The sound of bowed strings is unsurpassed when it comes to capturing emotion. A predecessor to the violin called ‘viol’ was found while excavating old hospitals for the mentally ill in the UK, and it was used to soothe patients. Its sound was said to be unsurpassed for calming an agitated mind. Various emotions are the common theme of the composers presented at this evening’s concert.
Amanda Maier-Röntgen, a skilled violinist and composer of international measure, was 20 years old when she composed her emotionally stirring Sonata. She was good friends with Nina and Edvard Grieg, and with Johannes Brahms. His Sextet is certainly emotionally evocative and has been used in movies and television, for example in The Pianist and Star Trek.
Andrea Tarrodi’s music always has a distinctive light and rhythmic energy. Tarrodi was inspired by Hungarian and Romanian folk music when composing the string quartet Madárdal, as well as by Swedish melodies and birdsong – the word Madárdal is Hungarian for birdsong.
