A few days ago the “International Festival in Baalbek” began with a program of four concerts, which will last until the seventeenth of this month. Today, the Beiteddine festivals offer him a program that is less modest in quantity and quality, consisting of only three nights and lasting only four days. The introduction on which our article begins on Baalbek also applies here (see previous Friday’s edition of Al-Akhbar), since the two holidays are almost identical in weight in terms of their past (especially the post-war period). ), as well as as to the unfortunate fate and its causes, with one difference Beiteddine opened its nights free of charge to the public, which is a logical step based on two facts: first, the situation in the economy, which does not provide a large share of the Lebanese population. the luxury of buying concert tickets, and secondly, the parties themselves are not of the caliber to afford tickets. part of an artistic event (for example, the Beirut Song Festival “). In any case, the safety of these activities, despite a significant decrease in programming, is better than their cold -blooded “liquid”. This is a reminder to wait for the increase, which, if delayed, will be needed in the future to maintain this reminder.

At the opening of “Beiteddine” tonight, Les Cordes Résonnantes (Resonant Strings), a group specializing in baroque music, consisting of stringed instruments (about a dozen members of the string family) and harpsichords (basso continuo, or vocal mat from there. period) will precede. .
The group is relatively new, it was formed in 2018 (led by Joe Doe) and spent several nights in Lebanon dedicated to well -known instrumental and lyrical works (mainly Stabat Mater, a famous work by Italian Pergolizzi). In fact, this initiative deserves approval and encouragement. There’s no doubt about it, but his free compliment is a gift bomb. Let’s be honest and loving: this group is the best in the country in its category… and one of the weakest in the world. The goal is not to surpass the dozens of Italian, English, Dutch and French groups (which are impressive in the field of baroque orchestras), but the need is not to treat the emerging Lebanese group as if it were itself high European group. level because it will not be allowed to advance to that level. We believe the band’s main problem is not the level of the musicians or their passion, but the instruments themselves. A piece of music written with the finger of the performer himself is many times better than a good instrument. This problem can be solved in stages, although it is very expensive.
The band’s program, and this is the paradox of their participation in “Beiteddine”, is a little baroque, and the rest deals with other periods from the Western classical to the modern era, in addition to some themes of styles that are pretty close to this one. atmosphere, such as orchestral figurative music coming from international cinema. The common denominator between the group’s choice from the baroque period (Percel, Vivaldi and Handel) and from later periods (Saint-Saint, Bizet, Puccini, Gershwin, Bernstein,…) and film scores (Zimmer , Morecona,…) And so on, it is the popularity of the titles, everyone in his class and in his audience. It expanded the audience at night, so that it did not focus on Sumaya’s “demandingness”.

The ensemble of “Resonance Strings” is somewhat baroque, while others span to other eras, from Western classics to modern times.

After a day off, evening (July 15) Dahlin Jabbur, an oud player and singer who specializes in oriental music, mysticism and authentic Taraba, who is one of the few names that remains in this color and knows how to do it. in Lebanon. On an evening somewhat similar to the general atmosphere of the opening of “Baalbek” with Somaya Baalbaki, Dalin performs with his group a bouquet of classics from the authentic and famous tarab repertoire, counting Najat titles Al Saghira, Fayza Ahmed, Asmahan, Nour Al Huda, Umm Kulthum, Fatia Ahmed, Syed Darwish and others.
The day after a night of singing with Daleen Jabbur, “Beiteddine” reached its final artistic dates this summer. This is the conclusion (16/7). Each festival has an opening and closing. And the conclusion, after being forced to break his grip, has the signature of the piano tamer, Harry of his keys, his hammer stapler, his string tormentor, his pedal tamper, and his heartthrob: Guy Manoukian. May God help life from roses, trees and microscopic creatures, small and large, in the Baaklin forest and its valleys, tonight.

* “Beiteddine Festivals”: ​​from tonight until July 16 – Beiteddine (Shuf) – beiteddine.org