This year we are proud to be part of the EU project Songs of Travel, which explores themes of migration and travel through music, research and interactive experiences. Together with three other festivals and a game developer, we have commissioned five new musical works and also created a mobile game that follows the lives and journeys of five migrants across Europe. Travel and impressions from other places and contexts are the common thread that binds the festival's program. The opening concert will feature the premiere of one of the five works, Djuro Zivkovic's Double Concerto for cello, piano and orchestra.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Edvard Grieg' s beloved Peer Gynt Suite is based on Henrik Ibsen's dramatic tale of the adventurous Peer Gynt who travels the world but loses himself in his lies and dreams. Searching for love, wealth and meaning, he finally realizes that he has neglected the only thing that matters: the faithful Solveig waiting for him at home.
Djuro Zivkovic's Concerto Terrae, double concerto for cello, piano and orchestra is one of the works commissioned for Songs of Travel. Serbian-Swedish Zivkovic has won several international prizes and awards for his original and expressive music, including the Grawemeyer Award, often likened to the Nobel Prize of art music.
"In the double concert, I want to evoke a sense of wonder and awe, evoking the paradoxical nature of our planet - a fragile yet resilient sphere suspended in the vastness of space. Themusic will evoke a sense of the sacred and invite the listener to contemplate their place in the grand design of the universe." - Djuro Zivkovic
When Andrea Tarrodi wrote Birds of Paradise, she was listening to a record of bird sounds and was inspired to write the piece after watching a nature film about these beautiful and unusual creatures. She wrote the piece for Musica Vitae, which premiered it in 2008.
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy's Symphony No 4 'The Italian ' is one of his most popular and life-affirming works. Mendelssohn himself referred to the symphony as 'the happiest piece I have ever written'. It was written after traveling around Italy and being fascinated by its culture, history and landscape, and he sought to capture the colors and atmosphere of the country in his music. The symphony has four movements: Allegro vivace, Andante con moto, Con moto moderato and a final wild Saltarello. The symphony was first performed in London in 1833, but Mendelssohn was not satisfied with it and revised it several times. Never published during his lifetime, it was only released in its original version in 1851 and immediately became a firm favorite in the orchestral repertoire!
Edvard Grieg - Peer Gynt Suite no 1
Djuro Zivkovic - Double concerto for cello, piano and orchestra (premiere)
-PAUS
Andrea Tarrodi - Birds of Paradise for string orchestra
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy - Symphony No. 4 'The Italian'
The 1917 silent film The Assassination of the Duke of Guise is a milestone in the development of cinema. A historical drama depicting the murder of the French nobleman and warlord Henry I of Guise in 1588, it is one of the very first examples of music written specifically for a film. French composer Camille Saint-Saëns composed six pieces for piano, harmonium and strings that follow the plot and mood of the film. The music and film have a running time of about 17 minutes.
Game Songs of Travel is part of the EU project of the same name. The game consists of five chapters exploring different aspects of migration by following the personal stories of five individuals fleeing their home countries to a new beginning in Europe. The music is by Fairplay Chamber Music and was composed by Irish composer Elaine Agnew.
>200D↩
Part 1 - Silent movie: Assassination of the Duke of Guise
Music by Camille Saint-Saens
Part 2 - Games: Songs of Travel
Music by Elaine Agnew
The concert features works by four composers who have explored travel and encounters with other cultures in different ways, one of which is the fifth and final commissioned work of the festival.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
We begin with a bittersweet Romance for violin and piano by Amy Beach, considered the first successful American female composer. The romance was written for her husband as a wedding gift, a wedding that in many ways marked the end of Beach's career as a pianist but also the beginning of her composing career.
Franz Liszt's Petrarch sonnets were originally written as songs with text by the Italian Renaissance poet Francesco Petrarch but later Liszt rewrote them in versions for solo piano as part of his second collection of pieces called Pilgrim's Years and it is this version that we encounter here. The sonnets are examples of Liszt's late style, characterized by rich harmony and enormous spiritual depth.
The work Ode to Napoleon is a celebration of Arnold Schoenberg, who would have turned 150 in 2024. Considered one of the most influential and innovative composers, this work was written in 1942 in the United States, where Schoenberg was forced to flee during World War II. Schönberg based the work on a poem by Lord Byron, who criticized Napoleon for his lust for power and cruelty, and the work can be seen as a protest against tyranny and dictatorship. The setting with reciter, pianist and string quartet is typically Schoenbergian and the work blends elements of both tonal and atonal music in a celebration of the ideals of freedom.
After the break, we return to the present with a work by Norwegian composer and professor Lasse Thoresen. Commissioned for the Songs of Travel project, Every Minute opens a door is a musical reflection on the challenges and opportunities of migration.
"The starting point for my piece will be Vladimir Levchev's poem The Refugee, which ends with the compelling words: we may have traveled to eternity." - Lasse Thoresen
The concert ends with Amy Beach, whose music we also met at the beginning. The piano quintet is perhaps her most successful work and has become a favorite among many concertgoers and musicians alike. The quintet was written after a trip to Europe where she studied French and German music and here you can sense influences from both Brahms and French impressionism, while Amy Beach's own strong musical identity constantly shines through!
Amy Beach - Romans for violin and piano
Franz Liszt - from 3 Sonetti del Petrarca
Arnold Schoenberg - Ode to Napoleon
-PAUS
Lasse Thoresen - Every Minute Opens a Door
Amy Beach - Piano Quintet in F sharp minor
Adagio - Allegro moderato
Adagio espressivo
Allegro agitato - Adagio come prima - Presto
The program consists of four beloved works divided between different ensembles. The result is a collaboration between our music students and festival musicians where everyone gets the chance to contribute to the big picture.
PROGRAM:
Franz Schubert - Overture in C minor
Giovanna Sevi, Svetlana Riger, Asbjørn Nørgaard, Caroline Hansen, Douwe Eisses
Amanda Maier-Röntgen - Piano Quartet in E minor
1. Allegro
Finghin Collins, Dora Lapuste, Klara Kotarsky, Annika Valkeajoki
2. Andante
Gustav Schantz, Janina Olszewska, Alvin Sunding, Jakob Koranyi
3. Presto con fuoco
Daria van den Bercken, Guilherme Perez, Meeri Mäenpää, Herman Pellbäck
4th Finale: Largo espressivo - Allegro vivace
Julija Sadaunykaite, Adriana Černiukaitė, Asbjørn Nørgaard, Clara Simpson
-PAUS
Claude Debussy - ur 6 Epigraphes Antique
1. to invoke Pan, god of the summer wind
3. in order that the night be propitious
6. to thank the morning rain
Astri Aareskjold, Peter Friis Johansson
Felix Mendelssohn - Piano Trio No 1 in D minor
1. Molto Allegro agitato
Gustav Schantz, Luise Kallmeyer, Jakob Koranyi
2. Andante con moto tranquillo
Gustav Schantz, Guro Kleven Hagen, Eric Drougge
3rd Scherzo: Leggiero e vivace
Herman Pellbäck, Guro Kleven Hagen, Eric Drougge
4th Finale: Allegro assai appassionato
Herman Pellbäck, Guro Kleven Hagen, Filip Graden
This year we are proud to be part of the EU project Songs of Travel, which explores themes of migration and travel through music, research and interactive experiences. Together with three other festivals and a game developer, we have commissioned five new musical works and also created a mobile game that follows the lives and journeys of five migrants across Europe. Travel and impressions from other places and contexts are the common thread that binds the festival's program. The opening concert will feature the premiere of one of the five works, Djuro Zivkovic's Double Concerto for cello, piano and orchestra.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Edvard Grieg' s beloved Peer Gynt Suite is based on Henrik Ibsen's dramatic tale of the adventurous Peer Gynt who travels the world but loses himself in his lies and dreams. Searching for love, wealth and meaning, he finally realizes that he has neglected the only thing that matters: the faithful Solveig waiting for him at home.
Djuro Zivkovic's Concerto Terrae, double concerto for cello, piano and orchestra is one of the works commissioned for Songs of Travel. Serbian-Swedish Zivkovic has won several international prizes and awards for his original and expressive music, including the Grawemeyer Award, often likened to the Nobel Prize of art music.
"In the double concert, I want to evoke a sense of wonder and awe, evoking the paradoxical nature of our planet - a fragile yet resilient sphere suspended in the vastness of space. Themusic will evoke a sense of the sacred and invite the listener to contemplate their place in the grand design of the universe." - Djuro Zivkovic
When Andrea Tarrodi wrote Birds of Paradise, she was listening to a record of bird sounds and was inspired to write the piece after watching a nature film about these beautiful and unusual creatures. She wrote the piece for Musica Vitae, which premiered it in 2008.
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy's Symphony No 4 'The Italian ' is one of his most popular and life-affirming works. Mendelssohn himself referred to the symphony as 'the happiest piece I have ever written'. It was written after traveling around Italy and being fascinated by its culture, history and landscape, and he sought to capture the colors and atmosphere of the country in his music. The symphony has four movements: Allegro vivace, Andante con moto, Con moto moderato and a final wild Saltarello. The symphony was first performed in London in 1833, but Mendelssohn was not satisfied with it and revised it several times. Never published during his lifetime, it was only released in its original version in 1851 and immediately became a firm favorite in the orchestral repertoire!
Edvard Grieg - Peer Gynt Suite no 1
Djuro Zivkovic - Double concerto for cello, piano and orchestra (premiere)
-PAUS
Andrea Tarrodi - Birds of Paradise for string orchestra
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy - Symphony No. 4 'The Italian'
The 1917 silent film The Assassination of the Duke of Guise is a milestone in the development of cinema. A historical drama depicting the murder of the French nobleman and warlord Henry I of Guise in 1588, it is one of the very first examples of music written specifically for a film. French composer Camille Saint-Saëns composed six pieces for piano, harmonium and strings that follow the plot and mood of the film. The music and film have a running time of about 17 minutes.
Game Songs of Travel is part of the EU project of the same name. The game consists of five chapters exploring different aspects of migration by following the personal stories of five individuals fleeing their home countries to a new beginning in Europe. The music is by Fairplay Chamber Music and was composed by Irish composer Elaine Agnew.
>200D↩
Part 1 - Silent movie: Assassination of the Duke of Guise
Music by Camille Saint-Saens
Part 2 - Games: Songs of Travel
Music by Elaine Agnew
The concert features works by four composers who have explored travel and encounters with other cultures in different ways, one of which is the fifth and final commissioned work of the festival.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
We begin with a bittersweet Romance for violin and piano by Amy Beach, considered the first successful American female composer. The romance was written for her husband as a wedding gift, a wedding that in many ways marked the end of Beach's career as a pianist but also the beginning of her composing career.
Franz Liszt's Petrarch sonnets were originally written as songs with text by the Italian Renaissance poet Francesco Petrarch but later Liszt rewrote them in versions for solo piano as part of his second collection of pieces called Pilgrim's Years and it is this version that we encounter here. The sonnets are examples of Liszt's late style, characterized by rich harmony and enormous spiritual depth.
The work Ode to Napoleon is a celebration of Arnold Schoenberg, who would have turned 150 in 2024. Considered one of the most influential and innovative composers, this work was written in 1942 in the United States, where Schoenberg was forced to flee during World War II. Schönberg based the work on a poem by Lord Byron, who criticized Napoleon for his lust for power and cruelty, and the work can be seen as a protest against tyranny and dictatorship. The setting with reciter, pianist and string quartet is typically Schoenbergian and the work blends elements of both tonal and atonal music in a celebration of the ideals of freedom.
After the break, we return to the present with a work by Norwegian composer and professor Lasse Thoresen. Commissioned for the Songs of Travel project, Every Minute opens a door is a musical reflection on the challenges and opportunities of migration.
"The starting point for my piece will be Vladimir Levchev's poem The Refugee, which ends with the compelling words: we may have traveled to eternity." - Lasse Thoresen
The concert ends with Amy Beach, whose music we also met at the beginning. The piano quintet is perhaps her most successful work and has become a favorite among many concertgoers and musicians alike. The quintet was written after a trip to Europe where she studied French and German music and here you can sense influences from both Brahms and French impressionism, while Amy Beach's own strong musical identity constantly shines through!
Amy Beach - Romans for violin and piano
Franz Liszt - from 3 Sonetti del Petrarca
Arnold Schoenberg - Ode to Napoleon
-PAUS
Lasse Thoresen - Every Minute Opens a Door
Amy Beach - Piano Quintet in F sharp minor
Adagio - Allegro moderato
Adagio espressivo
Allegro agitato - Adagio come prima - Presto
The program consists of four beloved works divided between different ensembles. The result is a collaboration between our music students and festival musicians where everyone gets the chance to contribute to the big picture.
PROGRAM:
Franz Schubert - Overture in C minor
Giovanna Sevi, Svetlana Riger, Asbjørn Nørgaard, Caroline Hansen, Douwe Eisses
Amanda Maier-Röntgen - Piano Quartet in E minor
1. Allegro
Finghin Collins, Dora Lapuste, Klara Kotarsky, Annika Valkeajoki
2. Andante
Gustav Schantz, Janina Olszewska, Alvin Sunding, Jakob Koranyi
3. Presto con fuoco
Daria van den Bercken, Guilherme Perez, Meeri Mäenpää, Herman Pellbäck
4th Finale: Largo espressivo - Allegro vivace
Julija Sadaunykaite, Adriana Černiukaitė, Asbjørn Nørgaard, Clara Simpson
-PAUS
Claude Debussy - ur 6 Epigraphes Antique
1. to invoke Pan, god of the summer wind
3. in order that the night be propitious
6. to thank the morning rain
Astri Aareskjold, Peter Friis Johansson
Felix Mendelssohn - Piano Trio No 1 in D minor
1. Molto Allegro agitato
Gustav Schantz, Luise Kallmeyer, Jakob Koranyi
2. Andante con moto tranquillo
Gustav Schantz, Guro Kleven Hagen, Eric Drougge
3rd Scherzo: Leggiero e vivace
Herman Pellbäck, Guro Kleven Hagen, Eric Drougge
4th Finale: Allegro assai appassionato
Herman Pellbäck, Guro Kleven Hagen, Filip Graden
