Festival des Premiers Romantiques at Châteaux de Malmaison and Bois-Préau

From May 22 to 25, the Festival des Premiers Romantiques takes place at the Châteaux de Malmaison and Bois-Préau in Rueil-Malmaison, France. The festival, organized in partnership with the Musée national des châteaux de Malmaison et de Bois-Préau, features period pianos including an Erard square pianoforte from 1806 and an 1847 Streicher, played by musicians from the collective La Nouvelle Athènes. Performers include renowned pianists, an oboist, a romantic guitarist, a baroque violinist, and a soprano from the Académie de l'Opéra de Paris. The program spans Beethoven, Weber, and Schumann alongside contemporary pieces, such as an outdoor serenade inspired by birds and hunting. Concurrently, the exhibition "Roses & Pivoines" (open since May 13) showcases works by Pierre-Joseph Redouté (1759–1840), protégé of Empress Joséphine, alongside reverse glass paintings by German contemporary artist Thilo Westermann (b. 1980). The château, Joséphine's private residence from 1799 to 1814, has been freshly restored, and its emblematic garden—theater of her botanical passions—remains a key attraction. The festival celebrates the Romantic movement, which originated in Germany in the late 18th century, emphasizing free expression of emotions, melancholy, dreams, and nature.