The festival Les Boréales takes place from 13 to 23 November in Caen and other locations across Normandy. One of Europe’s largest multidisciplinary festivals dedicated to Nordic and Baltic culture, it gives a special prominence this year to the music of Arvo Pärt within its broad Estonian programme.
“Arvo Pärt’s music continues to enjoy strong visibility and interest in France, which brings us great joy,” said Eike Eller, Estonia’s Cultural Counsellor in France. “Les Boréales is no exception, with his works performed by both Estonian and French musicians. The festival programme also includes documentaries about him as well as an exhibition.”
Among the Estonian performers, Vox Clamantis – one of Pärt’s closest collaborating ensembles – will present two concerts at the festival. On 21 November, they will perform at the Théâtre de Caen, presenting works by Arvo Pärt alongside music by Helena Tulve and David Lang. On 22 November, Vox Clamantis will appear with the Caen Children’s Choir at the church of Notre-Dame-de-la-Gloriette.
Pärt’s music will also be heard in the programme of the Orchestre de Caen, where his works enter into dialogue with compositions by Ludwig van Beethoven and Joseph Haydn.
The festival’s film programme offers French-speaking audiences a first opportunity to see Every Sound a Jewel (2018), directed by Jaan Tootsen and Jaak Kilmi and commissioned by the Arvo Pärt Centre. It also features Dorian Supin’s portrait films Arvo Pärt: 24 Preludes for a Fugue (2002) and Arvo Pärt: Even If I Lose Everything (2016), as well as a recording of a 2018 concert by the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, filmed at the Philharmonie de Paris.
Since early November, the Caen Conservatory has also been hosting the exhibition Arvo Pärt: Known and Unknown, which explores the composer’s life, his origins, and his childhood and formative years. Created ten years ago by the Estonian Theatre and Music Museum to mark Pärt’s 80th birthday, the exhibition runs until 24 November.
Further information about the festival and its programme can be found at https://www.lesboreales.com/.