Song – Theatre of Voices
New Ground – Kronos Quartet
No Ground – Kronos Quartet
Green – Theatre of Voices
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No Ground Green - Kronos Quartet + Theatre of Voices
New Ground Green - Kronos Quartet + Theatre of Voices
The legendary Kronos Quartet – the world’s most famous classical ensemble – visits Denmark in order to celebrate Danish composer Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen’s 80th birthday. They will be premiering several new works in collaboration with Theatre of Voices and Grammy winning conductor Paul Hillier.
As a beautiful reflection of the musical profiles of the ensembles involved, the new works contain several references to renaissance and baroque music. The text for Green is from Henry VIII’s Song Book from 1520 and in New Ground it is Pachelbel’s famous ground that is forced through the Holmgreen wringing machine. And these old tunes do not give in easily. They wiggle and resist and keep turning up in the new works.
David Harrington writes:
Kronos is delighted to come to Copenhagen to help celebrate the 80th birthday of our friend Pelle Gudmundsen Holmgreen. Pelle's creativity is in full bloom with two new works written for Kronos and two works written for Paul Hillier's Theatre of Voices and Kronos. It does not get any better in life than to be able to perform Pelle's newest music and to work with Theatre of Voices in Copenhagen.
Artistic director Paul Hillier has previously worked and recorded with Kronos Quartet. On Dacapo Records they have released ’Kronos plays Holmgreen’ – including ’Moving Still’ – written for Kronos and Hillier.
Theatre of Voices has often shared concerts with Kronos Quartet and also premiered ’The Stones of The Arch’ by Gavin Bryars with the quartet at Barbican Center’s great celebrations of Steve Reich at 70. Kronos are now here to perform with us again and do workshops at the conservatory.
Theatre of Voices and Paul Hillier are very proud and happy that one of Denmark’s finest composers of the 20th and 21st century is celebrated in this way.
The Royal Danish Conservatory and Edition Wilhelm Hansen have joined in producing this concert with Theatre of Voices. Mediapartner is SNYK – secretariat for new music.
The concert is sponsored by:
Augustinus Fonden, Beckett-fonden, Kunststyrelsen, Wilhelm Hansen Fonden, DMFF (Dansk Musikforlæggerforening) og Dansk Komponist Forenings Produktionspulje/KODAs nationale midler.
Kronos Quartet
David Harrington, violin
John Sherba, violin
Hank Dutt, viola
Jeffrey Zeigler, cello
www.kronosquartet.org
Theatre of Voices
Else Torp, soprano
Signe Asmussen Manuitt, mezzo
Chris Watson, tenor
Jakob Bloch Jespersen, bass
Paul Hillier, artistic director