Name: Time Sequence Duo: Anastasiya Akinfina – fortepiano & Jacopo Ristori – cello, Luther Museum, 15 januari 2023
Start: 2023-01-15T16:45:00
Location: Luther Museum

TimeSequence Duo: Fortepianiste Anastasiya Akinfina en cellist Jocopo Ristori, stonden in de finale van het Siegburg Concours 2021 ‘Beethoven in Seiner Zeit’ en spelen op 15 januari 2023 muziek van en uit Beethovens tijd. Met Beethoven en de componist Ries die na hem kwam en Beethoven’s toorts verder droeg, vormt dit recital op 15 januari een passende “Nachklang” van het onderdeel ‘Beethoven & The Romantics’ van het Geelvinck Early Piano Festival 2021.

TimeSequence Duo bij de voorrbereiding van hun deelname aan het Beethoven Concours 2021, waarbij Anastasia speelt op de Andre Stein 1804 in Museum Geelvinck op Kolthoorn in Heerde

Programma:

Ferdinand Ries (1784-1838):

• Introduction and a Russian Dance, op. 11

This piece written in 1823 reflects a fashion of the early 19th century, when Eastern European national music became popular in central Europe and was often used for instance as a theme for variation. Clearly influenced by his mentor Beethoven and his friend, the cellist Bernhard Romberg, this is an excellent concert piece!

Ludwig van Beethoven (1775-1827)

Sonata Op. 102 in D major Adagio con brio
Adagio molto sentimento d’affetto – Attacca – Allegro – Allegro fugato

The Sonatas for cello and piano No. 4 in C major, Op. 102, No. 1, and No. 5 in D major, Op. 102, No. 2, by Ludwig van Beethoven were composed simultaneously in 1815 and published, by Simrock, in 1817 with a dedication to the Countess Marie von Erdődy, a close friend and confidante of Beethoven. According to Carl Czerny is “robust and resolute grandeur”, a concentrated and relentless bundle of energy. Each musical gesture is kept to the bare essentials, and each note occupies an important place in the overall structure.

The Sonata opens with a typically terse gesture in the piano, that is later taken up by the cello. This gesture, essentially a cadential closing figure, is extensively used in the development and as the transitional material to a more lyrical second subject.

In the substantial central movement, the cello displaying its lyrical potential. The opening chorale in the minor key bookends a serene central section in the major key, and an otherworldly coda immerses us into a remote and ethereal musical landscape. Emerging hesitantly, the last movement eventually launches an almost abstract fugal subject

Bernhard Henrich Romberg (1767-1841)

Divertimento on Westphalian National Themes, Op. 65

Bernhard Romberg gave an important contribution to the development of the cello. Romberg spent most of his life as a performer, playing as a soloist in the most prestigious stages all around Europe. Beethoven and Romberg had a strong connection from the beginning of their carrier when they met in 1790. Beethoven truly admired Romberg playing and, together with Duport brothers, he inspired the great Master to compose music for cello.

This Divertimento is probably not the most characteristic piece by Romberg but it is a good example of the kind of music was performed beside great masterpieces. The Divertimento consist in an introduction (slow movement) followed by themes with variations. It is allowed to suppose that Romberg could have composed this piece as a homage in a concert given somewhere in the Province of Westphalia (that was part of the Kingdom of Prussia) while he was on tour in Germany.

Carl Czerny (1791-1857):

Introduction, Variations Concertantes op. 248
– Adagio
– Finale alla Polacca

Austrian piano teacher, composer, pianist, theorist and historian. As the pre-eminent pupil of Beethoven and the teacher of many important pupils, including Liszt, Czerny was a central figure in the transmission of Beethoven’s legacy. Many of his technical exercises remain an essential part of nearly every pianist’s training, but most of his compositions – in nearly every genre, sacred and secular, with opus numbers totalling 861, and an even greater number of works published without opus – are largely forgotten. Today, we propose a couple of movements from his Introduction, Variations Concertantes op. 248 written around 1830 originally for horn and piano. This is a very important piece in the history of the development of the horn as it is one of the first pieces written for the valved horn.

Instruments:

– Erard fortepiano grand 1891 from the legacy of Romain d’Ansembourg
– Cello, anonymous south German cello (Bavarian probably) built around 1770’s

Jacopo explains about his cello:

About my cello. I own an anonymous south German cello (Bavarian probably) build around 1770s. It is a typical cello of the time meant for solos purposes. In fact, it is a little bit smaller than a traditional full size cello and this makes more agile the playing and it prioritise the higher tones. I will play with a 19th century set up that consist on gut strings (two pure and two wried) and I will support the cello with my legs and not with the help of the endpin. For completing the 19th century setup I will use a modern bow inspired by the famous French maker Tourte.

TimeSequence Duo, met Anastasia aan de Georg Haschka sr. 1814, Geelvinck coll. in Heerde

TimeSequence Duo Jacopo Ristori, cello Anastasiya Akinfina, fortepiano:

In their shared passion for chamber music, when starting to play together Anastasiya and Jacopo immediately found a musical understanding. The combination of their love for Early Music, Historical Performance Practice and the Classical/Romantic repertoire, results in a shared musical eagerness, that surpasses the expression of the individual musician. In 2021 they were finalists of the Beethoven In His Time Competition in Germany.

Anastasiya is a versatile performer, both in solo playing as well as chamber and orchestral music. In 2016 Anastasiya moved from Russia where she finished Moscow Conservatory at the Department of Historical and Contemporary Performance Practice as a pianist, harpsichordist and fortepianist. She continued her studies in the Netherlands at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam and Royal Conservatory of The Hague, under the guidance of Richard Egarr, Menno van Delft, Patrick Ayrton, Bart van Oort and Petra Somlai. In 2019 Anastasiya got her Master’s degree and in 2020 the Artist’s Certificate in fortepiano and harpsichord playing. She is actively participating in concerts, recordings and different engagements around the Netherlands, Germany and Rusia.

Jacopo completed his studies at the Utrecht Conservatory in June 2019 under the guidance of Viola de Hoog. His playing stands out for the harmonic and rhythmical freedom he takes, which is a result of ongoing research into the historical musical taste connected to each of the musical styles. Besides chamber music, Jacopo is active in various ensembles such as Concerto Köln and the Nieuwe Philharmonie Utrecht. Recently, he was part of the internship organized by Collegium Vocale Gent led by Philippe Herreweghe.