The

La Chaise-Dieu La Chaise-Dieu (; Auvergnat: ''La Chasa Dieu'') is a commune in the Haute-Loire department in south-central France. Its inhabitants are called ''Casadéens'', from the Latin name of the city. Geography La Chaise-Dieu occupies a 1082 m butte wh ...

Music Festival is a classical music festival that takes place every year at the end of August. It is essentially devoted to

sacred music Religious music (also sacred music) is a type of music that is performed or composed for religious use or through religious influence. It may overlap with ritual music, which is music, sacred or not, performed or composed for or as ritual. Relig ...

and takes place mainly in the

Abbey of La Chaise-Dieu The Abbey of La Chaise-Dieu, in Auvergne (''La Chasa-Dieu'' in Occitan), is a former Benedictine abbey, headquarters of the Casadean order, located in the commune of La Chaise-Dieu in the department of Haute-Loire. The origin of the name is the ...

. In 2016, the Festival celebrated its 50th anniversary.

History

Georges Cziffra Georges may refer to: Places * Georges River, New South Wales, Australia * Georges Quay (Dublin) *Georges Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania Other uses *Georges (name) * ''Georges'' (novel), a novel by Alexandre Dumas * "Georges" (song), a 19 ...

(1921–1994), the famous Hungarian pianist, is at the initiative of a festival in

, after having discovered the abbey church and its organ, during a private stay at the home of Dr. Georges Mazoyer and his wife Suzanne. Accompanied by his son,

György Cziffra Christian Georges Cziffra (; born Cziffra Krisztián György; 5 November 192115 January 1994) was a Hungarian-French virtuoso pianist and composer. He is considered to be one of the greatest virtuoso pianists of the twentieth century. Among h ...

(1942–1981), a conductor, he gave several recitals and concerts from 1966 onwards. It was Suzanne Mazoyer who, while travelling by car, saw

and told her husband: this is where the festival should be held. The mechanism of the abbey church organ was then in ruins and Master Cziffra agreed, on the proposal of the Mazoyer couple, to give some concerts and to donate the fees received to the reconstruction of the site. The master will perform there for a long time to come. The arrival in 1976 of Guy Ramona, and the creation by several music lovers of an association to continue the Festival, gave a new impetus to the event. The number of concerts is steadily increasing and stabilizes at around 35 in the Saint-Robert Abbey in La Chaise-Dieu, but also in other heritage sites in the region: the churches of

Puy-en-Velay Le Puy-en-Velay (, literally ''Le Puy in Velay''; oc, Lo Puèi de Velai ) is the prefecture of the Haute-Loire department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of south-central France. Located near the river Loire, the city is famous for its ...

and its Italian theater, the Église Saint-Jean d'Ambert, the Basilique Saint-Julien of

Brioude Brioude (; Auvergnat: ''Briude'') is a commune in the Haute-Loire department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-central France. It lies on the banks of the river Allier, a tributary of the Loire. History At Brioude, the ancient ''Brivas ...

, the Saint-Georges Church of

Saint-Paulien Saint-Paulien (; Auvergnat: ''Sant Pàulhan'') is a commune in the Haute-Loire department in south-central France. Population See also *Communes of the Haute-Loire department The following is a list of the 257 communes of the Haute-Loire ...

, the Saint-Gilles Church of

Chamalières-sur-Loire Chamalières-sur-Loire (, literally ''Chamalières on Loire''; oc, Chamaleiras) is a commune in the Haute-Loire department in south-central France. Population See also *Communes of the Haute-Loire department The following is a list of the 2 ...

. Guy Ramona directed the festival for 27 years and gave it its final character, not hesitating to present, among the first in the rehabilitation of the baroque repertoire, contemporary works conducted or in the presence of their composers. In 2003, Jean-Michel Mathé took over from Guy Ramona, who nevertheless remained present in the organisation of the festival by becoming president of the management association until 2009 when Jacques Barrot succeeded him. He is currently, with his wife, the honorary president. Since 2010, the Festival has also been taking over the Cziffra Auditorium in La Chaise-Dieu, a building inaugurated during the 44th edition. The first step in the major renovation project of the abbey's monastery buildings, the Cziffra auditorium is ideal for recitals and

chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small numb ...

, and offers a different and more intimate programme (200 seats) for festival-goers.

Features

The festival, which takes place every summer at the end of August, is now mainly centred on

but also offers a romantic and symphonic repertoire, but also contemporary music, pursuing, under the impetus of Jean-Michel Mathé, the general policy of his predecessor. Famous musicians such as

Yehudi Menuhin Yehudi or Jehudi (Hebrew: יהודי, endonym for Jew) is a common Hebrew name: * Yehudi Menuhin (1916–1999), violinist and conductor ** Yehudi Menuhin School, a music school in Surrey, England ** Who's Yehoodi?, a catchphrase referring to the v ...

Mstislav Rostropovitch Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich, (27 March 192727 April 2007) was a Russian cellist and conductor. He is considered by many to be the greatest cellist of the 20th century. In addition to his interpretations and technique, he was wel ...

Ivry Gitlis Ivry Gitlis ( he, עברי גיטליס;‎ 25 August 1922 – 24 December 2020) was an Israeli virtuoso violinist and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. He performed with the world's top orchestras, including the London Philharmonic, New York Philh ...

Augustin Dumay Augustin Dumay (born 17 January 1949) is a French violinist and conductor from Paris. Biography Dumay was invited as a soloist to appear with Yo-Yo Ma in Paris by Herbert von Karajan. Later on, he performed Béla Bartók's ''Second Concerto'' wi ...

Jean-Philippe Collard Collard at the ''Flâneries musicales'', Reims (6 June 2014) Jean-Philippe Henri Collard (born 27 January 1948) is a French pianist known for his interpretations of the works of Gabriel Fauré and Camille Saint-Saëns. Career Collard was bo ...

Katia and Marielle Labèque The Labèque sisters, Katia (born 11 March 1950) and Marielle (born 6 March 1952), are an internationally known French piano duo. Biography Education and first performances Katia and Marielle were both born in Bayonne, on the southwest coast ...

Jean-Claude Malgoire Jean-Claude Malgoire (25 November 1940 – 14 April 2018) was a French oboist and later conductor. Early life Malgoire was born on 25 November 1940 in Avignon, France. His mother was born in Italy. Malgoire graduated from the Paris Conservatory ...

Michel Corboz Michel Corboz (14 February 1934 – 2 September 2021) was a Swiss conductor. Life Corboz was born in Marsens, Switzerland, and educated in his native canton of Fribourg. He studied vocal performance and composition at the conservatory in Fribourg ...

, William Christie,

Maurice André Maurice André (21 May 1933 – 25 February 2012) was a French trumpeter, active in the classical music field. He was professor of trumpet at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris where he introduced the teaching of the pic ...

Laurent Campellone Laurent Campellone (born January 23, 1972) is a French Conductor (music), conductor. Known around the world for his expertise in the French opera of the Romantic era music, Romantic era, he is often compared to Michel Plasson. Critics consider him ...

Marie-Claire Alain Marie-Claire Geneviève Alain-Gommier (10 August 1926 – 26 February 2013) was a French organist, scholar and teacher best known for her prolific recording career, with 260 recordings, making her the most-recorded classical organist in the world ...

Krzysztof Penderecki Krzysztof Eugeniusz Penderecki (; 23 November 1933 – 29 March 2020) was a Polish composer and conductor. His best known works include ''Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima'', Symphony No. 3, his '' St Luke Passion'', ''Polish Requiem'', ''A ...

, etc. have performed there. It is one of the largest symphonic festivals in France with the and the

Besançon International Music Festival The Besançon International Music Festival (french: Festival de musique de Besançon Franche-Comté) is one of the oldest festivals of classical music that takes place in the city of Besançon, northeastern France, over two weeks from around the mi ...

References

External links

Official website of the festival
{{portal bar, Classical music, France