Joseph Haydn is an unmissable figure in Amandine Beyer’s debut with her string quartet at AMUZ. The ‘father’ of the string quartet is all too often dismissed as overly classical and solid, but in fact his music is highly inventive, playful and even humorous. His lively string quartet in D major is a revelation, with several interesting and innovative themes. Haydn’s influence can also be felt in Schuberts seventh quartet. It is bathed in an atmosphere of carefree optimism, and Schubert’s typical lyricism resounds in each of the four parts. Let the Kitgut Quartet be your discovery of the season!

12 October, 2019 21:00 -- amuz

Star singer and audience favourite Damien Guillon invites you to experience the music of the heavens. The countertenor and his ensemble Le Banquet Céleste have chosen to perform music by Philipp Heinrich Erlebach (1657-1714). Sadly his operas have been lost, but his philosophical work Harmonische Freude musicalischer Freunde fortunately also included a number of arias. These arias, as well as his songs, illustrate the typical Baroque concept of ‘vanitas’: everything is transitory. By carefully varying the tempo and instrumentation of his songs, Erlebach gives each verse its own character. A unique musical treasure.

17 October, 2019 21:00 -- amuz

The song cycle Ayre for soprano and ensemble is one of the most remarkable and moving works of the 21st century. The experience of hearing this aesthetically radical piece for the first time is both enlivening and disorienting. The first time one hears it, it is difficult to decide whether the raw sounds, rousing rhythms and deeply penetrating lament are pop or classical music, or whether to classify the piece as folk music or to use some other category that has not yet been determined. It is a masterpiece in which Golijov weaves a web from strands of Arabic, Hebrew, Sardinian and Sephardic music, along with klezmer, flamenco and a mixture of electronic and traditional sounds. HERMESensemble combines Ayre with a performance of Adana by Wim Henderickx, a piece that evokes Indian moods.

18 October, 2019 21:00 -- amuz

In 1854, Franz Liszt wrote to the cellist Cossmann: “My monster instrument with three keyboards has arrived and it appears to be a great success.” The 1500 kilo instrument combines a grand piano with a two-keyboard harmonium. Although the critic Richard Pohl said he had heard the composer playing this piano harmonium, Liszt’s remarkable instrument was never played in concert. Nonetheless, the combination of a piano and harmonium was a popular choice in the 19th century. Bart Rodyns and Nicolas Callot put it back in the spotlight with music by Franz Liszt, Richard Wagner, César Franck and Peter Benoit.

20 October, 2019 15:00 -- amuz

Not all composers left the region of their birth to make a career for themselves in the major cultural centres of Europe. Italian composers who stayed in their home country include resonant names such as Albinoni, Scarlatti and Marcello along with others who have almost been forgotten, such as Leo, Fiorenza and Mancini. Most of their compositions are marked by a highly personal style and an extravagance that puts them outside the mainstream of Baroque music. Naples was a city with a flourishing musical scene and no less than four conservatories. The local archives still contain undiscovered musical gems today. RedHerring presents several little-known musical treasures from the period 1700-1750.

24 October, 2019 21:00 -- amuz

Arvo Pärt’s Kanon Pokajanen is a monumental a cappella composition for a four-part choir. The title does not refer to the canon technique, but to the form of structured hymn called the ‘canon’ in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Pärt transformed ancient ecclesiastical texts on the theme of penitence into a contemplation for the 750th anniversary of Cologne Cathedral (1997). ‘Have mercy’ and ‘Glory to the Father’ are the refrains in this impressively simple work of severe concentration. Long, low hummed tones create a meditative, mesmerising atmosphere. The internationally renowned Kaspars Putnin leads Collegium Vocale Gent in this magnificent piece.

25 October, 2019 21:00 -- amuz