Bergen International Festival 2016 | Page 64

064 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 065 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. 064 #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 065