Tender is the Voice of Strings

An Early 19th-Century Music Salon

J. L. Dusík, J. Haydn

 

Bauwien van der Meer – soprano
Richard Egarr – fortepiano
Masumi Nagasawa – single-action pedal harp

 

Thursday 24. 7. 2014, 8.00 p.m.
Břevnov Monastery, Markétská 1, Prague 6

Supported by the Netherlands Embassy.

 

The Theresian Hall in Břevnov Monastery is a perfect locale for music-making – even the ceiling mural depicts musicians! The Austrian Empress and Czech Queen Marie Therese (from whom the hall got its name) would surely be pleased to host her contemporaries Joseph Haydn and Jan Ladislav Dusík. Even the Dutch ensemble featuring the illustrious Bauwien van der Meer, Richard Egarr a Masumi Nagasawa seemed to be in an appropriate place here: Dusík lived in Holland from 1780, working there as an organist and music teacher. From the same period date his first preserved compositions. And The Tender Voice of Strings moved the romantic hearts of the listeners…

 

Concert programme

J. L. Dusík (1760–1812)
Duo concertante Op. 69/1 in B-flat major (1810)
Duo concertante Op. 69/3 in F major (1811)
3 Songs (1804)

 

J. Haydn (1732–1809)
Arianna a Naxos (1789)
3 Canzonettas (1794/5)

 

 

An Homage to Jan Ladislav Dussek    
Opera PLUS, 25. 7. 2014, Lukáš Vytlačil
It was truly a beautiful experience in terms of the interpretation as well as dramaturgy; many of the pieces on the programme are only scarcely performed, which is especially true in the case of Dussek’s chamber compositions. 

 

[Masumi Nagasawa] showed a great mastery of her instrument, using an astonishing range of timbres, dynamics, and articulation. The sound of the fortepiano, played by Egarr, was just as rich. His play was characterized by great subtlety and precision, as well as thought out use of tempo and agogics.

 

The lieder by Joseph Haydn and J. L. Dussek were very interesting and van der Meer showed in them her mastery of the genre. Her performance was based on perfect interpretation and deep comprehension of the lyrics which allowed her to embellish her rendition with many charming details.