Gaudenz Badrutt, electronics
Kai Fagaschinski, clarinet
Jonas Kocher, accordion
Christof Kurzmann, electronics
Their album Entschlummern sollst du, sollst entschlummern (engl.: Thou shall slumber, slumber, shall thou) brings us the first ever released recordings of four string quartets by Frieda Bertelsohn Martholdy (1878 -1907), a composer yet unknown to most of us. The first listening makes undoubtedly clear what an original voice as a composer and what an astonishing achievement from the performers we are witnessing here. Frieda Bertelsohn Martholdys thoroughly modern sounding music fluently integrates a pronounced romantic quality, completely innocent of any of the aesthetic conflicts that 20th century music later challenged providing a candidly bewildering and enriching listening experience.
The concert in Biel/Bienne on February 26th is preceded by a solo performance by Anna-Kaisa Meklin, Viola da Gamba. The Finnish musician based in Switzerland will play two compositions by the American composer Catherine Lamb, “of animal” (2011) and “as two…or three…or four…” (2008).