Ensembles at DCMM 2009

The programme of the Dutch Chamber Music Meeting 2009 offers a varied cross-section of high quality, put together with the help of 16 advisors from all corners of the music world.

In the third edition of this biennial event, there's a remarkably large contribution by young talents, such as the accordion duo Toeac consisting of Renée Bekkers (1985) and Pieternel Berkers (1986), the piano duo Lestari Scholtes (1984) and Gwylim Janssens (1985), and the young Navarra String Quartet, founded in England but with three Dutch members. This quartet has already been awarded an impressive number of prestigious prizes and has been praised by Mstislav Rostropovich.

On the other hand, the programme features established names such as the internationally renowned chamber orchestra Amsterdam Sinfonietta and successful cellist Quirine Viersen.

The programme gives a sample of the rich and varied Dutch ensemble culture. The duo Sax & Stix, which was founded in 2002, uses innovative repertory to demonstrate the versatility of the combination of saxophone and percussion. Duo Bilitis successfully presents new work and own arrangements of works from all style periods for the unusual combination of two harps and voice.

On the other end of the spectrum the programme features the young Ensemble Cordevento, a trio consisting of recorder, Baroque guitar and harpsichord that can also be turned into a small Baroque orchestra. The ensemble plays on copies of historic instruments and has a new approach to familiar repertory. In 2007 Ensemble Cordevento gave the opening concert at the prestigious Early Music Days in Berlin.

The Calefax Reed Quintet is an example of how boundaries between genres and other aspects of today’s music landscape are evened out more and more. This ensemble, with its unusual instrumental combination, presents music from six centuries, often in its own arrangements and always with an oral introduction. The recently founded Lunapark even explicitly explores the fusion of different styles and cultures from a strong, non-relativistic perspective on good new music.

This year’s DCMM conference focuses on the globalisation of Western classical music. This makes the ensemble Musica Temprana a very appropriate addition to the programme. This ensemble, conducted by composer and multi-instrumentalist Adrián Rodríguez Van der Spoel, uses a changing combination of instruments. It plays unknown repertory of the Latin-American Baroque.

The DCMM offers a heterogeneous programme of high quality, in which international allure is the binding element. From Saturday 10 October to Monday 12 October there will be something to everyone’s taste in Amsterdam, and more: a musical world for everyone to discover.

Joep Stapel