FOR THE LAST ten years, the picturesque town of Kremnica has resonated with the sounds of the popular European Organ Festival, also known as the Kremnica Castle Organ, which promotes modern interpretations of classical works.
Organisers say much of the reason for the event's success is that it's held in the town's beautiful, late-Gothic St Catherine Church, which houses one of the best organs in the country, a modern Rieger-Kloss installed in 1992. This year's festival is titled The Art of the Organ: An Exceptional Phenomenon of Culture, and includes among its goals the celebration of the Year of Mozart.
The participants hail from seven countries, including Slovakia, and rank among the most accomplished organists in the world. On July 30, Italian player Gianluca Libertucci, who performs at the Vatican, will present pieces by Mendelssohn-Batholdy and Franck. The next week, Professor Peter Planyavsky from the Music University in Vienna will dedicate his entire performance to the memory of Mozart.
The festival's final concert will feature the modern music it strives to promote, when Slovak player Štefan Ternóczky plays original transcriptions of soundtracks from classic Slovak films, such as director Juraj Jakubisko's Perinbaba (Lady Winter) and Tisícročná včela (The Millennial Bee).
- Stefan M Hogan
What:Kremnica Castle Organ
When:Every Sunday from July 9 to August 20
Where:St Catherine Church, Kremnica
www.kremnickyhradnyorgan.sk
