ART-i-CLASSIC

2017 is a very special year for our trio, for during this year, we are ensemble-in-residence at the Latvian Radio Classics. 

This means that our creative ideas are permitted and even encouraged. Longing for classical and baroque pieces in our repertoire, we’ve celebrated the collaboration with the radio by making one such program with the motto of Latvian Radio Classics – “Fashion changes, classics remain”.

The trio will give an art-i-shock to the audience, offering a repertoire unheard and uncharacteristic of the ensemble and turning to Classical, Baroque, Renaissance and even Medieval music. To help with the instrumentation and arrangements, the Medieval music doctor and hurdy-gurdy player Guntars Prānis and arranger Inga Meijere have lent us a hand.

We follow in the footsteps of the grandmasters, who have playfully caught hold of others’ music: 

• Beethoven gives an imaginative spin on the theme of Mozart’s Magic Flute; 
• Toshi Ichiyanagi is thundering the motives of Paganini Caprice; 
• Schnittke sounds incredibly gallant in his Baroque dances and fugue. 

The hurdy-gurdy player Guntars Prānis will spring a surprise with version on the Spanish renaissance composer Diego Ortiz, a Gregorian chant and the French dance An dro. 

The newly written piece – “Pieneņu lauks” (Field of the dandelions) by Georgs Pelēcis – is also matched to others in the classical simplicity. 

In Art-i-Classic will be hurdy-gurdy, harpsichord, piano, cello and, as always, many different percussive instruments.