Bartók Happening

The rules are simple. Anyone who wants to make it onto the bill of the annual composer happening organised by deSingel and deFilharmonie must fulfill two conditions: write great music and be at home in all genres. The prolific Hungarian composer Bela Bartok (1881-1945) fulfils both brilliantly and will be featured in a precocious and generous programme at deSingel on 19th February. By tradition, the day starts with deFilharmonie, who this time kick off with the overwhelming Concerto for Orchestra and the rarely performed Concerto for 2 pianos, percussion and orchestra, with Levente and Nikolaas Kende at the keyboards. The conservatory orchestra puts its best foot forward in the Divertimento and the Dance Suite. After that it is the turn of a healthy dose of chamber music genius. The Keller Quartet will play two of Bartok's most passionate string quartets and a selection of his captivating violin duets. The Dutch violinist Isabelle Van Keulen is joined by the clarinettist Michael Collins and the pianist François-Frédéric Guy for her interpretation of the First Violin Sonata and Contrasts. By way of an interlude, the Antwerp Conservatory piano class serve up some agreeably crackling piano music. Of course, we cannot be without a dash of authentic Hungarian folk music from the cheerful Muzsikas group in this survey of Bartok's musical microcosm and macrocosm. The apotheosis will be a semi-scenic performance of Bartok's only opera, the marvellous psycho-drama Bluebeard's Castle, by deFilharmonie, Transparant and De Filmfabriek. In addition to the concerts, Bartok the man will be studied in a talk and an exhibition with unique material from the Belgian Bela Bartok Archives/Denijs Dille Trust.