The Ragazze Quartet will give a FREE public rehearsal of the three compositions that will be performed at The Young Masters XXI final on Wednesday Sept 21st. The three young composers will be present to answer questions the performers might have about their pieces. They will be coached by the cellist of the Doelen Kwartet, Hans Woudenberg (in cooperation with the Stichting Nederlandse Strijkkwartetten).

Date: Monday Sept 19th 16.00-18.00 hrs
Location: The Nutshuis - Commissarissenzaal
Performers: Ragazze Quartet
Coach: Hans Woudenberg (cellist DoelenKwartet)

Robert Schumann - String Quartet no. 3 in A op. 41
short break
Johannes Brahms - Scherzo from the FAE Sonata for viola and piano
Clara Schumann - '3 Romanzen' for violin and piano
Robert Schumann - 'Phantasiestücke' for cello and piano
short break
Johannes Brahms - Piano Quartet no. 1 in G op. 25

Imagine you’ve arranged to meet with friends for dinner. You can be sure to receive a warm welcome from beaming faces, but what happens after that may come as a bit of a surprise. Sheets of newly composed music, just for you! That was what happened to the violinist, Joseph Joachim. A wandering virtuoso, Joachim was free but lonely, ‘Frei aber einsam’, and buoyed by friendships (Brahms was grumpy, but Schumann was generous). Passionate works, which in their time were heard in the home of Schumann himself, mark the pinnacle of romantic friendships. What we will set out to do is to recreate that same feeling of intimate security, mutual encouragement and inspiration.

   

A performer who is new to you (but well-known in France), is the eminent pianist Florent Boffard. Marc Coppey, the cellist from the renowned Ysaÿe Quartet on the other hand, has performed at the festival before, while Muriel and Nicolas take part every year.
A sense of close friendship is what brings these five musicians together.

Muriel Cantoreggi - violin
Eva Stegeman - violin

Nicolas Bône - viola
Marc Coppey - cello
Florent Boffard - piano

Over the centuries, the walls of chic salons in The Hague have heard music of the most beautiful kind. Composers such as Mozart and Beethoven showed off their skills here as child prodigies in such intimate settings. Before that, Count van Wassenaer played music with friends, under the direction of an Italian master musician. Taking this as our inspiration, the festival aims to bring young, prize-winning musicians before you in a number of salon-like settings that are typical of The Hague.


As part of this chamber music marathon, you will travel from one intimate location to another. In people’s homes, the very birthplace of chamber music, you will be treated to short concerts by promising musicians.

Prize winners from the Princess Christina Competition wil perform on the following locations:

Concert 1: Prinses Mariestraat 7d, 2514 KC Den Haag
Concert 2: Riouwstraat 145, 2585 HP Den Haag
Concert 3: Van Speijkstraat 16, 2518 GC Den Haag
Concert 4: Galerie Het Cleynehuis (Noordeinde 154, 2514 GR Den Haag)

Programme details and starting times will be announced in our newsletter (subscribe here) and on this website here.

The story of a Norwegian-Dutch connection

Edvard Grieg - Movements from Violin Sonatas no. 1 in F op. 8 & no. 3 in C op. 45
Julius Röntgen - First movement of the Violin Sonata in F sharp op. 20
Edvard Grieg - 3 Lyric Pieces op. 54
Julius Röntgen - Romances op. 32 & Suite ‘From Jotunheim’
Grieg & Röntgen - Gjendine’s Lullaby
Edvard Grieg - Sehnsucht nach Julius

Edvard Grieg found fame as the composer of Peer Gynt and many a fan of his music swoon at the piano while playing his Lyrical Pieces. But just who was this composer who was such an ardent advocate of the Norwegian cause? No-one was closer to him than Julius Röntgen, his great friend, supporter and anchor in life. In Röntgen’s memoirs, he sings the praises of the life of the equally proud but fragile Norwegian Romanticist. Together they foraged across the glaciers of Jotunheim, in search of Norwegian folk music.

Huib Ramaer steps into the shoes of Grieg and Röntgen to illuminate their unique friendship as it emerges from their letters. Images from Norway and from the archives will be used to illustrate the story. Let yourself be transported to the intimate atmosphere in the parlour and in married life in Amsterdam and Troldhaugen.

The pianist Folke Nauta himself performed in Troldhaugen, where Grieg composed his very best pieces. Röntgen’s talented wife, the violinist Amanda Maier, is also brought back to life in the person of Eva Stegeman.

Huib Ramaer - actor
Eva Stegeman - violin
Folke Nauta - piano
Miranda Lakerveld - director

We regret to inform you all that the Late Night Concert has been cancelled. Ticket holders will be notified of refund options via email in a few days time. For any other questions, we're ready to answer at info@kamermuziekfestivaldenhaag.nl.

21:30 hours (arrival from 20.45 hours) | Late Night Concert
A blend of artistic disciplines, light play, images, musicians and the sound that they produce come together to create an all-encompassing theatrical choreography. The musicians move freely throughout the hall, while you casually sit around them and relax, wherever you like. This will be a unique experience, as it was last year. Master works, folk music and improvisations will be performed before you in a colourful, informal atmosphere that knows no boundaries between the stage and the audience, and between the musicians and their listeners. A drink will be served afterwards.

Around 00:00 hours Sleep-Over
Would you like to stay the night? If so, simply bring along your favourite mattress and your toothbrush. Those of you who are staying over will fall blissfully asleep, accompanied by live music and will be awoken by music as the sun rises the next day. On the Saturday morning, the musicians and their audience will then round off the experience they have shared by taking breakfast together. There will be room for approximately sixty people to sleep over. You can register for the sleep-over on our website: www.kamermuziekfestivaldenhaag.nl

You can mail directly to: info@kamermuziekfestivaldenhaag.nl

Franz Doppler - Souvenir du Rigi op. 34 for flute, cello and piano
Franz Schubert - Arpeggione Sonata in A, D821 for cello and piano
Franz Schubert - Arrangements of songs by Th. Böhm for flute and piano:
Gute Nacht, Der Lindenbaum, Ständchen

Franz Schubert - Arrangements of songs by Th. Böhm for flute and piano:
Das Fischermädchen, Am Meer, Die Taubenpost
Carl Maria von Weber - Trio in G op. 63 for flute, cello and piano

Romantic lamentations and literary imagination each found an outlet in the sparkling metal of the improved Böhm flute and the virtuosic playing of Franz Doppler. Unsurpassed arrangements of Schubert’s playful songs and his renowned Arpeggione, a tasteful trio by the pioneer of the romantic opera Carl Maria von Weber and a surprising discovery from Doppler’s own work. Three internationally renowned cracks will show you how brilliantly and colourfully lyric poetry and music meld together by means of the characteristic sounds of the transverse flute.

Marieke Schneemann - flute

Jaap ter Linden - cello
Bart van Oort - pianoforte