Concerts from around the country, recorded by Concertzender
Violence & Consolation and the inheritance of The Silence
from Erwin Schulhoff to Asgeir Aarøen
This episode of Concertzender Live features two concerts we recorded in Belgium.
- Violence & Consolation
8 October 2024, Irish College, Leuven (Belgium), recording from Leo A. De Bock
Festival 20·21 is Leuven’s yearly hotspot for classical music of the 20th and 21st century. The festival’s programming is bold, avant-garde and of very high quality. Out of this wonderful music on offer, we selected a concert from the sisters Maria and Nathalia Milstein.
Born in Moscow into a family of musicians, violinist Maria Milstein studied in Amsterdam with Ilya Grubert, in London with David Takeno and at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Waterloo (Belgium) with Augustin Dumay.
Maria is a prizewinner of major international competitions both as a soloist and as a chamber musician, such as “Città di Brescia” and “Premio Rodolfo Lipizer” in Italy, the ARD Competition in Munich, the Lyon Chamber Music Competition and the Kersjes Prize in the Netherlands. In 2016, Maria was awarded the Fellowship of the Borletti Buitoni Trust, and in 2018, she received the Dutch Music Prize – the highest recognition for a classical musician in the Netherlands awarded by the Ministry of Culture.
Maria performs extensively across Europe in halls such as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, BOZAR in Brussels, Musikverein in Vienna, the Philharmonic of Cologne and Cité de la Musique in Paris. She performed as a soloist with e.g. The Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, the National Orchestra of Belgium, the Hague Philharmonic, the Brussels Philharmonic and Amsterdam Sinfonietta.
A keen chamber musician, Maria formed the successful Van Baerle Trio together with pianist Hannes Minnaar and cellist Gideon den Herder, one of the leading trios of its generation.
Together with violinist Mathieu van Bellen Maria founded MuziekHaven, a chamber music centre located in a historic wooden church in Zaandam (The Netherlands) – a place offering residencies to chamber music groups, educational projects and a recording location for small formations. For more info see www.muziekhaven.com
Maria plays on a violin by Michel Angelo Bergonzi (Cremona, ca. 1750), and a Léonard & François Xavier Tourte bow (Paris, ca.1790) on loan from the Dutch Music Instruments Foundation, and holds a teaching position at the Conservatory of Amsterdam.
Maria Milstein also performs together with her younger sister Nathalia. The duo frequently performs in Europe: in The Concertgebouw, the Muziekgebouw in Amsterdam, in BOZAR in Brussel, Diligentia in The Hague, Music Centre De Bijloke in Gent, the Philharmonic in Essen and the Teatro Ristori in Verona. In September 2024 the Duo releases the complete works for violin and piano from Franz Schubert with the French label Mirare.
Nathalia Milstein was born into a musical family in Lyon and received her first piano lessons from her father Serguei Milstein. She continued her lessons with him at Geneva Haute Ecole de Musique, where she later studied with Nelson Goerner. Other mentors include Daniel Barenboim, Menahem Pressler and Jan Wijn. Nathalia’s international career took off in 2015, when she won 1st Prize at the Dublin International Piano Competition.
She was invited to important concert venues such as the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, Carnegie Hall in New York, Wigmore Hall in London and the Pierre Boulez Saal in Berlin. At home and abroad she enjoys participating in festivals such as La Roque d’Anthéron, Flâneries Musicales de Reims, La Folle Journée, the New Ross Piano Festival, the Lille Piano Festival, the Zaubersee Festival, the West Cork Festival and Schiermonnikoog Festival.
In 2018, the pianist’s debut at the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France made a profound impression. Nathalia Milstein performs regularly with her sister, the violinist Maria Milstein; the duo made their debut in the Recital Hall at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam in February 2018 and released two CDs.
The solo debut of Nathalia Milstein from 2018 includes music from Prokofiev and Ravel. She recorded music from Smetana with the Pražak Quartet.
The programme they played on 8 October at Festival 20/21 contains works from Erwin Schullhof and Leoš Janáček.
- Heritage
20 October 2024, Atelier Marcel Hastir, Brussels (Belgium), recording by Leo A. De Bock
The Edenwood Duo consists of Catherine Struys (classical guitar) and Wouter Vercruysse (cello). They studied with leading names in chamber music like Sophie Hallynck and Guy Danel, formed their duo in 2016 and won the prestigious Léopold Bellan International Competition in 2017. The duo aims to promote the repertoire of pieces written originally for guitar and piano.
(photo from private collection)
The Edenwood Duo continually searches for new works and encourages composers to write them music. They already have some beautiful works in their collection: the Suite for cello and guitar from Alan Charlton (recorded as world premiere on the Cloud and Mirrors album, released under the name Et’Cetera Records label), Meditation from Michel Lysight and Soledad from Armand Coeck (recorded as world premiere on the album Another Place – A Croch’Note Production), Episodics from the American composer Nathan Kolosko, Canticum Maris from Armand Coeck and Sérénade from Nicolas Meunier (recorded as world premiere on the labum Light Blue).
Playlist
Erwin Schulhoff (1894-1942)
Sonata for solo violin (1927), andante sostenuto
Maria Milstein, violin
Erwin Schulhoff
Violin sonata no. 2 (1927): I. Allegro Impetuoso II. Andante III. Burlesca. Allegretto IV. Finale. Allegro risoluto
Maria Milstein, violin, Nathalia Milstein, piano
Leoš Janáček (1854-1928)
In the Mists (1912): I. Andante II. Molto Adagio III. Andantino IV. Presto
Nathalia Milstein, piano
Leoš Janáček
Violin sonata (1915): I. Con moto II. Ballada III. Allegretto IV. Adagio
Maria Milstein, violin, Nathalia Milstein, piano
Friedrich Burgmüller (1806-12874)
Nocturne no. 1 for cello and guitar
Catherine Struys, classical guitar, Wouter Vercruysse, cello
Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Arpeggione Sonata (D 821), arr. for cello and guitar: I. Allegro Moderato II. Adagio III. Allegretto
Catherine Struys, classical guitar, Wouter Vercruysse, cello
Asgeir Aarøen
Strings of Silence
Catherine Struys, classical guitar, Wouter Vercruysse, cello
Erik Desimpelaere (°1990)
Suite for cello and guitar: I. Ostinato II. Canto III. Canto IV. Cadenza V. Milonga VI. Finale
Catherine Struys, classical guitar, Wouter Vercruysse, cello
Armand Coeck (°1941)
Fantaisie Concertante
Catherine Struys, classical guitar, Wouter Vercruysse, cello
Title photo: Foppe Schut
