Caput Ensemble
Harpa Norðurljós
8:00 PM
March 3rd
Caput Ensemble will perform compositions by a number of Icelandic composers.
PROGRAMME:
Flux 173 by Haukur Tómasson ‘8
Music to accompany your sweet splatter dreams by Bára Gísladóttir ‘6
Þan by Kristján Guðjónsson ‘17
Intermission
Coda by Haukur Þór Harðarson ‘17
adoS by Halldór Smárason ‘10
Intermission
Ecognosis by Bergrún Snæbjörnsdóttir ‘25
About the pieces
Flux can be viewed either as one piece or a selection of relates works. The instrumentation is flexible, from 1 to 8 players, with possible instruments being flute, oboe, clarinet, harp, percussion, piano, violin and cello. Possible combinations are 255, from version for solo instrument up to an octet.
The piece is quite open in form, not only because of different instrumentation but also because there is an element of improvisation in each part.
Accompanying the instruments is a playback file which is the only constant layer in the piece.
The title Flux (flow) refers to how the material of the work seeps between the instruments and the playback material, the lack of exact synchronization and to the fluid state of the whole work, which will never be performed twice in the exact same way. Flux has a duration of 8 minutes.
Þan was composed for Caput ensemble in 2019 for a concert set in early spring 2020. The concert was never held for reasons all too well known. The piece can be divided into six consecutive parts or ideas that all share the same construction unit. The basic building block is a set of six tones that can be seen as the DNA of the piece, from which all other tone material springs. There are certain tone centers throughout the piece. In some cases they are inaudible but serve as a kind of turbine that drives the process.
About the performers
Naxos, Deutsche Grammophon og Sono Luminus.CAPUT Ensemble founded in 1988 by young Icelandic musicians has established itself as a force in Icelandic cultural life, and is one of the leading new music ensembles in Nordic countries. The artistic direction of CAPUT is the performance and recordings of new music. They have premiered countless works by Icelandic and international composers showing the immense diversity of musical creation in the late 20th century and early 21st century. CAPUT has performed in 15 European countries, America, Japan and China. On the list are among others: Warsaw Autumn, The Gulbenkian Festival - Lisbon, Holland Festival, Prague Marathon, The International New Music Week - Bucharest, New Concert Series - Toronto, Santa Cecilia - Rome, Wigmore hall - London, Bejing Modern Music Festival. CAPUT has published over 20 CDs for labels in Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, Italy, England and the United States, with publishers like BIS, Naxos, CClassico, GM Recordings, Touch, Bad Taste and Deutsche Grammophon, to name a few. Recent recordings will be published by Sono Luminus, USA.
Conductor - Guðni Franzson
Guðni Franzson is active in Icelandic musical life, co-founding CAPUT in 1988 and conducting them on international tours and recordings. As a conductor he has worked with orchestras and ensembles in Northern Europe, including Icelandic Symphony Orchestra, Vaasa and Pori Orchestras in Finland, and Esbjerg Ensemble in Denmark. Guðni has worked closely with most Icelandic composers, among them Golden Globe winner the late Johann Johannsson.
Educated as a clarinetist in The Netherlands where he was the recipient of the Léonie Sonnings prize during his studies, Guðni pursued a career as a soloist on an international scale, especially in the field of contemporary music. As a composer, his focus is on music for theatre and dance. Guðni is active as a music educator running Tôney (www.toney.is), a centre for creative music education.
About the composers
Kristján Guðjónsson studied composition in Reykjavík College of Music from where he graduated in 2004. In 2011 he finished his Masters degree in composition from Iceland University of the Arts. Kristján's music has f.ex. been played at the UNM festival and at the Icelandic Symphony Composer Lab. Kristján has also written music for theater, arranged and composed music for film and video game. Along with composing, Kristján works as a music teacher in Reykjavík.