Passion Beyond Bach: South Korean baroque violinist Jin Kim and the Utopia Ensemble shine at historic locations in Bruges, Belgium.
“When we realize our mortality in front of immortality, we humble ourselves. Humility is a step toward peace for each other.” (Jin Kim)
Karen Majelyne, who organises the series of early music concerts in Bruges, says “the music of Bach and his contemporaries has been an inspiration to try, day after day, to make progress on the road to love and compassion. With the ‘Passion Beyond Bach’ series I want to “inspire others ‘Beyond Bach’”.
Concerned about the turn the world seems to be taking, she wants to build bridges between people through early music and connect artists, authors, musicians and more.
The Concertzender records virtually all concerts of Passion Beyond Bach, which are always magnificent. Majelyne can persuade the best musicians to play in Bruges, which is unmistakably the case again in this episode. We will listen to a concert from South-Korean baroque violinist Jin Kim and a concert from the celebrated Utopia Ensemble, with mezzo-soprano Michaela Riener, countertenor Bart Uvyn, tenor Adriaan De Coster, baritone Lieven Termont and bass Guillaume Olry.
Jin Kim, an internationally acclaimed baroque violinist, has been performing around the world since 1993. Her early engagements as a baroque violinist started as a doctoral student at the University of Michigan (USA), while studying modern violin with Ruggiero Ricci and baroque ensemble with Edward Parmentier. She participated in several ensembles: America Baroque Ensemble, Ars Musica, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, Newberry Consort, Brandywine Baroque, Apollo’s fire.
Jin Kim was deeply influenced by Sigiswald Kuijken’s approach to early music and studied with him during 1987-1990. She has been playing with La Petite Band since 1993, giving concerts at major Early music festivals in Europe, Asia, and South America. She participated in numerous CD recordings at Deutsche Harmonia Mundi and Accent.
In 1992, she received the highest prize in the Yamanashi Early Music Competition in Japan, as well as the Tochigi Early Music Festival Award.
Jin Kim founded a global early music project group “Musica Glorifica” and orchestrated, together with colleagues, an international exchange of musicians to introduce early music to her motherland South Korea.
The Utopia Ensemble is a Belgian group of five singers who have been part of internationally renowned ensembles for years. They’ve performed on many different Belgian and international stages ever since the ensemble was formed, like Laus Polyphoniae (Antwerp), the MA festival in Bruges, but also festivals in Utrecht, Regensburg, Warsaw and Prague.
They released two CDs with the Etcetera label, which are featured in an episode of Nuove Musiche here at the Concertzender: https://www.worldofjazz.nl/programma/nuove_musiche_776844/
The Utopia ensemble got its name from the book by Thomas More, written in 1516 in Antwerp. Inspired by the interesting and innovative ideas in the book, Utopia also wants to play a social role through its projects and collaborations. They organise a Utopia Festival day every year, with music, visual art, film and photography, but also organise lectures and debates on social topics. They use the beautiful Saint Paul’s church in Antwerp as their as home base for concerts and new projects and are the church’s permanent ensemble.
They specialize in polyphonic singing from the 16th century – its basic principles, where every voice is equal, are perfectly executed by the ensemble, resulting in a rich and homogenous sound.
Playlist
- Concert with baroque violinist Jin Kim (South Korea), 22 September 2024, the Chapel of Bladelin court, Bruges (B), recording technician: Pierre Sepulchre
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750)
Sonata no.2 for violin solo in A minor, BWV 1003
Grave – Allegro
Nicola Matteis Jr (1690 – 1749)
Fantasia for violin solo in C minor ‘Con discretione’
Georg Philipp Telemann (1681 – 1767)
Fantasia no.7 violin solo in E-flat major, TWV 40:20
Dolce – Allegro – Largo – Presto
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750)
Partita no.2 for violin solo in D minor, BWV 1004
Chaconne
Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber (1644 – 1704)
Mystery Sonata n0.16 for violin solo in G minor
Passacaglia ‘The Guardian Angel’
Onbekend
Sout Korean children’s song
Johann Sebastian Bach
Andante from Sonata no.2 for violion solo in A minor, BWV 1003
- Concert with Utopia Ensemble, 25 August, Chapel Bladelin Court, Bruges (B), recording technician: Leo A. De Bock
Eustache Barbion (?-1556)
A Dieu celle que jay
Jacques Olbrecht (1457/58-1505)
Kyrie from the Missa Grecorum
Jacquet de Mantua (1483-1559)
Quam pulchra es amica mea
Nicolas Gombert(ca.1495-ca.1560)
Tota pulchra es
Jacobus Vaet (ca. 1529-1567)
Credo from the Missa Quodlibetica
Orlandus Lassus (1532?-1594)
Tibi Laus
Nicolas Gombert
Je suis trop jonette
Josquin Desprez (1450/55 – 1521)
Mille regretz
Tielman Susato (1510/15-1570 ?)
Les miens aussi
Jacobus Vaet
Agnus Dei from the Missa Quiodlibetica
Tielman Susato
Père éternel (a prayer for after the meal)
Tielman Susato
Triste Départ
In addition:
Johann Sebastian Bach
Suite no. 2 in D minor, BWV 1008. Lucia Swarts (cello) plays the Sarabande and Menuet 1 & 2.
More information on Passion Beyond Bach at http://www.passionbeyondbach.com
