,Barbados Music Festival Claude DeBussy – It’s the 5th year in a row for the Barbados Classical Music Festival. And again world class classic musicians have landed on the island to entertain and teach. When not performing the musicians take part in workshops and special events to help local students.

Barbados Music Festival Claude DeBussy
– Four Hands on One Piano

Ken Gee and Norman Reintaman on Piano – Aare Tammesalu turns the pages while the 4 hands play on!

Excuse the bumpy view. The  camera was very faraway. It was difficult to stay steady when the slightest motion is  magnified to 5 times its normal focal length. It was an impromptu taping as  I was just a guest. Julian Bowen graciously allowed me to records my samples.

Debussy was one of the most influential composers of the 19th & 20th centuries. He is often considered to be first Impressionist composer. That was because he seemed to place  emphasis on the overall impression rather than clarity of detail. Source  wikipedia

Classics Staged Around The Island

The festival was staged in Barbados for a week with venues around the island. The finale was held at the Barbados Museum and Historical Society in the walled garden.

 

Its another great event staged in Barabdos and predates the very different and successful Vujaday festival now in its 3 rd year. The genres (Techno and Classical) are almost at polar opposites.  Having said that it bears reflection: When you think about it,  the original classic artists where highly experimental and were breaking the mold just as techno is today.

Debussy an Experimental Avant Garde

Debussy was considered to be one of the first musical impressionist and many considered him to be too Experimental and  Avant Garde to be consider a true classical musician. Avant-garde music  breaks the rules and regulations of traditional culture to explore novelty in presentation. Art is, as they say, above all. It creates a transcendental and mysterious sound world.^[8]

There can be no doubt about that now and we see experimental and avant garde in all genres today.

An Entire Ensemble of Classic Music Composers

On the final night the Barbados Museum “Wall Garden” staged  music composed by Brahms, Debussy, Garbriel Faure, Dushkin and Ameadeus Mozart.

The musicians included. Paule Barsalou, Aare Tammesalu, Ken Gee and Norman Reintamm. On the opening night, Monday August 19th, Dexter Norville and Amanda Fields where also on stage.

On Tuesday the 20th, The Royal Barbados Police Force Band featured a Bajan Classical Affair with, David Gooding, Shanika Roach, Amanda Fields and Jane Small.

Learn More

Learn more about the festival and the people behind it, like Julian Bowen and Norman Reintaman–
Check out the review at:
https://barbados.org/blog/barbados-clasical-music-festival-another-great-year/
The review features the experimental works of Brahms and Gabriel Faure. It also covers the story behind the 5 years of the Barbados Classical Music Festival.

By Ian R. Clayton
Best Selling Author of  Website and the Digital Media Series Marketing Hotels and Tourism