2013/2014 Concert Season: Weisse Äpfel/White Apples

Mondrian Ensemble, Basel, Switzerland

As part of its seasonal focus “Von Zeit zu Zeit” (From Time to Time) – Musical Trains of Thought between the Middle Ages and Present Day, the Mondrian Ensemble is spanning an arc over almost 500 years of musical history. In its concert program entitled “weisse äpfel” (white apples) the Mondrian Ensemble devotes itself to the string trio. With its special polyphony the music of the Renaissance draws attention to the contemporary pieces here. Conversely, the dissonant and noise-like sounds of the compositions of Klaus Lang and Carlo Ciceri (premiere) set the historical pieces in a new light. Works by English composers of the Renaissance will be performed and a focal point here will lie on “fantasias”, a special kind of counterpoint piece that was modern in England. The piece lending its name to the title “weisse äpfel” by Klaus Lang from 2009 allows silence and sound, harmony and dissonance and noises, murmurs and tones to flow into each other as their contrasts meld. Italian composer Carlo Ciceri will conduct a piece for string trio to be premiered during this concert. As a lover of Italian and English Renaissance music he had already been exploring the compositional techniques of the past in several works when the Mondrian Ensemble approached him with the commission. 

February 20 – 23, 2014
Winterthur, Lucerne, Basel, Zürich, Switzerland 

Further Information:
www.mondrianensemble.ch