Page 51 - BBC Music (January 2020)
P. 51
MUSICAL DESTINATIONS
Mountain music:
Lucero Tena plays the
castanets with harpist
Xavier de Maistre
Raise a glass:
sample some
tasty local wine
Food, glorious food
Megève’s delicacies
Megève is a gastronomic haven,
with 89 restaurants – three of
which have Michelin stars – and 23
farms and producers. With dishes
centred around local cheeses
with consistently starry line-ups – Savoy ‘Megève’ comes from the Celtic name
such as Emmental and Raclette,
Truffle refuses to limit itself to one genre. ‘Mageva’, meaning the village on water.
baked potatoes, wild plants from
Alongside more traditional recitals are All in all, it’s a very peaceful place to host the mountains and meat cooked
concerts combining music with dance, a music festival. on hot rocks, traditional Savoyard
poetry and drama. The first concert on Savoy Truffle makes use of the ancient cooking is highly calorific, to keep
last year’s festival programme features two Alpine town and its historic architecture, people warm during the harsh Alpine
singers, an actor, bass clarinet, drums and experimenting with its venues as much winters. Blueberries flourish in
an organ grinder, blending experimental as its programming. Although many these colder climates, so are often
music with performance art and physical concerts take place in a conference room in used in fruit tarts, another Megève
delicacy. The region’s vineyards are
theatre. In another, an artist paints during Megève’s enormous sports complex (with
also renowned, so you can round
the concert, reacting to the music.
off your meal with a chilled glass of
Between events, do take the opportunity Haute-Savoie white wine.
to venture up to the mountains and take You’ll pass cascading
in the spectacular views from as many
vantage points as possible. In summer, waterfalls and vast
a few cable cars are still running, so you
can cover quite a lot of ground without lakes on your walks many of those are just a series of concerts
breaking a sweat. The landscape is driven by big-name artists, rather than a
diverse: you’ll pass streams, cascading between concerts themed programme.’ Before an evening
waterfalls, grassy plains, vast lakes and of tango, for instance, the 1998 musical
fields of sheep, horses and cows on your the sound of cheering ice hockey film Tango is screened in the town’s very
walks between concerts. A mountaintop fans often leaking through the walls), the own cinema. The movie’s visual aesthetics
picnic lunch can be enjoyed alongside the festival also hosts concerts in pretty set the scene perfectly for the evening’s
calming sound of distant cowbells. local churches. One venue, though, is concert: a selection of vibrant works by
The town itself is a simple but particularly idyllic. ‘We held a concert Argentinian and Mexican composers,
welcoming place to return to after an right next to an artificial lake, which accompanied by two dancers who
afternoon of hiking. Once a popular ski harpist Xavier de Maistre performed in afterwards put on a simple tango class for
destination for the French aristocracy, front of with the flamenco dancer Lucero audience members.
Megève still has an affluent feel, with Tena, who played the castanets,’ Houben It’s rare to find a festival with such an
designer shops making up most of its high tells me. ‘The scenery was amazing – there eclectic programme across the arts – not
street. But it’s still more relaxed than the was a sunset over the lake.’ least one in the middle of a spectacular
bigger resorts – a network of winding Each year, an overarching theme ties Alpine mountain range. For those wanting
paths and narrow roads join up various the fortnight together. Most recently, to step away from the familiarity of the big
medieval-style town squares, which are the festival celebrated Latin America European festivals, Megève might just be
home to local bars, restaurants and cafés, with events scheduled throughout the perfect place to see off the last weeks
all of which are understandably quiet at the day. There are daily lunches with of summer.
Further information:
this time of year. The silence is broken only visiting artists and film screenings that
GETTY, ALAMY by the sound of rivers flowing through complement the music. ‘There are quite a For details of the 2020 Megève Festival
few festivals in this area’, says Houben. ‘But Savoy Truffle, visit www.savoytruffle.fr
the centre of the town – in fact, the name
BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE 53
