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BE RGE N INTE RN AT I ON AL
FE STIVAL 2016
Navarra
String Quartet
FOU N DAT I ON S
FOU N DAT ION S
B E RG E N IN T E RN AT ION A L
F E ST IVA L 2 01 6
Mathias Kjøller clarinet
Magnus Johnston violin
Marije Johnston violin
Simone van der Giessen viola
Brian O’Kane cello
Mahan Esfahani harpsichord
Concerto Köln
FRANCESCO GEMINIANI (1687–1762)
Concerto grosso ‘La Follia’ after Arcangelo Corelli’s
Violin Sonata in D minor, Op. 5
CARL PHILIPP EMANUEL BACH (1714–1788)
String Quartet no. 25 in C major, Op. 20:2, Hob.III:32
12 Variations on ‘les Folies d’Espagne’,
H 263 / Wq. 118/9
PĒTERIS VASKS (1946–)
WILHELM FRIEDEMANN BACH (1710–1784)
String Quartet no. 3
Sonata in D major, Fk 12
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756–1791)
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685–1750)
Clarinet Quintet in A major, KV 581
Concerto no.1 in D minor, BWV 1052
JOSEPH HAYDN (1732–1809)
and Mathias Kjøller
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ALESSANDRO SCARLATTI (1660–1725)
Variations on ‘La Folia’
CARL PHILIPP EMANUEL BACH (1714–1788)
Supported by the Oticon Foundation
Concerto in D minor, H 427 / Wq. 23
Sponsored by DNV GL
m
HÅKONSHALLEN
DAT E/ T I M E
Monday 6 June
at 19:30
D U RAT IO N
2:00 including
interval
OT H ER
Introduction
in Norwegian by
Erling Dahl jr.
at 18:55
T IC KET
Standard: 400
Under 30: 150
Festival Card:
30 % discount
Sponsored by DNV GL
Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet and other
chamber music goodies.
Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet is one of the first
works ever written for the popular instrument,
and the composer draws out the entire spectrum of its sound, from its wistful depths to its
playful higher notes. Its attractive melodies and
the interaction between the clarinet and the
strings have made this one of Mozart’s most
respected works.
The Danish clarinettist Mathias Kjøller says,
‘Mozart’s music constantly provides new possibilities and nuances, so this piece is one of my
absolute favourites. With each string quartet
I perform with, I discover new aspects of the
work.’ He is looking forward to joining the
Navarra String Quartet in Håkonshallen.
The award-winning ensemble, whose members
come from England, Ireland and the Netherlands,
has aroused enthusiasm for its innovative interpretations of the great string quartets. They are
also known for their recording of Peteris Vasks’s
music, written for the Latvian people. The quartet collaborated closely with the composer, and
reviewers expressed admiration for how they
ca ptured the essence of the music, ranging from
the powerfully mournful to the atmospherically
lyrical, interspersed with folk music elements.
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#FE STSPILLEN E16
m
HÅKONSHALLEN
DAT E / T IME
Mahan
Esfahani
Tuesday 7 June
at 19:30
DU RAT ION
1:45 including
interval
OT H E R
Introduction
in Norwegian by
Annabel Guaita
at 18:55
T IC K E T
Standard: 400
Under 30: 150
Festival Card:
30 % discount
and Concerto Köln
The star behind the comeback of the
harpsichord as a mainstream instrument goes to the heart of Bach.
‘Lots of things are old. Lots of traditions are old.
I like it because it’s beautiful. The harpsichord
enables you to hear much more subtlety, and
it has a sensual quality,’ says Iranian-American
Mahan Esfahani.
He claims that he started playing the instrument
as a youthful rebellion. His parents wanted him
to become a doctor or lawyer, and he practised
diligently. From childhood he was fascinated by
Bach, and when he heard a recording played on
the harpsichord his fate was sealed: this was
the real ‘spirit of Bach’.
In 2015 he was acclaimed Newcomer of the
Year by BBC Music Magazine. He is currently in
great demand, and his enthusiasm and audience
contact have made him popular with audiences
and critics alike.
Reviewing one of his four recordings, Time present and past, the Times wrote: ‘He emerges as
a superstar whose musicianship, imagination,
virtuosity, cultural breadth and charisma far
transcends the ivory tower in which the harpsichord has traditionally been placed.’ In the
concert in Håkonshallen he is accompanied by
the ensemble Concerto Köln.
W W W.F IB.N O
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