Connections

Leo Weiner, Karl Amadeus Hartmann, Aleksandra Vrebalov, Max Bruch, George Enescu

The present concert reveals the subtle connections between cultures, music and the people who create it. We will touch upon the interweaving of history and the local and broader region, full of memories “at the intersection of the subconscious and ecstasy, of dance and song, between the borders of the Balkans, Pannonia and Central Europe”, as Mate Bekavac says.

Members of the Kelemen Quartet, who are all exceptional soloists in their own right, will lead a concert at which cooperation and exchange will be the common denominator. The music through which they will guide us gives the strong impression that something more is hidden behind the abstract play of notes...

The concert will get underway with a light wreath of dances by Hungarian composer Leo Weiner and conclude with the exuberant Romanian dance rhythms of George Enescu, while the heart of the concert will resound with music full of poignant allusions. Whereas Max Bruch poured the idea of ​​the purity and simplicity of the spiritual into his composition based on the Jewish song of prayer Kol Nidrei, the entire oeuvre of Munich composer Karl Amadeus Hartmann reflects a deeply humanistic attitude. The Nazis banned Hartmann’s music, as the composer used his work to draw attention to the atrocities of Hitler’s system early on. Composed between 1930 and 1935, his challenging Concerto for Clarinet, String Quartet and String Orchestra is as if tailor made for our performers. Its central place in the concert programme is warranted not only because of its virtuoso conception, but also because in this work, as throughout his life and work, Hartmann glorified the idea of ​​humanity and interpersonal ties, which should always be maintained.

We can sense a hint of nostalgia in Pannonia Boundless by Serbian-American composer Aleksandra Vrebalov. In the turbulent 1990s, she left her native Novi Sad and established herself in the United States. Due to her complicated life path, she understands well that a person cannot succeed as an isolated being, and that a work of art, too, can only arise as a result of collaboration. Coloured by Pannonian folklore, Pannonia Boundless was created in collaboration with the renowned Kronos Quartet, who have a special ear for innovation.