About our programs. Radio Russia

Transcription

1 Programs

2 About our programs The bea'ng heart of the Ragazze Quartet is the classical stringquartet repertoire. In wayward programs we search for a balance between classical and contemporary, between quartet and a bigger cast and between music and other disciplines. For every project a new ar's'c team is formed alongside the four Ragazze, keeping in mind the theme of the project. The programs are ranging from a small scale classical ensemble concert un'l a full on music theatre performance. Radio Russia Radio Russia is a theatrical concert by the Ragazze Quartet in collabora'on with the Na'onal Composer of the Netherlands Mayke Nas, playwright Ilya Leonard Pfeijffer and actor Hans Dagelet. For Radio Russia the concert hall is transformed into a radio studio. In the wai'ng area of the studio a composer is preparing to deliver a speech. He is nervous, makes slight adjustments to his text, paces up and down, waits and listens to the radio. On several radio transmimers Russian string quartets of Shostakovich and Gubaidulina are heard, but also news items, bits of talk shows and historical recordings. Na'onal Composer of the Netherlands Mayke Nas creates the framework around the pieces, which includes the world premiere of her new string quartet Ether quartet No.9. Of Gubaidulina one hears the Second String Quartet; a fragile limle jewel consis'ng of long notes that are fanned out further and further. The Tenth String Quartet of Shostakovich will be played; a probing four-panel that was wrimen during a period in which the reigns of the Soviet Regime were paid out more and more and for the first 'me since Stalin s death, he felt free to express himself on a much more personal level in his music. Repertoire Mayke Nas Etherkwartet nr.9 (2017); Shostakovich String quartet no.10; Rachmaninov String quartet no.1; Gubaidulina String Quartet no.1 Performers Ragazze Quartet and Hans Dagelet Availability September 2018 and onwards Contact Ragazze Quartet (roland@ragazzequartet.nl)

3 Black Angels Things were turned upside down. There were terrifying things in the air they found their way into Black Angels. George Crumb In a 'me where war and the threat of terrorism have great influence on poli'cs and our society, videocollec've 33 1/3 and the Ragazze Quartet present the program Black Angels, where they reflect on these contemporary themes in music and images. Good and evil are considered as polari'es in the eco-system, forces that influence each other constantly, move one another and form an integrated whole. With pieces by Benjamin BriMen, George Crumb and Arvo Pärt, different stages of construc'on, destruc'on and reconcilia'on will be shown. In the program Black Angels music and video come together on an equal basis. The selected pieces put forward the themes described above and are leading in the dramaturgy of the program. For Black Angels 33 1/3 will create new video material, that will connect thema'cally with the three composi'ons. The music will be performed by the Ragazze Quartet and three singers (tbc). The programme Black Angels is a coproduc'on by 33 1/3 and the Ragazze Quartet and will presented autumn By invita'on of the Holland Fes'val, one part of the program, the composi'on Black Angels by George Crumb has premiered in June Repertoire Benjamin BriMen Stringquartet no.1 op.25 in D major, George Crumb Black Angels, Arvo Pärt And One of the Pharisee Performers Ragazze Quartet, three singers (tbc), 33 1/3 Availability September 2018 and onwards Contact Ragazze Quartet (roland@ragazzequartet.nl)

4 Swinging to the Bass Ragazze Quartet & Rick StoJjn (double bass) Swinging to the Bass is a thrilling collabora'on between the Ragazze Quartet and Dutch double bass virtuoso Rick Sto'jn. Rick Sto'jn is generally viewed as one of the world s leading double bass players and he is a much sought ager musician for chamber music concerts. Rhythm is at the core of Swinging to the Bass. Dancing, sexy Piazzolla, Edgar Meyer s Blue Grass, the Czech temperament of Schulhoff and Pavel Haas powerful drive: all four of these works convey a swinging energy into the concert hall that will make the atmosphere shimmer. Repertoire Erwin Schulhoff 5 Pieces for String Quartet (arr. Marijn van Prooijen), Edgar Meyer Duo for Cello and Double bass, Astor Piazzolla / Johann Sebas'an Bach Libertango - Prelude BWV855 - La Muerte del Ángel (arr. Marijn van Prooijen), Pavel Haas String Quartet no. 2 opus 7 (arr. Marijn van Prooijen) Performers Ragazze Quartet en Rick Sto'jn (double bass) Availability season Contact Ragazze Quartet (roland@ragazzequartet.nl)

5 The Singing String Quartet coproducjon String Quartet Biennial Amsterdam It is said that string instruments resemble the human voice the most of all musical instruments. The Ragazze Quartet is keen to semle this and throughout three edi'ons of the String Quartet Biennial will explore both the overlap and the differences between the string quartet and the voice. Every edi'on of the string quartet biennial a new scope of the rela'on will be highlighted. In 2018 we start with an uncul'vated primordial sound and we play works of Peter Sculthorpe, Osvaldo Golijov, Caroline Shaw, Bartok and Mayke Nas, together with soprano Katharine Dain and mezzo-soprano Marine Fribourg. Repertoire Caroline Shaw By & By, folk songs for soprano & string quartet, Osvaldo Golijov How Slow the Wind & Lua Descolorida, Peter Sculthorpe Island Dreaming & Maranoa Lullaby, Béla Bartók String quartet no.2, Mayke Nas In and Out Performers Katharine Dain, Marine Fribourg, Ragazze Quartet Availability January 2018 and onwards Contact Ragazze Quartet (roland@ragazzequartet.nl)

6 Biography Ragazze Quartet The Ragazze Quartet plays both classical and modern string quartet repertoire: inspired and on the highest level. With amrac've but unconven'onal programmes the quartet has come to be one of the most fresh and leading voices in the world of classical music. In innova've programmes it embarks on collabora'ons with the most original voices in theatre, dance and literature. With performances that speak to all senses they succeed in securing an audience for the rich classical music tradi'on. In this way they warm the hearts of both the die hard listener and the novice for the string quartet repertoire of the past and of our present day. Ragazze is a permanent ar'st with CD label Channel Classics and has released no fewer than four CDs with them already: Vivere, Česko, FourFourThree and Spiegel. The CDs were commended by the (inter)na'onal press. The Volkskrant wrote about Česko; Together they put down chords, as if their hands and arms are controlled by one single brain. FourFourThree was awarded the Editor s Choice in Gramophone. Česko, FourFourThree and Spiegel all three were given the highest mark in the magazine Luister. The Ragazze Quartet plays an average of ninety concerts a year in concert halls like the Concertgebouw and the Muziekgebouw aan t IJ in Amsterdam, but can also be seen in concert series all through the Netherlands and on fes'vals like Oerol on the island of Terschelling. Tours abroad brought them to England, Sweden, China, Japan, Indonesia and the United States of America, to name a few. Ragazze likes to join forces with young musicians and theatre makers just as with leading organisa'ons such as Na'onaal Dans Theater (NDT), the Kronos Quartet, Orkater and the Holland Fes'val. In addi'on, the quartet has taken over ar's'c leadership of chamber music fes'val September Me in Amersfoort. September Me transforms Amersfoort into the epicentre of trendsepng classical music. Ragazze play themselves and invite the newest genera'on of top class ar'sts that are not afraid of breaking with tradi'on. The Ragazze Quartet was enrolled for the two-year full 'me course of the Dutch String Quartet Academy and graduated from it in In 2013 they won the Kersjes Prijs, a prize that is awarded on a yearly basis to extraordinary talent on the Dutch chamber music scene. In 2017 the Ragazze Quartet won the Operadagen RoMerdam Award for..their quirky musictheatrical approach, their social engagement and the ease with which they dare to think outside the borders of their tradi'onal exper'se. The Ragazze Quartet receives mul'annual financial support from the Fonds Podiumkunsten and the Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst. The Na'onaal Muziekinstrumenten Fonds put Jeanita s violin and Annemijn s bow at their disposal. Furthermore the Ragazze own a set of classical bows made by Andreas GrüMer through the support of the S'ch'ng Eigen Muziekinstrument.