Nieuw Ensemble olv. Ed Spanjaard

Yes, a mandolin, guitar and harp do not at first seem to have anything in common. Except strings. But no composers have written works for this threesome... except Elliott Carter and Franco Donatoni. For his composition 'Luimen', the former added two brass instruments and a vibraphone. The latter made things even more lively, with a piccolo, bass clarinet, marimba, viola and double bass.
And yes, the Nieuw Ensemble can cope with this crazy sort of instrumentation. Under the inspired baton of Ed Spanjaard, these musicians make a point of seeking out the exceptions among 20th-century scores. The more adventurous the better! And both Carter and Donatoni liked to take advantage of this. They are both composers who pioneered their own modernist direction regardless of everything and everyone else. This is music by and for the open-minded.