Concertzender Live

With some composers, particularly Hungarian composer György Kurtág, homages have turned into a genre. His work is full of shorter and longer homages. Some of these formed the start of the programme ‘Hommage à …’, a creation of pianist Jan Michiels and Pieter Bergé, Professor of musicology at the University of Leuven. ‘Hommage à …’ was once performed at the Marie-Theresia college in Leuven (B). The concert was part of the programme for Festival 20/21.

‘Hommage à’ consists of five chapters. Each of the chapters has the structure of a mirror. In concrete terms, this means that one specific homage takes centre stage each time, to which related works are linked in pairs. Four times this is a tribute by Kurtág, but the middle tribute of the programme is one by Alban Berg: the middle movement from his magnificent Kammerkonzert, which itself has a mirror structure. Each chapter delves into a specific sound realm. The middle and fourth chapters focus on the Second Viennese School, while the second chapter takes a Franco-Russian perspective. The first and final chapters draw connections to the past, particularly the German music tradition from Johann Sebastian Bach to Johannes Brahms. Despite this diversity, the program maintains a cohesive instrumentation. The piano, sometimes played with four hands, serves as the central unifying element. Additionally, the clarinet takes on a prominent role, engaging in dialogue with the viola (in Kurtág’s Hommage à R. Sch.) and the violin (in Berg’s Kammerkonzert), the two longest pieces in the program. Finally, the soprano voice introduces words—often concise and enigmatic—into this ‘Hommage à …’. A bass drum punctuates the composition with a single, resounding thud.Each chapter delves into a distinct sonic realm.

1. Merkwürdige Pirouetten is structured around Kurtág’s Hommage à R[obert] ScH[umann]. Before and after the complete performance of this work, short pieces by Schumann himself are played, to which Kurtág explicitly or implicitly refers in his Hommage: Kreisleriana and Davidsbündlertänze.
2. Der Wahre Weg is built around three homage pieces by Kurtág. At its center is his Hommage à Pierre Boulez from the Kafka Fragments, with two of Boulez’ own Notations for piano. The outer sections of this chapter are homages to two Russian composers, Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky, who are also featured themselves. Stravinsky’s Tombeau de Claude Debussy serves as a bridge between Russia and France, two cultures that have been deeply intertwined musically for centuries.
3. Erinnerung
4. Heimweh

5. Abschied

Abschied partially revisits Merkwürdige Pirouetten from the first chapter: the final (and longest) part of Kurtág’s Hommage à R. ScH. Abschied is fully reprised as the central composition. Additionally, a connection to Schumann is reestablished. From there, “Hommage à …” continues its journey into the past, traversing through Brahms to Bach. In the epilogue, Kurtág has the final say with Der begrenzte Kreis ist rein from the Kafka Fragments. This piece also bridges back to the Pirouettes, as it is a vocal variation of the second part of the Hommage à R. ScH.

Performers:

Violist Pieter Jansen has a great passion for contemporary music. Since 2006, he has been solo violinist of SPECTRA and is regularly invited by ensembles such as Ensemble Multilatérale, HERMESensemble, and Ictus. As concertmaster/solo violinist, Jansen is often sought after by Casco Phil, Boho Strings, Volksopera, and the Symphony Orchestra of La Monnaie (Brussels). Additionally, he is regularly invited to perform with the Flemish Symphony Orchestra and Le Concert Olympique.

Diede Verpoest has a musical background, initially studying violin under his father before completing his studies at the Brussels Conservatory under Philippe Graffin. He then served as a violin assistant at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels for two years. In recent years, Verpoest has been highly active as a violist with the Karski Quartet, which serves as the Artist in Residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Brussels.

Emile Souvagie is first clarinetist at Opera Ballet Vlaanderen. Additionally, he is a member of the Verbier Festival Orchestra and recently worked as an academy fellow with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam. Souvagie studied clarinet and early music at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels under Benjamin Dieltjens, further honing his skills in Stockholm and Cologne. He has performed with the Belgian National Orchestra, Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, Brussels Philharmonic, and the Orchestre des Champs-Elysées. With the Firgun Ensemble (clarinet and string quartet), he won first prizes at the Storioni Willem Twee Concours 2018 and Supernova 2022.

Soprano Lore Binon is dedicated to championing the vulnerable art of the song genre. Her sensitive and musically rich personality has made her a sought-after soloist both nationally and internationally, performing in symphonic repertoire as well as early music. Additionally, Binon has a deep passion for chamber music. She is a co-founder of Revue Blanche, a vocal/instrumental chamber music ensemble with an unusual but remarkably colorful lineup: soprano, flute, viola, and harp. Within the realm of music theater, she has contributed to several productions. Binon is also actively involved in contemporary music. She has performed Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire at various festivals, collaborated multiple times with Ictus and Rosas, and sung with SPECTRA.

Pianist Jan Michiels  is renowned for his deeply personal and multifaceted approach to the piano repertoire, blending old and new perspectives in ever-evolving ways. Numerous recordings attest to this, featuring music ranging from Bach to contemporary works, all seen through the lens of a performer who shapes his programs through an ongoing dialogue with living musical history. Michiels has collaborated closely with composers such as György Kurtág, Helmut Lachenmann, Karel Goeyvaerts, and Kris Defoort. As an educator, he has conducted masterclasses across Europe. Currently, he serves as a piano teacher at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels and as a guest professor at the Universität der Künste Berlin.

Pianist Inge Spinette is acclaimed for her subtle and intelligent use of color, mastering the nuances of refined emotion with finesse. Since 1992, she has pursued a dual career as a Lied interpreter and opera coach at De Munt. Additionally, she has served as a Lied teacher at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels since 1992. Spinette also accompanies singers at prestigious international competitions such as the Queen Elisabeth Competition. Her extensive discography includes recordings of vocal repertoire (including collaborations with Lore Binon) as well as works for two pianos and piano four hands (with Jan Michiels).

Playlist

• Prologue

György Kurtág (°1926)

Kafka-Fragmente (1985-1986)

III /7.  Ziel, Weg, Zögern

• Merkwürdige Pirouetten

Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

Kreisleriana (1838) I.  Äußerst bewegt

György Kurtág (°1926)

Hommage à R. Sch. (1990)

1. Merkwürdige Pirouetten des Kapellmeisters Johannes Kreisler
2. : der begrenzte Kreis …
3. … und wieder zuckt es schmerzlich F. um die Lippen …
4. Felhó valék, már süt a nap… (töredék-töredék) (Eine Wolke war ich, jetzt scheint schon die Sonne)
5. In der Nacht
6. Abschied (Meister Raro entdeckt Guillaume de Machaut)

Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

Davidsbündlertänze (1837)

7. Wie aus der Ferne
8. Nicht schnell

• Der Wahre Weg

György Kurtág (°1926)

Játékok I (1973) LXX. Hommage à Tchaikovsky

Pjotr Iljitsj Tsjaikovski (1840-1893)

Symfonie Nr. 4 (1877-1878) II. Andantino in modo di canzona piano

Pierre Boulez (1925-2016)

Notations (1945) V. Doux et improvisé

György Kurtág (°1926)

Kafka-Fragmente (1985-1986) II /1.  – – Der wahre Weg… (Hommage-message à P. Boulez)

Pierre Boulez (1925-2016)

Notations (1945) VIII. Modéré jusqu’à très vif

Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)

Tombeau de Claude Debussy (1920) VII.  Slotkoraal uit Symfonieën voor blaasinstrumenten (1918)

György Kurtág (°1926)

Játékok IV (1979) IV. Bells. Hommage à Stravinsky

• Erinnerung

György Kurtág (°1926)

Attila József Fragmente (1981) XI.  XII.  Oly lágy az este… / Der abend… És ámulok / Und erstaunt bin ich…

Alban Berg (1885-1935)

Kammerkonzert (1923-1925) II. Adagio (arr. 1935)

György Kurtág (°1926) Attila József Fragmente (1981) XVII.  A kerten… / Im Garten

• Heimweh

Arnold Schönberg (1874-1951)

Sechs kleine Klavierstücke (1911) II. Langsam

Arnold Schönberg (1874-1951)

Pierrot Lunaire (1912) IX.  Gebet an Pierrot

György Kurtág (°1926)

Kafka-Fragmente (1985-1986) IV /8. Es blendete uns die Mondnacht

Arnold Schönberg (1874-1951)

Pierrot Lunaire (1912) XV. Heimweh

Arnold Schönberg (1874-1951) Sechs kleine Klavierstücke (1911) VI.  Sehr lansam

• Abschied

György Kurtág (°1926)

Játékok VIII (1982-2005) IV. – – Hommage à J. S. B.

Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

Geistervariationen (1854) I. Thema

György Kurtág (°1926)

Hommage à R. Sch. (1990) VI. Abschied (Meister Raro entdeckt Guillaume de Machaut)

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

Schumann-Variationen (1854) I. Thema XI. Variation Nr. 10. Poco Adagio

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit (Actus Tragicus)  (1707, arr. György Kurtág) I. – – Sonatina

Recording tech, compilation and presentation: Leo August De Bock

Pictured above: pianist Jan Michiels, picture by Mirjam Devriendt