Program

It may seem trifle, insignificant. A small hand movement, a new dash on a map. But suddenly nothing is as it was.

Throughout history, man has invented new ways of drawing lines. These lines have become boundaries for our empathy and many have hair-raising consequences. In Drawing Lines, the opening concert of both the festival and the thematic series Imaginary Alien, we explore this phenomenon from different perspectives. The program reaches from the glorious nationalism of the last century in Kodaly’s atmospheric cello sonata, passing by an idyllic rural vista brought to us through the Swedish Folk music, to historical abuse in Khachaturian’s Spartacus, and highlights those who have walked the thin line between being hailed as a genius or stamped as a dissident in a totalitarian society. Tan Dun’s position in his home country has taken different turns over time, and Shostakovich lived most of his life with a suitcase packed under his bed, fearing for his life if his music were to be considered too progressive. The Piano Quintet, however, was a great success in his home country and was lauded by both the audience and the regime.

This concert connects the great and the seemingly insignificant, and celebrates the human ability to transform contemporary thinking into transcendental music.

PROGRAM:

Zoltan Kodaly – Sonata for cella and piano op. 4

Tan Dun – Eight colors for string quartet

Aram Khachaturian – Adagio from Spartacus for piano trio

-INTERMISSION-

Various – Traditional Swedish folk songs

Dmitri Sjostakovitj – Piano Quintet op. 57

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En petitess kan tyckas, en liten handrörelse, ett nytt streck på en karta och men plötsligt är inget sig likt.

Genom historiens gång har människan uppfunnit sätt att dra nya linjer, linjer som sedermera blir gränser för vår empati och som får hårresande konsekvenser för många människor. Denna öppningskonsert, både för festivalen och för den tematiska serien Imaginary Alien, utforskar fenomenet från olika perspektiv. Programmet sträcker sig från den förskönande nationalismen vid förra sekelskiftet i Kodalys stämningsfulla cellosonat, genom den svenska folkmusiken och en Värmlandsvisa på avvägar, till historiska övergrepp i Khachaturians Spartacus, samt lyfter fram de som tvingats balansera på knivsudden mellan att hyllas som geni eller stämplas som dissident i ett totalitärt samhälle. Tan Duns ställning i hemlandet har skiftat i omgångar och Sjostakovitj levde större delen av sitt liv med en packad resväska under sängen, alltid redo att fly för sitt liv om musiken skulle anses bära för progressiva budskap. Just Pianokvintetten var dock en av hans stora succéer i hemlandet och hyllades av såväl publiken som regimen.

Genom konserten flödar en röd tråd om det stora mot det lilla, och om människans förmåga att förvandla samtidens tankegångar till himlastormande musik.

For the first time in Sweden – laser baroque opera by a female composer! Kamraterna & Den Andra Operan unite sci-fi, mystical rituals and the 1760’s and welcome you to the first performance in Sweden.

In The Queen of the Amazons we are thrown into a war that has been going on for as long as anyone can remember. Men and women are bitter enemies and meet only on the battlefield. The border separating their territories is constantly guarded by the armies as they take turns attacking each other. At the coronation, the ruthless warrior women’s new queen must take a sacred vow – to dedicate her life to fighting their enemy: the men. But she hesitates. Is there a way to coexist?

This magnificent but forgotten baroque opera is a collaboration between the opera company Den Andra Operan, the performing arts company Kamraterna, the Copenhagen based orchestra Damkapellet and the chorus Operadonnorna. The opera was written in 1760 by Duchess of Bavaria, Maria Antonia Walpurgis Symphorosa (1724-1780), with inspiration drawn from queen Kristina of Sweden. Apart from composing operas, Walpurgis was also a writer, cembalo player and singer. She performed the leading role of queen Talestri at the premiere in Nymphenburg, Munich, in 1760. The opera was performed around Europe in the late 1700’s but then fell into oblivion, as many other works by women throughout history. Until now.

We are bringing Walpurgis’ powerful music back to life and with it illustrate a constantly present and current theme. Welcome to a compelling opera, performed by some of the most exciting opera singers and musicians of our time.

The Queen of the Amazons is a collaboration between Kulturhuset Stadsteatern, Kamraterna and Den Andra Operan

Music and libretto: Maria Antonia Walpurgis
Swedish translation: Martin Virin
Stage director: Ditte Hammar
Musical director: Marcus Mohlin
Set and costume designer: Marie Abildgaard
Choreographer: Sara Ribbenstedt
Technical director: Sally Langford
Producer: Eva Sunmo
Photographer: Maximilian Mellfors
Orchestra: Damkapellet
Soloists: Hanna Fritzson, Lisa Thor, Linnea Andreassen, Linus Flogell and Wiktor Sundqvist
Chorus: Operadonnorna
Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes, including one interval

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Järna Festival Academy invites you to a concert with Bach and Brunch in Bruno Liljefors idyllically situated turn-of-the-century villa, just a stone’s throw from Kulturhuset, where the festival’s artists will treat you with three sets of the master’s music. Food and drinks can be pre-ordered through the website.

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Järna Festival Academy bjuder in till konsert med Bach och Brunch i Bruno Liljefors idylliskt belägna sekelskiftesvilla ett stenkast från Kulturhuset. Festivalens artister bjuder på tre set med mästarens musik. Mat och dryck förbeställes i biljettsystemet.

Oceans is a 2009 French nature documentary film directed, produced, co-written, and narrated by Jacques Perrin.

The film explores the marine species of Earth’s five oceans and reflects on the negative aspects of human activity on the environment.

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The laws of Nature are merciless, and throughout history, man has had to do whatever possible to survive. Over the course of time, this has changed. We no longer need to fight to survive and new friendships have arisen. Through all of this our relationship with nature has become complicated. It is said that dogs are man’s best friend, and yet it is socially acceptable to spend autumn days hunting. Is it the act of giving an animal a name that fundamentally changes our empathic relationship with said animal? This afternoon concert is dedicated to our large yet often contradictory love for animals.

The music in this concert depicts life in the sea and in the sky; Lark Ascending reflects a bird’s journey through the clouds while Song of the Whale sketches for us with both light and music the image of an underwater world which cannot be described in words. In Song of the Birds, legendary cellist Pablo Casals brings us through a moving folk melody to Catalonia, and the concert culminates in Schubert’s beloved masterpiece The Trout Quintet

PROGRAM:

Ralph Vaughan Williams – Lark Ascending

George Crumb – Song of the Whale

-INTERMISSION-

Pablo Casals – Song of the birds

Franz Schubert – Piano Quintet (The Trout) in A-major D.667

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Naturens lag är skoningslös och historiskt sett har människan mått göra vad den kunnat för att överleva. Men så småningom behövde vi inte längre kämpa för våra liv, nya vänskaper uppstod och vårt förhållande till naturen blev komplicerat. Det sägs att människans bästa vän är ett djur men samtidigt är det socialt accepterat att ägna höstdagarna åt jakt och just akten att ge ett djur ett eget namn tycks vara en gärning som i grunden förändrar vår empatiska relation. Denna eftermiddagskonsert är tillägnad vår stora och komplexa kärlek till djuren och naturen.

Konsertens musik skildrar livet i havet och i himlen, Lark Ascending handlar om en fågels färd mot skyarna och Song of the Whale tecknar med ljus och musik bilden av en suggestiv undervattensvärld som inte kan beskrivas i ord. I Song of the Birds av den legendariske cellisten Pablo Casals landar vår vandrande folkmelodi i Katalonien och avslutar konserten gör Schuberts älskade mästerverk Forellkvintetten.

Carte Blanche is our series of five late night concerts where the festival artists are given completely free hands. Together with colleagues and students from the academy they offer unique experiences of the highest musical class.

This concert is hosted by violinist Cecilia Zilliacus, cellist Kati Raitinen and pianist Bengt Forsberg.

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It’s a long way down, the roads diverge, no way back, the journey looms, the future beckons…
put on your high heel shoes, find a beautiful dress, wear red lipstick…
take a chance, laugh out loud, shed the secret tear, organize a party…
be quiet, sit still, daydream, walk a tree lined path, listen…
many things will happen and while they do, there is music, glorious music, and you are listening…
you become the still point then your body begins to move and you become the dance and the dance becomes you.

Denise Clarke and Jakob Koranyi find the music and the dance in Follow      Up
A soulful exploration of losing fear and finding beauty through the instruments we have.
A new creation to celebrate the 3rd annual Järna Festival Academy.

PROGRAM:

Denise Clarke – Follow up!

-INTERMISSION-

Pjotr Tjajkovskij – Souvenirs de Florence op. 70

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Carte Blanche is our series of five late night concerts where the festival artists are given completely free hands. Together with colleagues and students from the academy they offer unique experiences of the highest musical class.

This concert is hosted by violist Yuval Gotlibovich and pianist Tim Horton.

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Alice Tegnér, Sweden’s most prominent composer of children’s’ songs also wanted to write classical music, something her husband out of misguided empathy wouldn’t let her do. The situation of brilliant pianist Amy Beach was the opposite, she was only allowed to perform a single concert every year but instead turned her attention to composing. Bo Linde’s naivistic music was throughout his short life opposed by Sweden’s leading composers at the time, and Fanny Hensel was heavily discouraged by her father and her brother Felix Mendelssohn to develop her compositional talents.

This concert tells the tale of music that was, against all odds, but also shows a glimpse of what we could have had, had everything been just a little bit different.

PROGRAM:

Alice Tegner – Sonata in a-minor for violin and piano

Fanny Mendelssohn/Hensel – String Quartet in Eb-major

-INTERMISSION-

Amy Beach – Piano Trio op. 150

Gaetano Greco – Variations on La Mantovana

Bo Linde – Piano Trio no 1

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Alice Tegnér, allas vår älskade barnsångskompositör, ville även skriva klassisk musik men av missriktad empati var hon i detta motarbetad av sin make. Här hör vi hennes enda större kammarmusikverk, violinsonaten i a-moll. För den framstående amerikanske pianisten Amy Beach var situationen motsatt, hon tilläts bara spela en konsert varje år men ägnade sig då istället åt att komponera, en personlig tragedi mynnade således ut i en musikskatt för eftervärlden. Bo Lindes naivistiska musik föraktades av samtidens ledande kompositörer som försökte styra honom till ett annat tonspråk och Fanny Hensel blev av sin far och bror, Felix Mendelssohn, starkt avrådd från att vidareutveckla sitt komponistskap, det var helt enkelt något som inte passade en kvinna. Idag råder det dock ingen tvekan om att Lindes pianotrio och Hensels stråkkvartett är musik som förtjänar att lyftas fram.

Denna konsert berättar om de verk som blev av, mot alla odds, men ger även en fingervisning om vilken musik vi kunde ha haft om allt bara varit lite annorlunda.

Carte Blanche is our series of five late night concerts where the festival artists are given completely free hands. Together with colleagues and students from the academy they offer unique experiences of the highest musical class.

This concert is hosted by violist Barbara Buntrock and violinist Suoyen Kim.

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Clarinetist Emil Jonason and his comrade in arms, Peter Friis Johansson, have been performing together for more than half of their lives. Their musicality and innovative shows have brought them to Musikverein in Vienna, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Folkets Hus in Söderhamn and beyond.

UNRELATED BIRDS is about how little we know about life in the skies, and how much us humans aspire to make music that soars over the clouds. Philip Glass’ music based on ice cold math illuminates the massive power of nuclear weapons and Paquito D’Rivera’s Cuban clarinet sonata irresistibly ignites our hearts to dance and love. Aaron Copland’s songs with Emily Dickinson’s lyrics show the extraordinary multifaceted soul of the basset clarinet, Magnus Pålsson’s theme from VVVVVV hopes for a bright future among the stars, and the music by John Cage makes UNRELATED BIRDS a show like no other.

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Klarinettisten Emil Jonason och hans vapendragare Peter Friis Johansson har framträtt tillsammans i mer än tjugo år. Som duo har de turnerat i Europa och banbrytande föreställningar har tagit dem till

UNRELATED BIRDS handlar om hur lite vi vet om vad som seglar bland molnen, och hur gärna vi vill skapa musik som svävar ovanför dem. Philip Glass musik som baseras på matematiska formler illustrerar atomenergins ofattbara kraft och Paquito D’Riveras kubanska klarinettsonat sätter hjärtan i brand med sina svängiga rytmer. Aaron Coplands sånger med Emily Dickinsons texter visar klarinettens mångfacetterade själ, Magnus Pålssons musik ur spelet VVVVVV skickar oss mot stjärnorna och John Cage plockar nonchalant ner oss på jorden igen!

Carte Blanche is our series of five late night concerts where the festival artists are given completely free hands. Together with colleagues and students from the academy they offer unique experiences of the highest musical class.

This concert is hosted by stage-performer Denise Clarke and violinist Ye-Eun Choi.

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The pogrom in Kielce took place in 1946. After the end of the war. After the Germans left Poland. This was a massacre committed by Poles against surviving Jews.

History has hidden this from us, it was almost forgotten. But now the story of what happened during those days in the South Polish City of Kielce has come to light again. And it is Poles who are telling it.

The story of the pogrom in Kielce is one of hatred and violence, but also of reconciliation, of hope.

PROGRAM:

Frédéric Chopin – 4 Mazurkas op. 17

Grażyna Bacewicz – Suite for 2 violins

Samuel Cohen – Hatikvah

Trad. – Klezmer songs arranged for clarinet, violin and piano

Dmitri Sjostakovitj –  Pianotrio no 2 op. 67

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Pogromen i Kielce ägde rum 1946. Efter krigsslutet. Efter att tyskarna lämnat Polen. Det var en massaker utförd av polacker mot överlevande judar.

Historien har nästan gömt den, nästan glömt den. Men nu har berättelsen om vad som hände de där dagarna i den sydpolska staden Kielce kommit upp till ytan igen. Och det är polacker som berättar den.

Historien om pogromen i Kielce är en berättelse om hat och våld, men också om försoning.

Carte Blanche is our series of five late night concerts where the festival artists are given completely free hands. Together with colleagues and students from the academy they offer unique experiences of the highest musical class.

This concert is hosted by clarinettist Emil Jonason and accordeonist Andreas Borregaard.

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When Rebecka Tornqvist released her eleventh album, it was hailed as her best to date. The subsequent tour received rave reviews; ”.. musical magic” (SvD), ”..involuntary and atmospheric” (UNT) and ”.. melancholy and charged”.

Rebecka Törnqvist sees herself more as a musician and composer than as an performer and throughout her career she has worked with musicians who belong to the country’s finest. The band that joins Rebecka in Järna is definitively no exception and we also look forward to her collaboration with several of the festival’s other artists. This evening’s music will be both original compositions, some of which were also heard at the concert ”Junkmail” at the Dramaten last year, and songs by other favourites such as Randy Newman and Kurt Weill.

PERFORMERS:

Rebecka Törnqvist – voice
Mattias Ståhl – vibraphone, marimba
Per ”Texas” Johansson – clarinet
Margareta Bengtson – harp
Konrad Agnas – drums

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När Rebecka 2017 släppte sin elfte skiva hyllades den som hennes hittills bästa och den efterföljande turnén fick mottagande som ”..musikalisk magi” (SvD), ”..omtumlande och stämningsfullt” (UNT) och ”..melankoliskt och laddat”.
Rebecka Törnqvist ser sig själv mer som musiker och kompositör än som artist och hon har också under hela sin karriär arbetat med musiker som hör till landets mest intressanta och lysande. Sällskapet hon tar med till Järna utgör inget undantag och dessutom kan vi se fram emot möten med flera andra av festivalens personligheter.
Kvällens musik är både orginalkompositioner, varav några även framfördes vid konserten ”Junkmail” på Dramaten i fjol, och sånger av favoriter som Randy Newman och Kurt Weill.

Don’t miss the once-in-a-lifetime concert in James Turrell’s slow-art installation, Skyspace. As twilight transitions to full night, the natural world will provide the spectacle, blended with artful illumination and soundtracked by Johann Sebastian Bach’s legendary masterwork the Goldberg Variations. The work will be performed by Andreas Borregaard, known as one of Europe’s leading accordionists. Skyspace seats an audience of only 20 and the magical atmosphere in the cathedral sounding hall can’t be described in words!

Please note that Skyspace is a partially outdoor experience, we advise you to wear or bring warm clothes. Unlike our other events, Skyspace is not suitable for disabled access.

PROGRAM:

J. S. Bach – Aria mit 30 verschiedenen Veränderungen (A.K.A. Goldberg Variations) BWV 988

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Allteftersom skymning övergår till natt äger ett magnifikt ljusspel rum i James Turells världsberömda slowart-installation Skyspace. Det visuella konstverket ackompanjeras här av Johann Sebastian Bachs tidlösa Goldbergvariationer framförda av Andreas Borregaard, en av Europas högst ansedda accordeonister. Skyspace rymmer en publik om endast 20 personer, den magiska stämning som infinner sig i det likt en katedral klingande rummet saknar motstycke, konserten kommer vara ett garanterat minne för livet!

Skyspace är en delvis utomhusupplevelse, vi rekommenderar Dig att bära eller ta med varma kläder. Till skillnad från våra övriga konserter är konserten i Skyspace inte handikappanpassad. Konsertens exklusiva natur reflekteras i ett högre biljettpris.

Järna Festival Academy invites you to a concert with Bach and Brunch in Bruno Liljefors idyllically situated turn-of-the-century villa, just a stone’s throw from Kulturhuset, where the festival’s artists will treat you with three sets of the master’s music. Food and drinks can be pre-ordered through the website.

TICKET INFO & LINKS
Event included in the following series (click to buy)
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Single tickets will be available for purchase starting June 1

The festival’s closing concert has a more poetic twist than previous concerts in the series. Instead of highlighting our differences, it focuses on what holds us together and praises the empathy that binds us in brotherhood and understanding.

Die Moldau summarises the melodic red thread which we have woven through the festival, linking cultures, nationalities and ages.​

The title of Arvo Pärts meditative masterpiece Fratres translates to brothers, and the music brings to life for us two separate entities which gradually move towards one another.

Until Nothing Left for solo accordion is a spectacular work that subtly breaks down the boundary between performer and public, as a way to change our empathic sphere.

In the festival’s finishing work, we meet Ethel Smyth, one of the driving forces of the Woman’s suffrage movement in England. Smyth was a true renaissance woman: composer, writer, inspirer, activist, and more. Here we meet her in the magnificent String Quintet in E-flat major, a work which at its inception in 1884 was not considered suitable for a female composer due to its powerful and “masculine” qualities. But as it turns out, it works perfectly as our festival finale!

PROGRAM:

Bedřich Smetana – Die Moldau (transcribed for four hand piano by the composer)

Arvo Pärt – Fratres for violin and piano

-INTERMISSION-

Niels Rönsholdt – Until Nothing Left

-INTERMISSION-

Ethel Smyth – String Quintet op. 1

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Festivalens avslutningskonsert har ett mer poetiskt anslag än tidigare konserter i serien och istället för att lyfta fram våra meningsskiljaktigheter fokuserar den på vad som faktiskt håller oss samman och hyllar den empati som skapat brödraskap och förståelse.

Die Moldau sammanfattar vår melodiska röda tråd som flödat genom festivalen och sammanlänkat kulturer, nationaliteter och tidsåldrar. Titeln på Arvo Pärts meditativa mästerverk Fratres betyder bröder och musiken kan sägas illustrera två entiteter som stegvis närmar sig varandra.

Until nothing left för en ensam dragspelare är ett spektakulärt verk som gradvis bryter ner gränsen mellan artist i publik som ett sätt att ändra vår empatiska sfär.

I festivalens avslutningsverk möter vi Ethel Smyth, en av de drivande krafterna i suffragettrörelsen i England. Smyth var en sann renässansmänniska: kompositör, författare, inspiratör, aktivist, med mera. Här möter vi henne i den magnifika femsatsiga stråkkvintetten i Ess-dur, ett verk som vid sin tillkomst 1884 ansågs vara alltför maskulint och kraftfullt för att anstå en kvinnlig kompositör. Som festivalavslutning torde det dock fungera alldeles utmärkt!