Tickets:

www.studio150.nl

Where: Studio 150 - Bethlehemkerk When: July 25th & 26th

Anna Fedorova, piano Daniel Rowland, violin Benjamin Roskams, violin Dana Zemtsov, viola. Mikhail Zemtsov, viola Maja Bogdanovic, cello Alexander Warenberg, cello Nicky Schwartz, cello & double bass

Russia has always been a poetic land of mystery and drastic contrasts. Biggest sorrows and ecstatic happiness, warm innocent hearts and hard tyranny, great hospitality and generosity pressured by cruelty and hardship of life. Russia gave birth to countless incredible artists, poets, writers, composers... so many absolutely unique genius pieces of music where created there! Of course it’s impossible to embrace the immensity and even the whole week of non stop concerts wouldn’t be enough, but are going to have a little glimpse into this diverse, mysterious land and sweep over the vastness of Russia on magical flying carpet. On the 25th and 26th of July we will present 5 concerts where we will dive into the Russian depth and explore it from its darkest corners to the light! Join internationally acclaimed musicians Anna Fedorova, Nicky Schwartz, Daniel Rowland, Maja Bogdanovic, Dana Zemtsov, Mikhail Zemtsov, Alexander Warenberg and Benjamin Roskams in these adventurous programs:

#1

Prokofiev, Romeo and Julia suite - for violin and piano Tchaikovsky, from string quartet no 3, ‚Andante funebre‘ (forbidden love) Shostakovich, Trio N 2 Rachmaninoff, cello sonata - 3rd movement Tchaikovsky, waltz sentimental with a film projection Tchaikovsky, Fantasy-Overture

The Opening Concert of our Russian Weekend in the acoustically wonderful Bethlehemkerk, for a concert full of emotional, colorful Russian masterworks, inspired by the tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet. The concert is framed by two rarely heard, brilliant versions Shakespeare’s tale, with Vladimir Mendelssohn’s stunning arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s Phantasy Overture conjuring up the emotional power and magic of a full symphony orchestra. Tchaikovsky’s touching and deeply personal story of forbidden love is portrait in his gorgeous Third String Quartet, and in Shostakovich’ devastatingly powerful Piano Trio we plunge the emotional depths.

#2

Shostakovich: Viola Sonata String Quartet Nr 15

This concert is going to take us into the darkest corners of the Shostakovich's mind. The performance will be held in near complete darkness with nothing more than a candle light. The Viola Sonata op 147 is the very last piece of the composer, for the last time revised by him just 3 days before he passed away. And then the miraculous masterwork, one of the most profound, touching musical utterances of all time: the 15th String Quartet. These five Adagios and a Molto Adagio are the music of a man looking death in the face, and finding beside bleakness, anguish, and grief also immense beauty and tenderness. The work opens without any emotions, like a priest softly singing plainchant ‘to be played in such a way the the flies fall from the walls’, only to be interrupted by wild, nightmarish shrieks of anguish. A tender song gives way to a vehemently unleashed violin solo after which an infinitely tender and beautiful viola solo sings a song of the night. But tragedy awaits again, with funeral bells ringing and after last, ever softer and weaker outbursts, the piece dies away way, into the silence and darkness

#3

Shostakovich Cello Sonata Tchaikovsky Piano Trio

Our Sunday ‘Passionate Matinee’ is dedicated to two masterworks. The 28 year old Shostakowitch wrote his Cello Sonata right after the triumphant premiere of his opera ‘Lady Macbeth’, the terrible denunciation by Stalin came

the following year. The Sonata, by turns lyrical, ghostly, brilliantly energetic, ominous, brilliant and romantic was, it is said, a making up gift to his wife Nina, who had stormed out of their apartment after a dramatic row. Tchaikowsky’s Piano Trio is an emotional roller coaster, overflowing with passion and pathos, exploring the boundaries of both virtuosity and expressivity. Written in memory of his great friend Nicolai Rubinstein, there really is no other piece quite like it.

#4

Gliere Duos Kugel “Preghiera” Rachmaninoff, Romances and Preludes Tchaikovsky, Meditation Gliere, Prelude Koussevitzky, Waltz Miniature Glazunov, Elegia Glinka, Viola Sonata, 1st mvt Scriabin, Etude op 2 N 1 Trio Version Shostakovich, 5 pieces for two violins and piano

In this concert we would like to invite you to the enchanting world of Russian poetry and explore it in music! We will read and pair some of the most special for us short poems by A. Pushkin, M. Tsvetaeva and M. Lermontov with lyrical musical miniatures and dive into the world of dreams, melancholy, exaltation and love!

#5

Arensky, Variations on a theme by Tchaikovsky, op35 Kapustin, Piano Quintet 1st mvt Borys Fedorov, Confused Diffusions on a Fragment of Chopin Tchaikovsky, "Souvenir de Florence"

Join us for the closing celebratory concert of our fulfilling and magical Russian Musical weekend! The central figure of the evening will be Tchaikovsky, who with his music and personality represents the whole essence of Russian soul! We start with Arensky’s gorgeous variations on a theme by his teacher Tchaikovsky, written as a tribute shortly after the composer s death. The variations relish a deeply ‘Russian’ sound world, with the two cellos giving this piece a uniquely dark, melancholic sound mood. This will be followed by a couple of surprises - a world premiere of debut composition “Confused diffusions of the fragment by Chopin” for Double bass and piano written by wonderful Russian born pianist Borys Fedorov. After we will pay a tribute to Nikolai Kapustin who has sadly left us last month by performing an exciting jazzy movement from his string quintet. And finally, Tchaikovsky’s “Souvenir de Florence”, written after a happy Italian summer is a unique mix of Russian soul and Italian bel canto, an intoxicatingly brilliant burst of passion, lyricism, virtuosity and life affirming high spirits!