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With several cases of covid in its orchestra, the Verbier festival forced to reorganize

2021-07-20T13:34:35.281Z


The musicians of the Verbier Festival Orchestra concerned have been placed in quarantine in Switzerland. The programming of the classical music event had to be changed.


Everything before, however, started well.

After a year of absence, classical music aficionados were finally going to savor the recitals, concertos and operas, the great pages of Chtchedrine, Wagner, Puccini and Tchaikovsky, in the alpine village of Verbier in Switzerland.

But a few days before the start of the festival - disaster - several musicians from the Verbier Festival Orchestra (VFO) tested positive for Covid-19.

The symphonic formation, directed by Valery Gergiev, was to kick off this 28th edition and provide five other concerts, including two operas,

La fanciulla del West

, by Giacomo Puccini and

Tristan and Isolde

by Wagner.

Read also: From La Manche to Corsica, ten classical music festivals not to be missed this summer

"

The festival has taken the necessary decision to no longer present the musicians of the Verbier Festival Orchestra this year and to bring them home

," the organizers announced in a press release.

Positive cases were immediately identified and limited to the VFO, with a period of isolation and quarantine for the musicians in the orchestra.

"

Read also: The Avignon Festival forced to cancel a dance show because of the Covid

The Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra was chosen to replace the VFO.

Pianist Denis Matsuev, under the baton of Valery Gergiev, opened the festivities of this new edition on Friday July 16.

On Sunday, program changes for the coming week were announced.

Reinforced security measures

In a press release, the Verbier festival added that: “

Security measures are being tightened for the other programs of the Verbier Festival Academy, notably the Verbier Festival Junior Orchestra, the Atelier Lyrique and the Soloists & Ensembles program. Visitors are subject to contact tracing and physical distancing measures at all events and must wear masks inside all venues.

"

If the incident led to changes in the programming, it should not change anything for the public.

According to Swiss law, the festival had been designated as "

an event without a covid certificate

".

In this context, the festival, in collaboration with several health institutions, had decreed that the capacity of the rooms would be reduced to two thirds and that the performances would not bring together more than 1000 people seated and would not last more than 70 minutes.

On the other hand, screenings have been stepped up for the teams and musicians invited to the festival, in particular for unvaccinated people.

Read also:

Covid-19: Switzerland is reducing its measures against a large part of Europe

"

The real good news is that it's open

"

The festival organizers recognize "

a complicated opening weekend

", with some concerts that did not fill up.

However, they want to be optimistic.

People are coming.

It's going pretty well, the spectators are happy.

They are happy that it exists, to be able to be in a room, to see the artists.

It is very positive.

The real good news is that it's open,

”explains the management.

For the organizers, the ability of the Verbier Festival to fall back on its feet so quickly is due to the “

rigorous and strict sanitary protocol

” but also to the “

address book

” of its founder and director Martin Engström and to

“its close links with artists ”

who made it possible to overcome the withdrawals.

Source: lefigaro

All life articles on 2021-07-20

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