Concerts of excellence

Il Dolce far Niente | Sol Gabetta III

Giovanni Antonini

Il Giardino Armonico

Sol Gabetta

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Date

Friday, 02.10

Hours 19:30

Location

Chiesa San Francesco, Locarno

Piazza San Francesco 19, 6600 Locarno

Price categories

CHF 140 / 115 / 90 / 65 / 40

Symphony and Choral Concerts

Concert information

In 2014, the Joseph Haydn Stiftung was founded with the goal of recording all of the Austrian composer’s symphonies by the time of Haydn’s 300th anniversary in 2032. According to the most recent research, this consists of 107 symphonies, which are performed and recorded under the direction of Giovanni Antonini. So far, 18 CDs have been released, and they have been welcomed by the specialist press as reference recordings. In this evening dedicated to Haydn, three symphonic rarities and one of the most beautiful cello concertos, with Sol Gabetta as soloist, will be discovered. Under the motto “Il dolce far niente,” the program celebrates the lightness of life.

Symphony No. 21 in A major is an early work with an almost chamber-like character, reflecting Haydn’s desire to experiment.

A Symphony in C major, which has not yet entered the official catalog and is listed under the subtitle “Symphony for Spain,” suggests a patron with ties to the Spanish court. It is a fascinating work, attributed to Haydn only later. The third, Symphony No. 51 in B-flat major, belongs to the middle phase and is noted for its arduous horn parts and a more dramatic background gesture.

Program

– 6:45 pm, SUPSI Lecture Hall, Locarno: Introduction – listening guide with Davide Fersini
(musician and music editor RSI) – in Italian
(German on request)

Sol Gabetta, Cello
Il Giardino Armonico (Milan)
Giovanni Antonini, Conductor

Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Symphony No. 21 in A major, Hob. I:21
Cello Concerto No. 1 in C major, Hob. VIIb:1

Break

Symphony in C major, Hob. Deest “Symphony for Spain”
Symphony No. 51 in B-flat major, Hob. I:51

Duration: 100′ (with intermission)

In collaboration with Haydn2032 of the Joseph Haydn Foundation Basel

The Artists

Giovanni Antonini

Conductor

Giovanni Antonini, founder of Il Giardino Armonico and alumnus of the Centre de Musique Ancienne in Geneva, inspires audiences as the driving force behind the Haydn2032 project—a landmark complete recording of all Haydn’s symphonies with Il Giardino Armonico and the Kammerorchester Basel. Renowned for his dynamic presence, he has guest-conducted the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Concertgebouw Orchestra, and the London Symphony Orchestra.

Il Giardino Armonico

Il Giardino Armonico was founded in Milan in 1985 and is led by Giovanni Antonini. The ensemble is one of the most prominent early-music ensembles. Together with Cecilia Bartoli, they produced the two Grammy-nominated albums “Sacrificium” and “The Vivaldi Album”. In 2017, they won a Gramophone Classical Music Award for their Mozart recordings with Isabelle Faust.

Sol Gabetta

Cello

Full of virtuosity or full of passion? Superstar Sol Gabetta combines both. As founder and artistic director of the Solsberg Festival, a lecturer at the Hochschule für Musik Basel, and through her masterclass at classicAscona, she nurtures young talents. She has already been named “Instrumentalist of the Year” (OPUS Klassik) and is a winner of the Swiss Music Awards and the Europäischer Kulturpreis.

Venue information: Chiesa San Francesco, Locarno

Chiesa San Francesco in Locarno, dating back to the 13th century, is more than a historical monument: it is a living sounding board where history, art, and music converge. It is one of classicAscona’s most fascinating venues and offers a worthy setting for orchestral and choral concerts. The special features of this monument of sacred art are the 18th-century frescoes by the Locarnese Orelli family of painters and the wooden choir, carved in 1522.
After significant restoration, the church now glows as a cultural center, welcoming all with its renewed brilliance. Its last complete interior restoration, finished in 2012, ensures every visitor can experience its historical beauty.