This edition corresponds to the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Nights of Classical Music and will be dedicated to Durres covering 700 years of music from Kukuzeli to present days, says the biennale’s director Florian Vlashi
TIRANA, July 30 – “700 years of music in Durres, from Kukuzeli to present day.” This is the slogan of the eight edition of the “Classical music nights” brought to Albania by famous Spain-based violinist from Durres Florian Vlashi. This edition of the biennale will trace the history of music in the ancient coastal city of Durres starting with 14th century musician Jan Kukuzeli to continue with some 15th and 17th century performances. Several composers from Durres have also dedicated some pieces to Byzantine composer Kukuzeli.
Siglo XX, an instrumental band led by Florian Vlashi, will also perform in the festival. A didactic concert called “music and mathematics” and a competition on the best young talent who will be invited to perform in Spain are also part of the festival scheduled to be held from August 1 to 8.
“This edition corresponds to the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Nights of Classical Music and will be dedicated to Durres covering 700 years of music from Kukuzeli to present days. Some of Jan Kukuzeli’s chorales of the 13th century will introduced along with “Antifonari i Durrsakut, Gjergj Danush Lapacaj” (1532), the Vivaldi concerts from the archive of the Durrazzo family of the 18th century and present day modern music with the works of Georg Crumb or variations of 6 composers from Durres on a chorale by Kukuzeli.”
And this is how 700 years of music will be performed in seven days. All these works will be within the already consolidated framework of the festival which includes the Night of ancient music, the night of medieval music and the night of modern and Albanian music and the young talent competition whose winner will be invited to Spain for a concert.
“Antifonari i Durrsakut, Gjergj Danush Lapacaj” (1532) will be the most important work that will be introduced in the festival. “This is undoubtedly an extraordinary event for the Albanian culture. Musicologist Domenico Morgante, who has first made it public, will be in Albania to introduce it. This work will be performed at the gallery of the Roman amphitheatre of Durres by the Chamber Chorus of the Kosovo Philharmonic led by Rafet Rudi. World famous French guitarist Ehat Musa will also perform there.”
The biennale Ɏight’s of classical MusicȠwas born in 2003 in a natural manner and in just the right moment and place, as do all things that seem predestined. “Spending the holidays in my home city of Durres I would reunite every evening with my old friends from school. There, between endless talks, memories, beers and laughs, we would play the Mozart Quintets. In the end, we decided to perform these beautiful works for the public,” says Vlashi.
There are seven nights with different themes, like a promenade between different periods of music, including a competition for young talent: Night’s of Baroque Music, Classical, Romantic, Modern, Albanian, the Competition for young people and Carte Blanche. Each concert takes place in a particular, special, surrounding, like the Santa Lucia Cathedral, Archaeological Museum, Jozef Gallery, Aleksander Moisiu Theater, Ɋan KukuzeliȠMusic Conservatory, even in an abandoned factory in the outskirts of the city.
“In contrast to the “20th Century Instrumental Group” which I direct since 1996, the project of the biennial in Durres is more ɦamiliarȬ more intimate, it is music amongst friends. In the end, this is the essence of chamber music. We have performed great works from the history of music such as ɔhe Art of the FugueȠof Bach and ɔhe Story of a SoldierȠof Stravinsky.”
The “20th Century Instrumental Group” performs regularly in the biennale, thereby creating a ɳonorous bridgeȠbetween the two countries. In the last edition, the ȠNight of Baroque MusicȠwas dedicated to the Count Giacomo Durazzo (1717-1794), a native of Durres, an enormous figure of the European cultural scene in the 18th century, who during his stay in Venice as ambassador collated the greater part of Vivaldiճ manuscripts, including the work the Four Seasons. These manuscripts only saw the light in the 1920s.
Florian Vlashi, the Albanian violin in Spain
Born in Durres, Florian Vlashi, 50, has been living in Spain for the past two decades. He began his study of violin at the age of 6. His father, writer and famous theatre director, Gjergi Vlashi, had a decisive role in the future of his son. Graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Tirana,
in 1989 he won the Competition of Soloists and Symphonic Orchestras of Albania. The same year, he was the director and soloist of the “Jan Kukuzeli” String Orchestra with which he performed many concerts and recordings.
Since 1992, he has been a member of the OSG, studying with G. Egger, L. M
