{"id":5437,"date":"2025-09-16T08:34:50","date_gmt":"2025-09-16T08:34:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/christoph-poppen.com\/?p=5437"},"modified":"2025-09-29T19:59:36","modified_gmt":"2025-09-29T19:59:36","slug":"four-days-in-marvao-silence-music-and-infinite-tenderness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christoph-poppen.com\/de\/four-days-in-marvao-silence-music-and-infinite-tenderness\/","title":{"rendered":"Four Days in Marv\u00e3o – Silence, Music, and Infinite Tenderness"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Translated article by Eray Aytimur<\/h5>

For me, the Marv\u00e3o International Music Festival is not just a musical event. It is a state of mind. Perhaps even a destination. Together with the music, the places, the people, the atmosphere, and that deep serenity it creates, it seeps into one\u2019s heart. Each time I go there, I realise I am going with a different, indefinable feeling of beauty. The growing sense of familiarity makes me feel even more at peace and secure. The 11th International Marv\u00e3o Music Festival, once again under the artistic direction of the magnificent duo Juliane Banse and Christoph Poppen, opened on 18 July. As the journey from Lisbon took us about three hours, we missed the opening concert. But from the moment I found myself, under the night\u2019s stars, inside the cistern of Marv\u00e3o Castle for the Clarinete em Fado concert, time stopped. A festival is not only about the music on stage. Sometimes the magic spills over from the breath of the musicians, from the silent gaze of a listener, or from the young string quartet member sitting beside you at lunch. This year, it was exactly like that.\u00a0<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

The Silence That Begins at Night (18.07.2025)<\/h5>

In the cistern, despite the starry night which was, curiously, both misty and cool, there was a gentle warmth. The acoustics were so captivating that I wondered: \u201cAre these sounds rising from the stones or from the water?\u201d On stage, three masters \u2014 Ant\u00f3nio Saiote (clarinet), Artur Caldeira (Portuguese guitar), and Daniel Paredes (classical guitar) \u2014 were taking fado to another dimension. There were familiar melodies from the repertoire of Am\u00e1lia Rodrigues and Carlos do Carmo, but this time without voice. (Some might think that without the singer there is nothing left of fado, as it is often defined by the vocal interpretation.) Yet with the clarinet taking the place of the voice, saudade emerged in a more naked, deeper way. At times, the music wandered in the shadow of a cabaret, at times in the dim light of a film noir. This concert gave me not only music but also the space to rethink fado. I don\u2019t know\u2026 I love Portugal in every way, but perhaps without this subjectivity, traditional vocal fado wouldn\u2019t move me as much. This instrumental fado, however, would always have a place of honour in my heart. Perhaps because the concert was late, the musicians didn\u2019t receive the warm ovation they deserved \u2014 I would have loved a bis. Perhaps it was their choice to end as they did, all of us gathering ourselves with the last piece. But inside me, the echo of those stones, that night, and those melodies still lingers.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Morning: Prayers Rising from Stone (19.07.2025)<\/h5>\n

The next morning we were in the essential venue of the festival: the Church of Nossa Senhora da Estrela. This year (perhaps last year as well, but I missed it), it was enriched with acoustic panels that enhanced the sound. Before us, young maestro Pedro Teixeira led the Officium Ensemble in polyphonic works from the 16th and 17th centuries of \u00c9vora Cathedral. This concert invited us not just to listen to music history, but to live it. Est\u00eav\u00e3o Lopes Morago\u2019s Missa Dominicalis, Duarte Lobo\u2019s Audivi vocem, Manuel Cardoso\u2019s Aquam quam ego dabo\u2026 Voices echoing between stone walls reminded me of how extraordinary the human voice is as an instrument. The choir moved step by step across the stage, the acoustics following each movement with flawless smoothness. Perhaps the most special thing was the invisible bridge it built between past and present. <\/p>\n

Afternoon: The Colours of Ravel (19.07.2025) <\/b>Originally scheduled for the Church of S\u00e3o Tiago, the concert was moved to Nossa Senhora da Estrela. We were there to be filled to the brim with Ravel\u2019s music. The young and dynamic Malion Quartett opened the feast with the String Quartet in F Major. In terms of technique, synchronicity, and individual aura, this quartet was one of my greatest discoveries of this year. The following day, I had lunch with violinists Miki Naghara and Lilya Tymchshyn \u2014 two radiant musicians, fluent in many languages and fully aware of the demands of the life and music they embrace. Next, violinist Lena Neudauer and pianist Connie Shih performed Ravel\u2019s Violin and Piano Sonata, the \u201cBlues\u201d movement standing out as one of the earliest examples of jazz influence in classical music, delivered with technical perfection and historical understanding. Afterwards, Shih was joined by baritone Unai de la Rosa Hern\u00e1ndez for Ravel\u2019s ironic, delicate, and poetic songs about animals. The finale was a true musical banquet with Introduction et Allegro, featuring Christoph Poppen on violin, alongside Lena Neudauer, Nicolas Garrigues (viola), Aur\u00e9lien Pascal (cello), S\u00f3nia Pais (flute), Hor\u00e1cio Ferreira (clarinet), and Carolina Coimbra (harp). Each shone like a star, guiding us through this septet. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

We didn\u2019t discover Marv\u00e3o \u2014 Marv\u00e3o discovered us\u201d? Marv\u00e3o truly draws the right people to itself. Leafing through the festival programme, you see how every contribution is acknowledged individually.\u00a0<\/p><\/blockquote>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Night: The Story of Two Sisters (19.07.2025)\u00a0<\/strong>At the Church of S\u00e3o Tiago, the night was devoted to the music of Lili and Nadia Boulanger. Lili\u2019s Nocturne, steeped in loneliness, in mezzo-soprano Teresa Sales Rebord\u00e3o\u2019s voice held both storm and serenity. Pianist Silke Avenhaus, cellist Aur\u00e9lien Pascal, and Christoph Poppen on violin completed this duality. Nadia\u2019s Cantique, laden with inner wisdom, appeared not as an emptiness but as a breathing space. And that is exactly what this concert was: a breath<\/p>

Morning: Schubert\u2019s Silent Plea (20.07.2025)<\/h5>

On Sunday morning we returned to Nossa Senhora da Estrela to hear Schubert\u2019s Mass in G Major. Between the congregation in prayer and the choir and orchestra conducted by Pedro Teixeira and Christoph Poppen, the voices of soprano Juliane Banse, tenor Julian Pr\u00e9gardien, and baritone Christoph Pr\u00e9gardien carried the serene prayer of young Schubert. Kyrie, Gloria, Benedictus\u2026 This was not just a mass, but music transformed into a sacred experience.\u00a0<\/p>

A<\/strong>fternoon: Farewell with Debussy (20.07.2025)<\/b> The Debussy concert at the Church of S\u00e3o Tiago closed my weekend. On Sunday afternoon, from the very first notes, time slowed. Flautist S\u00f3nia Pais began with Syrinx, carrying both Pan\u2019s lament and the whisper of a hidden desire \u2014 or perhaps both. This was followed by the Petite Suite for four hands, performed by Pavel Kolesnikov and Samson Tsoy. Light and warm, it recalled a seaside stroll. I\u2019ve always enjoyed piano four hands, but this duo also charmed me with their stage radiance and even their matching orange outfits.\u00a0<\/p>

The first half ended with the five songs Debussy composed to Baudelaire\u2019s poetry. Mezzo-soprano Catarina Sereno, well-known to the Marv\u00e3o audience, gave them captivating emotional depth, accompanied on piano by Tae-Hyung Kim. The second half brought together Debussy\u2019s final three sonatas, written during the war. In the Violin Sonata, Kevin Zhu and Tae-Hyung Kim conveyed both the resilience and the farewell-like joy of the work. The Cello Sonata, with Bruno Philippe and Connie Shih, became a true \u201cdialogue between equals\u201d. And the closing work, the Sonata for Flute, Viola, and Harp, offered perhaps the most lyrical farewell: in the hands of S\u00f3nia Pais, Nicolas Garrigues, and Carolina Coimbra, the sounds spread like a soft, timeless mist. With this concert, we heard not only Debussy\u2019s music but also his farewell to the world. My third day in Marv\u00e3o ended with this union of silence and grace, leaving me with a serenity I will carry for a long time. And Amid All This Magic\u2026 This was my third time in Marv\u00e3o and my second at its music festival.\u00a0<\/p>

I have attended many events as an audience member, journalist, and even as a festival staff member, but I have rarely experienced something as perfect and nourishing in every sense as this. Sitting at the same table as Christoph Poppen, the festival\u2019s creator and music director, and hearing his thoughts on the vision, the challenges, and the solutions was a privilege. And how could one not agree when he said: \u201cWe didn\u2019t discover Marv\u00e3o \u2014 Marv\u00e3o discovered us\u201d? Marv\u00e3o truly draws the right people to itself. Leafing through the festival programme, you see how every contribution is acknowledged individually.\u00a0<\/p>

This explains why this beauty grows each year. The 2026 programme is nearly complete, and I am already excited. Perhaps one day, maybe in our retirement, Jo\u00e3o and I will be among the festival volunteers\u2026 life has its surprises!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\tRead original article<\/span>\n<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

CHRISTOPH POPPEN<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

CONDUCTOR<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Follow<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Facebook<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 Spotify\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/a><\/span>Instagram<\/a><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

General management<\/span><\/p>

HARRISONPARROT MUNICH<\/span><\/p>

+49 (0)89 6797 140<\/a> 48 <\/a>|<\/a> info@harrisonparrott.de<\/a><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Privacy\u00a0<\/a> \u00a0 Imprint<\/a><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\u00a9 2025\u00a0 All rights reserved<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Translated article by Eray Aytimur For me, the Marv\u00e3o International Music Festival is not just a musical event. It is a state of mind. Perhaps even a destination. Together with the music, the places, the people, the atmosphere, and that deep serenity it creates, it seeps into one\u2019s heart. Each time I go there, I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5438,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5437","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-press"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/christoph-poppen.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5437","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/christoph-poppen.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/christoph-poppen.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christoph-poppen.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christoph-poppen.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5437"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/christoph-poppen.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5437\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6317,"href":"https:\/\/christoph-poppen.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5437\/revisions\/6317"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christoph-poppen.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5438"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/christoph-poppen.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5437"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christoph-poppen.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5437"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christoph-poppen.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5437"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}