Q&A | Macao Sacred Music Festival: ‘For the audience, this is an opportunity to see the performers up close’

Xavier Garnier, Maïlys de Villoutreys (center) and Heloíse Gaillard

Four concertos are being held in the city as part of the Macao Sacred Music Festival 2016, which began this year on November 26 (Saturday) and will run until December 2 (Friday).

The Times sat down with two of the performers, Heloíse Gaillard and Maïlys de Villoutreys, as well as Xavier Garnier, director of the Alliance Française and one of the key organizers behind the festival, to understand more about their concerto performances.

Macau Daily Times (MDT) – What are some of the highlights of the music festival?

Heloíse Gaillard (HG) – The festival includes music by Antonio Vivaldi […], the most famous Baroque composer, as he was the founder of the form of concerto for soloists. It is Baroque music so it contrasts with effect and emotion. It is very particular when you hear it for the first time. One of the pieces is “La Notte”, or “The Night”. We can hear seven movements, which are very different from each other. This music really describes the atmosphere of the night. “La Notte” is the only concerto with seven movements [among the major] productions of Vivaldi.

MDT – What is it like playing for Chinese audiences?

HG – This is not the first time that we are in China, because a year and a half ago we went to Wuhan, Peking [Beijing], Shanghai, and Hong Kong. The audiences [in China] were very interesting because there were a lot of different people – some very young, some very old. In France, because we are an old European country, the music is more [intended] for a specific audience. There are also many differences between China and Hong Kong [audiences].

MDT – What do you expect from Macau audiences?

HG – We do not expect anything from Macau! We are happy [to be here] but we are not expecting anything! When the audience came to Venice in Vivaldi’s time, they could not see the performance because they were behind curtains, so they could only hear it. But today in Macau, the audience can be actually be there [laughs].

MDT – There will be performances today, tomorrow and on Friday, but you have already performed on Saturday. What was the reception like?

Xavier Garnier (XG) – We have already received some feedback… people are very curious about the concerto at the Mandarin House [tomorrow]… because this is very new and different. People are used to concertos in churches, but not in the Mandarin’s House. Maybe this can be something that connects to the history of Macau. Not only the Western history, the Portuguese history, but also the Chinese history… because Macau is in between the two histories.

MDT – What are your impressions of Macau as a city?

Maïlys de Villoutreys (MV) – We visited the Historic Center [of Macau] and it is very interesting. There is this mix of Mediterranean feeling and China. There were a lot of people…

HG – There were really a lot of people… it seems like a very touristic place.

XG – Certainly, there are [some] 30 million tourists every year from China. You cannot even walk [because it is so busy].

HG – We visited St. Domingo’s Church [Saint Dominic’s Church], which is just the perfect venue [for our performances] in terms of its dimensions.

MDT – So why did you choose the Mandarin House as a venue?

XG – It is Baroque music, and we cannot play that kind of [non-sacred] music in some churches because the priests in Macau are very strict. They will want to check the program and so that is why we chose the Mandarin’s House. [The priests] are very strict in Macau… They would not allow us to play non-sacred music [in the church].

HG – Some of them [the rooms] are very big, but still smaller [than other locations in which we perform]. We are actually used to performing in small rooms or salons… the rooms in the Mandarin’s House are still small but a bit bigger than other places. For the audience, this is an opportunity to see the performers up close, in a more intimate [setting].

XG – For sure, the Mandarin’s House is a good venue and we will use different rooms. DB/RM

The three remaining concertos of the festival

Among the four concertos staged as part of the Macao Sacred Music Festival, a highlight performance featuring three groups will be staged at the Mandarin’s House tomorrow night. All of the performances are free to the public. These are three concertos still to be staged this week:

Today, 8 p.m.

Amarillis & Mailys de Villoutreys at St. Dominic’s Church

Wednesday, 8 p.m.

Les Sacqueboutiers, Amarillis & Mailys de Villoutreys, Sprezzatura & Sebastien Fournier at the Mandarin’s House

Friday, 8 p.m.

Sprezzatura & Sebastien Fournier at St. Joseph’s Church