programme*
Caroline Shaw (*1982)
How to fold the wind, no. 1: In the Beginning
How to fold the wind, no. 2: In Creases
How to fold the wind, no. 3: Inhale
David Lang (*1957)
Again
Philip Glass (*1937)
AKHNATEN: The Funeral en The Temple (arr. L. Meijer, F. Deutekom)
METAMORPHOSIS II: Flowing (arr. L. Meijer)
SONGS FROM LIQUID DAYS: Freezing (arr. L. Meijer, F. Deutekom)
KOYAANISQATSI: Vessels (arr. L. Meijer, F. Deutekom)
SIMILAR MOTION (arr. L. Meijer, F. Deutekom)
EINSTEIN ON THE BEACH: Knee Play III
HYDROGEN JUKEBOX:
#5 from Crossing Nations
#15 from The green automobile
#16 from N.S.A. Dope Calypso
#13 from Nagasaki Days (Everybody’s Fantasy)
performers
Cappella Amsterdam
Lavinia Meijer harp
Cyrille Nanchen conductor
Feico Deutekom piano
Yifan Du percussion
background
To mark the ninetieth birthday of Philip Glass, this program presents highlights from his vast oeuvre: minimal music at its very best.
Harpist Lavinia Meijer and pianist/arranger Feico Deutekom, leading interpreters of his work for many years, join forces with Cappella Amsterdam and conductor Cyrille Nanchen to bring Glass’s music to life in a new choral program. In it, Glass is placed within the broader landscape of minimal music, alongside works by, among others, Caroline Shaw and David Lang.
A celebration of Glass’s music is anything but a light tribute; rather, it confronts the themes that have made his work so urgent for decades. The program explores themes of war, tension, and the hope for redemption.
A long-standing connection with Philip Glass
In 2011, Lavinia Meijer met Philip Glass during a concert in Amsterdam, marking the beginning of a close artistic relationship. Shortly thereafter, her widely acclaimed CD of harp arrangements of Metamorphosis —originally written for piano— was released.
Together with pianist and arranger Feico Deutekom, a specialist in Glass’s work and, among other roles, affiliated with the Philip Glass Ensemble, they have since developed several programs centered on his music. For this occasion, they have arranged a selection of his most well-known works for harp, piano, and choir.
reviews and quotes
About Lavinia Meijers’s album Metamorphosis – The Hours
And once again, harpist Lavinia Meijer hits the bull’s eye! With her fourth solo album, she brings a fantastic new color to the music of Philip Glass. The music proves exceptionally suited to the harp, resulting in a mesmerizing recital in which Meijer combines selections from Glassworks (1982) and The Hours (2002) with Metamorphosis (1988).
– Trouw ★★★★★
Lavinia Meijer on the music of Philip Glass:
With Glass, everything falls into place in the way I had been searching for in my life. His music connects so many musical genres and transcends so many boundaries, while at the same time going so deep. The harp is made for it. It has so many colors and brings out so many emotions.
Philip Glass on Lavinia Meijer’s performances:
Her arrangements give me new insights into my own music. It is strange that I haven’t thought more about its applications on the harp. I love the open sound, the resonance.
