Glissando: About the many worlds of music. Ostrava Days Music of Today Festival 2023 (I)
Publikováno: 16.10.2023
As I took the train to Ostrava on August 23, I wondered what awaited me at the festival and how to approach it - despite its 11 previous editions, I was about to attend for the first time. I expected a formula typical of large events centered around classical music and a relatively clear theme. However, the festival quickly revised my assumptions. The patterns, although familiar from the framework, inside shimmered with unusual colors, the groups of relationships proved complex and the relations between them were not obvious. Was it possible to find a specific guiding thread? Of course. Would it have reflected the character of Ostrava Days? Definitely not.
Even the first few days gave the impression that I was participating in a different festival every day. The nature of the concerts changed almost daily as if in a kaleidoscope. However, I am far from saying that this worked to the detriment of the festival. On the contrary. Ostrava Days, dubbed the "Moravian Darmstadt" by Gianluigi Mattietti, is a long, intense and extensive event. Moreover, it is combined with the Ostrava Days Institute, a three-week summer course for instrumentalists and composers; their work filled much of the festival. And it was this diverse formula, combined with the reasonable organization and special atmosphere of the event, that allowed a fresh and open approach to each day of the festival.
Malgorzata Heinrich, Glissando | you can read the full review (in Polish) here >>>
