Press
“Hear [the Duo Kalysta] if you can, either in concert or this way.”
— Gorman, American Record Guide
May-June 2020 (about the recording Origins)
“Deutsch, a player who can soften or strengthen her handsome tone according to need, is very much in the first chair.”
— Arthur Kaptainis, La Scena Musicale
February 2020
"Deutsch revealed new worlds of colour and meaning in every single note ... an astonishing artist"
— Scott Tresham, Senior Producer at CBC Music
“Hear [the Duo Kalysta] if you can, either in concert or this way.”
— Gorman, American Record Guide
May-June 2020 (about the recording Origins)
“Deutsch, a player who can soften or strengthen her handsome tone according to need, is very much in the first chair.”
— Arthur Kaptainis, La Scena Musicale
February 2020
"Deutsch revealed new worlds of colour and meaning in every single note ... an astonishing artist"
— Scott Tresham, Senior Producer at CBC Music
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Jaap Nico Hamburger
Concerto for Harp and Orchestra
Concerto pour harpe et orchestre
Dedicated to Lavinia Meijer
Dédié à Lavinia Meijer
In 2020, the Government of The Netherlands commissioned a harp concerto to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the United Nations' International Court of Justice (ICJ). The work was given in memory of Charles Grelinger, the Dutch-Jewish composer who wrote 'Hymn des Nations' on occasion of the 1913 inauguration of the Peace Palace, the permanent location of the ICJ. Considering the COVID-19 pandemic, the commissioned work was written for a small ensemble. The world- premiere of the chamber version was performed on April 18, 2021 in The Hague and streamed on-line. In the summer of 2021, the work was revised for full orchestra and harp solo. It has not been performed or recorded to date.
First movement
1st theme: Charles Darwin talked about “our ancestors singing love songs to each other before we could speak articulate language”. Historically, the pentatonic scale is much older than the European concept of tonality. Thus, the opening theme is written using a pentatonic scale
Strings: reference to the opening of Beethoven’s 9th symphony: one of the most, if not the most brave, important and enduring testimony to the ideal of peace and brotherhood of men
2nd theme: an expression of pure optimism (1913, opening of the Peace Palace; 1945, United Nations is created to provide a diplomatic alternative to armed conflict “no more war”)
Second movement
1st theme: citation of Hymn of the Nations by Charles Grelinger. The world stood by when Grelinger was murdered and the ‘League of Nations’ failed to do what it stood for. The citation is rephrased from the original, hopeful major key into a questioning minor key
2nd theme: citation of a theme from Arnold Schönberg’s ‘Verklärte Nacht’. Survival of war is sometimes a flip of the coin: Grelinger died in an eastbound train to Auschwitz. Arnold Schoenberg understood the coming danger just in time, and traveled westbound to the US, escaping Europe and the war, and thus survived
Third movement
1st theme: The United Nations’ Security Council has five permanent members. Following a short introduction, the first theme is written in a 5/8 signature. It is intended to portray the UN’s original and optimistic post WWII spirit to resolve all international conflict by means of diplomacy rather than war
Ultimately, and in reference to the many armed conflicts since WWII (such as Korea, Vietnam, the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, and the many conflicts in the Middle East) the main theme from the 1st movement returns, overtaking the enthusiasm of the 3rd movement’s main theme. This time, the theme does not come to a harmonic conclusion, as we realize that even the UN has not (yet) found an answer to the horrors of war. Thus, the theme is cut short, and the concerto proceeds with an Adagio that is a new tone setting of the Kaddish prayer. The adagio is a personal expression of respect to Charles Grelinger, whose life was cut short during the Holocaust, and at the same time a prayer for peace on earth. The concerto ends with a 3rd and last musical quotation to the words “May He who creates peace in heaven create peace for all of us on earth. And we say: Amen.”
En 2020, le gouvernement des Pays-Bas a commandé un concerto pour harpe afin de célébrer le 75e anniversaire de la Cour internationale de justice (CIJ) des Nations unies. L'œuvre a été créée en mémoire de Charles Grelinger, compositeur juif néerlandais qui a écrit l'Hymne des Nations à l'occasion de l'inauguration, en 1913, du Palais de la Paix, siège permanent de la CIJ. Compte tenu de la pandémie de la COVID-19, l'œuvre commandée a été écrite pour un petit ensemble. La première mondiale de la version de chambre a eu lieu le 18 avril 2021 à La Haye et a été diffusée en ligne. Au cours de l'été 2021, l'œuvre a été révisée pour un orchestre complet et un solo de harpe. Elle n'a pas été jouée ou enregistrée à ce jour.
SPECS
Duration:
23
Movements:
I. Intro-Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Molto Vivace - Molto Adagio
I. Intro-Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Molto Vivace - Molto Adagio
Roles:
Instrumentation:
1(=pic).1.1.1 - 1.1.1.0 - timp.perc - 6.6.4.4.6.1
1(=pic).1.1.1 - 1.1.1.0 - timp.perc - 6.6.4.4.6.1
Tech:
Language:
BACKGROUND
Date of composition:
2021
Commissionner:
Government of The Netherlands to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the United Nations' International Court of Justice (ICJ)
Le gouvernement des Pays-Bas pour la célébration du 75e anniversaire de la Cour internationale de justice (CIJ) des Nations unies
Performances:
2021, Celebrating Peace through Justice – 75 years ICJ | Livestream
Lavinia Meijer, Het Residentie Orkest, and Vincent de Kort
2021, Celebrating Peace through Justice – 75 years ICJ | Livestream
Lavinia Meijer, Het Residentie Orkest, and Vincent de Kort
Awards:
Press:
ABOUT THE COMPOSER
Jaap Nico Hamburger is a CMC Associate Composer. In 2019, he was appointed as Montréal’s Mécénat Musica Composer in Residence. His compositions include commissions from orchestras (Turning Point Ensemble, Ensemble Caprice, Orchestre Classique de Montréal, the Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra, Festival Classica) and chamber works (“400 Years of Dutch Keyboard Music”, Polina Gubnitskaia, David Shemer).
His works have been performed and recorded in Canada, The Netherlands and Israel. He was recently commissioned by the United Nations and the Government of the Netherlands to compose a new concerto for harp and orchestra that was premiered on occasion of the 75th anniversary of the International Court of Justice. Other commissions include works for Discovery Channel as well as European broadcasting companies.
His 2nd chamber symphony ‘Children’s War Diaries’ was nominated for the Dutch national composer’s award and is nominated for the 2022 JUNO award for best classical composition. The premiere of his first opera “ARIELLA” is slated for the spring of 2023.
Jaap Nico Hamburger est un compositeur associé du CMC. En 2019, il a été nommé compositeur en résidence du Mécénat Musica de Montréal. Ses compositions comprennent des commandes d'orchestres (Turning Point Ensemble, Ensemble Caprice, Orchestre Classique de Montréal, l'Orchestre Baroque de Jérusalem, Festival Classica) et des œuvres de chambre (" 400 Years of Dutch Keyboard Music ", Polina Gubnitskaia, David Shemer).
Ses œuvres ont été jouées et enregistrées au Canada, aux Pays-Bas et en Israël. Il a récemment été chargé par les Nations Unies et le gouvernement des Pays-Bas de composer un nouveau concerto pour harpe et orchestre qui a été créé à l'occasion du 75e anniversaire de la Cour internationale de justice. D'autres commandes comprennent des œuvres pour Discovery Channel ainsi que pour des sociétés de radiodiffusion européennes.
Sa deuxième symphonie de chambre "Children's War Diaries" a été nominée pour le prix national des compositeurs néerlandais et pour le prix JUNO 2022 de la meilleure composition classique. La création de son premier opéra "ARIELLA" est prévue pour le printemps 2023.
ABOUT THE LIBRETTIST
About the work