bookings for it to be viable (though this would always be more than eight weeks before its start date). We would refund you with everything you had paid us.

The limits of our liabilities. As principal, we accept responsibility for all ingredients of the event, except those in which the principle of force majeure prevails.

If we make changes. Circumstances might arise which prevent us from running the event exactly as advertised. We would try to devise a satisfactory alternative, but if the change represents a significant loss to the event we would offer compensation. If you decide to cancel because the alternative is not acceptable, we would give a full refund.

Financial protection. We provide full financial protection for our package holidays that do not include a flight by way of a bond held by ABTA The Travel Association.

English Law. These conditions form part of your contract with Martin Randall Travel Ltd and are governed by English law. All proceedings shall be within the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

Privacy. By signing the booking form you are stating that you have read and agree to our Privacy Policy, which can be found online at www.martinrandall.com/privacy.

MARTIN RANDALL TRAVEL Britain’s leading specialist in cultural travel and one of the most respected tour operators in the world.

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They focus on art, architecture, archaeology, history, music and gastronomy, and are spread across Britain, continental Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, India, China, Japan and the Americas.

Each year there are about 250 expertled tours for small groups (usually 10 –20 participants), five or six music festivals, a dozen music and history short breaks in the UK and numerous single-day events in London.

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