Popular chamber music from the North

 

Many European ensembles have discovered Kvandal´s chamber works lately. The Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet first selected Wind Quintet op. 34 (1971) for the 2012/ 2013 season, and also performed the work at Festival d’Aix-en-Provence in France in partnership with the Vanderbilt Music Academy. Recently, they have toured USA with the work, which is also on their permanent repertoire.

– Very much like Shostakovich, if he had composed a wind quintet, says the quintet.

Dutch ensemble De Bezetting Speelt has discovered the gem Quintet for Hardanger Fiddle and String Quartet, op. 50 (1978) and has performed it on numerous occasions in Amsterdam and other main Dutch cities, most recently in December 2013. In March 2014, the renowned Engegård Quartet goes to Mozarteum, Salzburg, with the same work on their concert programme.

On 24 January 2014, the Gloger Festival performs Night Music op. 57 (1981), Nonet for Eight Wind Instruments and Double Bass, deep into the mountain in the King’s Silver Mines in Kongsberg, Norway. From the festival homepage: “”Kvandal gives peace of mind with his night music.”” This wind work is also on the Lithuanian Wind Octet’s programme together with Nonet op. 54 (1946, revised 1980), the latest performance December 1, 2013 in Vilnius. 

Even more wind music is coming up in 2014. February 11, 2014, the Norwegian Radio Orchestra (KORK) invites to a chamber concert at the NRK broadcasting house in Oslo, with Kvandal’s Night Music for wind instruments. And – Jugend-Musik-Ensemble in Frankfurt am Main performs Three Hymn Tunes for Wind Quintet op. 23B  (1963) in April and June 2014.

All of the mentioned works are available on Youtube and/ or Spotify.