Un auditoire comblé au récital de musique
Hier, à Marsac, une cinquantaine d'amateurs de musique classique a répondu à l'invitation de Fiona Finch qui leur proposait un choix éclectique chez trois compositeurs célèbres.
Au superbe piano Steinway, Alasdair Beatson a su rendre avec talent le classique viennois de Mozart, le romantisme de Schumann et l'équilibre harmonique de Fauré. Jouant avec maîtrise du fortissimo au delicato, il a jonglé avec la riche palette des émotions exprimées par des compositeurs au style bien différent.
Fiona Fich a rappelé que l'association Musique à Marsac ne reçoit aucune subvention et dépend de la vente des billets et des dons privés. Le verre de l'amitié a réuni ensuite ceux qui s'étaient déplacés et qui ont noté que le deuxième festival de musique à Marsac aura lieu du 21 au 28 juillet.
La Dépêche du Midi, 31 mai 2013
The French Connection Musique à Marsac by Susan Nickalls
A musician’s life is relentless, often with little time out from the hectic practice/rehearse/concert cycle. So when pianist Alasdair Beatson was offered the chance to develop his own summer school cum mini-festival in France, he jumped at the chance. Several years ago while performing for the Haddington Music Society in East Lothian, he met David and Fiona Finch, active members of the society, who invited him to play on their 100 year old Steinway grand and Beatson immediately fell in love with its sound.
Over the years the Finches have hosted many private soirees in their homes in Scotland and America as David is a keen collector and repairer of pianos. So when the couple decided to buy a property in France four years ago, their main priority was to find one with a room large enough for their two Steinway grands and a small audience. The couple were fortunate to find a house in Marsac, near Toulouse, that not only had a large salon but a Grenier next door, which they also acquired. Built originally to store grain and latterly converted to a dance studio, Fiona was delighted to find the Grenier was a ready made concert venue.
In 2011 when Beatson was performing in Provence he visited Marsac and gave an informal concert, greeted with much enthusiasm, so the Finches suggested he put together a piano-based event and Musique a Marsac was born. “As artistic director Alasdair is in total charge of everything”, says Fiona, “we’re just the oil on the wheels; providing the venue, raising the money and looking after everyone.”
The offer was a gift to Beatson who had been mulling over the possibility of creating space to study chamber music in-depth. On his first visit to Marsac, he was struck by how perfect the small village was for this purpose. “It’s a warm, welcoming place, secluded from the rest of the world and protected by the beautiful rolling hills. The freedom and openness of Marsac encourages musicians to have their defences down when they’re here, that’s when the really beautiful work happens.”
Last year Beatson invited long-standing professional colleagues violinist Helena Winkelman and cellist John Myerscough along with four UK-based string students, all different nationalities, to Marsac for a week of music-making. As well as having access to two grand pianos, which gives greater flexibility for rehearsing and performance, Beatson says Musique a Marsac differs from other courses and festivals in that no distinction is made between professional players already established on the international scene and talented conservatoire students destined for careers in music.
“It’s a fantastic thing for all of us as we work together on the great masterpieces of the chamber music repertoire intensively and imaginatively. The younger musicians experience an all too rare bridge between student and professional life while older musicians treasure the luxury of being able to rehearse away from the usual scrutiny of the professional world. We need to remind ourselves we’re not too old, jaded or busy to continue developing and improving as musicians. Ideally the distinction between the two blurs as everyone contributes equally towards a common goal.”
The inaugural festival in August was a huge success with many of the locals dropping in on rehearsals as well as attending concerts held in the Grenier and the local church. For the festival in July, Beatson plans to change some of the personnel to avoid turning the gathering into a cliquey club. “As soon as new personalities are involved it suggests different repertoire and energies, so it won’t be a carbon copy of the previous year. As the festival develops we might add one or two extra people but the repertoire for piano and strings is so vast it helps to keep a certain focus to the week without it turning into a variety show.”
This year’s Musique a Marsac is being eagerly anticipated by the locals who Fiona says have been hugely supportive, particularly the mayor and the de Marsac family who hosted a reception in the chateau. Beatson, who admits he “basked in the glory” of last year’s festival for months afterwards, also can’t wait.
Classical Music Magazine Summer Schools 2013 supplement
Hier, à Marsac, une cinquantaine d'amateurs de musique classique a répondu à l'invitation de Fiona Finch qui leur proposait un choix éclectique chez trois compositeurs célèbres.
Au superbe piano Steinway, Alasdair Beatson a su rendre avec talent le classique viennois de Mozart, le romantisme de Schumann et l'équilibre harmonique de Fauré. Jouant avec maîtrise du fortissimo au delicato, il a jonglé avec la riche palette des émotions exprimées par des compositeurs au style bien différent.
Fiona Fich a rappelé que l'association Musique à Marsac ne reçoit aucune subvention et dépend de la vente des billets et des dons privés. Le verre de l'amitié a réuni ensuite ceux qui s'étaient déplacés et qui ont noté que le deuxième festival de musique à Marsac aura lieu du 21 au 28 juillet.
La Dépêche du Midi, 31 mai 2013
The French Connection Musique à Marsac by Susan Nickalls
A musician’s life is relentless, often with little time out from the hectic practice/rehearse/concert cycle. So when pianist Alasdair Beatson was offered the chance to develop his own summer school cum mini-festival in France, he jumped at the chance. Several years ago while performing for the Haddington Music Society in East Lothian, he met David and Fiona Finch, active members of the society, who invited him to play on their 100 year old Steinway grand and Beatson immediately fell in love with its sound.
Over the years the Finches have hosted many private soirees in their homes in Scotland and America as David is a keen collector and repairer of pianos. So when the couple decided to buy a property in France four years ago, their main priority was to find one with a room large enough for their two Steinway grands and a small audience. The couple were fortunate to find a house in Marsac, near Toulouse, that not only had a large salon but a Grenier next door, which they also acquired. Built originally to store grain and latterly converted to a dance studio, Fiona was delighted to find the Grenier was a ready made concert venue.
In 2011 when Beatson was performing in Provence he visited Marsac and gave an informal concert, greeted with much enthusiasm, so the Finches suggested he put together a piano-based event and Musique a Marsac was born. “As artistic director Alasdair is in total charge of everything”, says Fiona, “we’re just the oil on the wheels; providing the venue, raising the money and looking after everyone.”
The offer was a gift to Beatson who had been mulling over the possibility of creating space to study chamber music in-depth. On his first visit to Marsac, he was struck by how perfect the small village was for this purpose. “It’s a warm, welcoming place, secluded from the rest of the world and protected by the beautiful rolling hills. The freedom and openness of Marsac encourages musicians to have their defences down when they’re here, that’s when the really beautiful work happens.”
Last year Beatson invited long-standing professional colleagues violinist Helena Winkelman and cellist John Myerscough along with four UK-based string students, all different nationalities, to Marsac for a week of music-making. As well as having access to two grand pianos, which gives greater flexibility for rehearsing and performance, Beatson says Musique a Marsac differs from other courses and festivals in that no distinction is made between professional players already established on the international scene and talented conservatoire students destined for careers in music.
“It’s a fantastic thing for all of us as we work together on the great masterpieces of the chamber music repertoire intensively and imaginatively. The younger musicians experience an all too rare bridge between student and professional life while older musicians treasure the luxury of being able to rehearse away from the usual scrutiny of the professional world. We need to remind ourselves we’re not too old, jaded or busy to continue developing and improving as musicians. Ideally the distinction between the two blurs as everyone contributes equally towards a common goal.”
The inaugural festival in August was a huge success with many of the locals dropping in on rehearsals as well as attending concerts held in the Grenier and the local church. For the festival in July, Beatson plans to change some of the personnel to avoid turning the gathering into a cliquey club. “As soon as new personalities are involved it suggests different repertoire and energies, so it won’t be a carbon copy of the previous year. As the festival develops we might add one or two extra people but the repertoire for piano and strings is so vast it helps to keep a certain focus to the week without it turning into a variety show.”
This year’s Musique a Marsac is being eagerly anticipated by the locals who Fiona says have been hugely supportive, particularly the mayor and the de Marsac family who hosted a reception in the chateau. Beatson, who admits he “basked in the glory” of last year’s festival for months afterwards, also can’t wait.
Classical Music Magazine Summer Schools 2013 supplement
Ouvrons grand nos oreilles à l’exaltante musique
Qui a dit que le milieu rural n’avait pas le droit à une programmation musicale de qualité? Certainement pas Musique à Marsac, qui le prouve dès sa première edition. C’est un festival en marge des lieux de concentration culturelle qui a réussi une belle première avec une programmation variée et audacieuse, toujours surprenante, mêlent chefs d’oeuvre consacrés et bijoux à découvrir. Si tout le festival est du même acabit – et tout laisse penser qu’il le sera – ce ne sont pas seulement une heure et trente minutes de bonheur, mais près de trois jours qui nous sont promis. C’est le pari fou lancé par quelques passionnés qui se gagne dans la campagne lomagnole. Dans ce petit village pittoresque de Marsac, le festival de musique de chambre a pris ses marques!
Le Petit Journal, lundi 20 août 2012
Marsac. Au Grenier, la musique de chambre a fait l'unanimité
Le premier concert a été donné jeudi 16 août, à Marsac. Fiona et David Finch l'ont organisé avec goût et compétence dans leur maison, à l'ètage, dans une très grande pièce dont ils ont dégagé le haut jusqu'à la charpente (d'origine) et qui'ils on baptisée Le Grenier. Au milieu de la pièce, la vedette est un magnifique piano à queue Steinway qui sera accompagné par un violon, un violon alto et un violonecelle.
Une cinquantaine de personnes avait pris place sur des chaises, devant l'espace occupé par les musiciens, avec en main le programme des oeuvres – un trio de Schumann, une fantaisie de Schubert et une sérenade de Dohnányi, un compositeur hongrois, hélas! moins connu que les précedents – oeuvres qui ont été jouées successivement par sept interprètes aussi jeunes que talenteux.
Il faut dire que le Grenier possède une acoustique remarquable et que chaque frôlement d'une corde de violon, comme chaque vibration du piano Steinway, pouvait être perçu par une assistance extraordinairement attentive et silencieuse. Les jeunes artistes, vivant littéralement leur musique, ont su traduire les sentiments des différents compostieurs en utilisant la large palette sonore de leurs instruments. Un régal pour les amateurs de musique classique comme pour les mélomanes avertis.
Fiona et David Finch ont ensuite offert le verre de l'amitié aux auditeurs qui ont prolongé cet agréable moment en échangeant leurs impressions devant les aquarelles de John Gill.
La Depêche, 21 août 2012
Schubert aux chandelles!
L’adagio est un des moments les plus forts et émouvants de toute l’histoire de la musique, les jeunes musiciens de Marsac n’ont pas démérité, du grand art et une interpretation à fleur de peau, d’une vibrante sensibilité.
Le Petit Journal, mardi 21 août 2012
Un grand final époustouflant!
…un passionnant et inoubliable final au Grenier… Le morceau de Brahms se finissait sur une touche hongroise, dans une ambiance festive qui fut à la hauteur de ce festival de très grande qualité.
Le Petit Journal, mercredi 22 août 2012
