Romantic Music Feast Mixing Middle Ages and Modern Times

Rheingau Music Festival, which is held in the Rheingau-Taunus region in Hessen, Germany from late June to early September, has a short history of 15 years. However, the festival shows two programs everyday, and therefore throughout the whole period a total of 8o concerts are held, boasting the “affluence of the musical feast.” Schleswig Holstein music festival held in northern Germany, which has only 30 programs, pales beside Rheingau festival.

The sheer size is not the only beauty of the festival. Participants include London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Andre Previn, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orch. By Herbert Blowstedt, English Barouche Soloists by John Eliot Gardiner, Musica Antiqua Koln by R. Gobel, pianist Daniel Barenboim, Alfred Brendel, violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, cellist Heinrich Schiff, and gutarist John Williams. Also the level and number of soloists participating in the festival are great.

This year Gumho String Quartet was invited to the festival, which is the second participation in it. The string quartet consists of violinist Kim Eu-myung(leader, professor at Hanyang Univ.), violinist Kim Kyung-ah, violist Kim Sang-jin, and cellist Song Young-hoon. The string quartet played Yoon Ea-sang’s string quartet No.1, “Mishima,” Philip Glass’ string quartet No. 3, and Smetana’s string quartet No. 1 “From my life” and received standing ovation. Daily newspapers including Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung praised in its review section that the group well showed the inner life of a musical composer who was gripped by physical and emotional affliction in the musical piece of Yoon Ea-sang. In particular, review articles said that cellist Song Young-hoon was great in expressing the delicate feelings in the piece of Smetana.

On July 19, an opportunity was given in “ESWE Forum” held in Bisbaden to take a look at the diversity of the festival. American composer Steve Reich, who was called pioneer of “minimal” music, explained his musical pieces in the forum, and modern musical bands like “Ensemble Modern” played “Triple string quartet,” “Different Trains,” and so on.

Steve Reich showed his unique music characterized by the “aesthetics of repetition” by mixing play by musicians on the stage and a taped concert piece. “In the beginning of my career, my musical pieces were very repetitive and short. However, nowadays my repetitive style was diversified,” he said.

“Classic Marathon” held in St. Johannisberg on July 20, revealed another facet of Rheingau Music Festival, in which one can witness the festival’s efforts to introduce and bring up young musicians. Six soloists and one part song group entertained for as long as 4 hours.

On the same day, Korean violinist Bae Young-ran, who is attending the Julliard School,

drew attention at the finale. She played clearly and vigorously violin concerto in e minor of BF Mendelssohn and got a huge acclamation from the audience.

Mihael herman, the founder of Rheingau Music Festival and chief director said that this festival concentrates on 2-3 main themes, while inviting world-class musicians of various genre. And he also added, ”the festival is run without any difficulties due to the support of some 120 companies.” This year, the festival will continue through September 1.

Yoon-Jong Yoo gustav@donga.com