The Miercurea Ciuc Early Music Festival (in its Hungarian name Csíkszeredai Régizene Fesztivál) celebrates its 40th anniversary. The series of events are scheduled to take place between July 11–July 19, and the organizers promise an extraordinary program. As the artistic director of the festival, flautist Ignác Filip told the maszol.ro news portal, the festival’s line-up had already been drawn up a year ago.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, foreign artists will not participate at the festival as originally planned, but the organizers have done their most to celebrate this anniversary in a remarkable way. Besides the live shows and several additional events, those interested can enjoy several online “delicacies” too.
“One can look back to the past 40 years of the festival by watching the archive recordings, interviews with performers, instrument demonstrations, concert videos recorded in historical buildings located in different parts of Transylvania, and there will be a musical memorial tour as well”, said the director. The programme will include various concerts with Transylvanian artists, an outdoor exhibition, wine tasting as well. Organizers hope that through this mixture of online programme items and live events the festival will be able to reach an even wider audience than in previous years. Every live concert will be broadcasted on the festival’s Facebook page.
Early music has been defined by the festival organizers as the totality of musical creations of the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the Baroque, interpreted on the original instruments or on authentic replicas of such instruments. Some of the most renowned ensembles invited are the Codex Early Music band, the Chamber Orchestra of Csík, the Ványolós family and the Concerto Spiralis from Csíkszereda, and other well-known Transylvanian Early Music ensembles such as the Transylvania Baroque Ensemble, the Kájoni Consort or the Carmina Renascentia.
As according to the historical overview published on the festival’s webpage, the first edition of the Early Music Festival was organized in Csíkszereda in 1980; at the moment it is the longest-running festival in Romania. It was not by accident that Csíkszereda undertook the promotion of early music: it is known that in the 17th century Joannes Caioni (1629-1687), a polyhistor, musical instrument maker lived and worked at the Franciscan monastery of Csíksomlyó (Şumuleu Ciuc). The famous Caioni Codex, one of the most valuable documents of the 17 century musical history contains 213 musical pieces of that age, gathered and written down by Ioannes Caioni.
The festival was banned during communism (between 1986 and 1989), but after 1990 it was launched again. In the past years it has featured performers from many European countries, including outstanding masters of early music. The Baroque Festival Orchestra, the festival’s own product, has presented concerts greatly valued both by professionals and the public.
Since 2008, the Early Music Summer University, featuring instrument master classes and lectures, has been one of the regular programmes of the festival. As the artistic director told maszol.ro, this summer university will not be held this year because of the pandemic, but organizers call on their former students to share their memories captured in photos, or video recordings.
Furthermore, the festival’s income from the tickets will be channeled into a scholarship fund, established to help cover the costs for the professional formation of young musicians, noted Ignác Filip.
On the first day of the festival, July 11, participants can attend a walking tour on the pilgrimage route of the Virgin Mary, whilst on July 18 organizers invite everyone interested to a child-friendly bicycle tour; on both journeys there will be a “musical gift” awaiting at the destination: in the Saint John’s catholic church of Csíkdelne a music teacher from Csíkszereda will play early music pieces on the church’s organ. On the night of July 18 there will be a wine tasting event, and the presentation of wines will be accompanied by tunes of early music played on a viola da gamba.
The organizers emphasize, that the festival will be organized in compliance with current health and safety regulations. The number of seats at the concerts will be limited according to the space available; the seats will be occupied in order of arrival, inform the organizers on the festival’s website, regizene.ro, where the programme can be consulted as well.
Title image: A moment of the festival a few years ago.
Source: Csíkszeredai Régizene Fesztivál/Facebook
