Winner of the Bach Competition

plays Bach, Chopin, Mussorgsky

Daniël van der Hoeven

First Prize and Gold Medal, YPF National Dutch Piano Competition in 2010

Winner, J.S Bach Competition, Würzburg, 2013

Bärenreiter Prize, International Bach Competition, Leipzig, 2014

Second Prize, Seattle International Piano Competition, 2015

Friday, December 11th, 6pm  

All Bach

English Suite no. 6

Prelude and Fugue C sharp minor WTC I

Partita no. 2

Fantasy and Fugue in A minor

French Suite no. 2

Toccata in e minor

Sunday, December 13th, 5pm 

Chopin 24 Preludes op. 28 and 

Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition

New: Monday 14th December, 6pm Encore concert

Program: selections from the two scheduled recitals and surprises.

Reservations: 1,200 baht or 500 baht for those who have attended either the 11th or the 13th or both. Children 8 years and above free. Bring your own wine. No catering. No interval. All cash raised will go to Daniel.

Daniël van der Hoeven (1985) was born in Amerongen, the Netherlands. He studied piano at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, Netherlands and at the Conservatoire Superieure in Paris. 

In 2013, he was the winner of the International J.S. Bach Competition in Würzburg, Germany. In October 2015 he won second place at the Seattle International Piano Competition, competing against 88 other pianists. Other prizes include the YPF National Dutch Piano Competition in 2010 (1st prize and Gold Medal), Lagny-sur-Marne International Piano Competition in 2015 (2nd prize), International Bach Competition Leipzig in 2014 (Bärenreiter prize), as well as finalist diploma at the international piano competitions of Gorizia (Italy) and Malta. 

He has performed in Carnegie Hall, New York, the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam and in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Romania and Poland. He has recorded two well-received CDs with works by Prokofiev/Bartók and J.S. Bach. Currently he teaches at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague.

Reservations: 1,200 baht for one concert. 2,000 baht for both. Email asiachart@hotmail.com or call 038 069681 office hours. Due to limited number of places payment must be received before the day.

Directions to Eelswamp: search for 'Eelswamp' on google maps. Directions can be found at the bottom of this page: http://eelswamp.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-music-room-at-eelswamp.html

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Darbari: The King of Ragas

Abir Hussain, sarod

"...a force to reckon with..." Times of India

Sandip Ghosh, tabla

Friday, 20th November, 7pm

Next to the sitar, the sarod is the most important stringed music in north Indian classical music. It has been described as a four stringed 'lute'. But it could equally be compared to the banjo, having a goat skin covered bowl which resonates like a banjo. However, unlike the banjo or the lute, the sarod does not have frets. In that respect, the instrument resembles a slide guitar.

The sarod has four main strings and between nine and eleven sympathetic strings. The combination of the skin covered bowl and the sympathetic strings give the instrument its rich tone, described in wikipedia as a "deep, weighty, introspective sound", in contrast to the "sweet, overtone-rich texture of the sitar". 

Abir Hussain is one of the most celebrated sarod players of the younger generation. He recently performed at the 63rd Dover Lane Music Conference, which is the most prestigious musical event in India. He was subsequently described by the Times of India as, "...fast becoming a force to reckon with in the Hindustani classical concert circle". Read the full interview here.

Sandip Ghosh thrilled the Eelswamp audience in December, last year, accompanying sitarist, Purbayan Chatterjee. Sandip has since played with all the big names in Indian classical music, including Shujaat Khan, son of Vilayat Khan, and Shahid Parvez.

I have asked Abir and Sandip to perform Raag Darbari. According to sarodist, Rahul Bhattacharya, in his article, 'Raga Darbari: The King of Ragas, the Raga of Kings' ,

"Words cannot adequately describe the majesty of this Raga. In many ways, Darbari encapsulates all there is to say about Hindustani Classical music: the repose, the space, the meditative nature, the plaintive aspect, the introspection… the list goes on."

Join me on Friday, 20th November for this rare opportunity to hear Darbari on sarod.

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Starting time: As Raag Darbari is a raga of the late evening, we will start a little later than usual. Performance will start at 7pm and finish around 9pm, possibly later. 

Reservations: 1,000 baht per person. 

Email asiachart@hotmail.com for reservations. For more information call 038 069681 during office hours. Due to limited number of places payment must be received before the day. 

Directions to Eelswamp: can be found at the bottom of this page:  http://eelswamp.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-music-room-at-eelswamp.html. If you haven't been to Eelswamp before I strongly urge you to find the venue before the day of the concert.

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Two Grand Trios

Two Grand Trios and Brahms Cello Sonatas

Tasana Nagavajara, violin

Alexandre Vay, cello

Dimitri Papadopoulos, piano

The two superb French musicians, Alexandre Vay, cello and Dimitri Papadopoulos, piano who performed the complete Beethoven Cello cycle last year, will return to Eelswamp to perform another meaty program. They will play the Tchaikovsky A minor Trio and the Dvorak F minor Trio, two of the grandest works in the trio repertoire. Each trio will be performed with one of the two Brahms Cello Sonatas.


Friday 6th, 6pm

A few places available.

Dvorak, Trio in F minor, op. 65

One of Dovrak's finest chamber works, this trio was written in 1883 after the death of the composer's mother. According to Kai Christiansen, "it is uncharacteristically serious, stormy and fraught with tragic conflict, unusual for a man generally regarded as sanguine, uncomplicated and most un-neurotic...his first complex chamber music master work.. a stunning epic."

The trio is written in four movements and follows the classical model. According to Christiansen, 

"The slow movement is the true heart of the trio as the wild, conflicted energies of the first two movements settle into an elegy of supreme grace and radiant affection, perhaps a sensitive man tenderly recalling his departed mother without struggle or remorse..."


Brahms Cello Sonata no. 2 in F major, op. 99.

Written in the mountain retreat of Hofstetten in 1886, this a mature work in four movements, described by one of Brahms's pupil's, Florence May, as "broad and energetic, touching, passionate and vivacious".




Sunday 8th, 5pm  

Waiting list only

Tchaikovsky Trio in A minor and Brahms Cello Sonata in E minor.

In 1880, Tchaikovsky famously refused to write a trio, after being requested by one of his most beloved benefactors. He wrote,

You ask why I have never written a trio. Forgive me, dear friend; I would do anything to give you pleasure, but this is beyond me ... I simply cannot endure the combination of piano with violin or cello. To my mind the timbre of these instruments will not blend ... it is torture for me to have to listen to a string trio or a sonata of any kind for piano and strings.

Nonetheless, on the death of his friend, Nikolay Rubenstein, in 1883, Tchaikovsky relented and wrote one of the most superb trios in the chamber music repertoire. The A minor Trio is a grand work in two big movements, the second of which is a set of variations on a theme, ranging through numerous musical forms, including a mazurka and a fugue. No doubt the variations sketch a portrait of Rubenstein. The trio has a wonderful sense of balance as the main theme in the first movement comes back to replace the mirth of the variations, and we are left in a reflective mood, to contemplate the enormity of the composer's loss.

Brahms Cello Sonata no. 1 in E minor, op. 38.

This sonata is a homage to Bach. Both the first and third movements resemble Bach's "Art of Fugue", with quotes from Contrapunctus 4 and 13 from that great work. It was written between 1863 and 1865, when Brahms was in his early thirties.

Alexandre Vay and Dimitri Papadopoulos are two French musicians who have been playing together since Conservatory days in Lyon. Alexandre is co-soloist in the Munich Radio Orchestra. Dimitri is 'Professeur' at Geneva Conservatory. Alexandre and Dimitri performed the complete Beethoven Cello Sonata and Variation cycle last year at Eelswamp and I am delighted to have them return for another ambitious program.

Reservations: 1,200 baht for one concert. 2,000 baht for both. Email asiachart@hotmail.com or call 038 069681 office hours. Due to limited number of places payment must be received before the day.

Directions to Eelswamp: search for 'Eelswamp' on google maps. Directions can be found at the bottom of this page: http://eelswamp.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-music-room-at-eelswamp.html

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Binary Beethoven and 'Transcriptions'

Sergey Sobolev returns 

with two great programs

16th and 18th October

Encore concert on Monday 19th

Graduate of Moscow Conservatory 
and 
Royal College of Music, London

1^st Prize Nikolai Rubinstein Competition, Moscow

2^nd Prize International Liszt Competition, Weimar
3rd Prize International Scriabin Competition, Moscow

4^th Prize Tchaikovsky Competition, Moscow

Laureate, International Santander Competition
Laureate, Queen Elisabeth Competition, Brussels

Two separate programs on Friday 16th and Sunday 18th October

Reservations: 1,200 baht for one concert. 2,000 baht for both. 
Email asiachart@hotmail.com or call 038 069681 office hours. Due to limited number of places payment must be received before the day.

Friday, 16th October, 6pm

Binary Beethoven 

Four sonatas with opus numbers in zeros and ones: 10, 10, 101, 110

or.... Beethoven young and old: two early and two late sonatas

Piano Sonata no. 6 in F major, opus 10 no.2

Piano Sonata no. 7 in D major, opus 10 no. 3

Piano Sonata no. 28 in A major, opus 101

Piano Sonata no. 31 in A-flat major, opus 110

Four of Beethoven's great sonatas; two early sonatas and two late sonatas. The opus 10 sonatas were completed and published in 1798 when Beethoven was 28 years old. They are witty, lyrical and full of surprises. They also contain structural innovations that set the stage for his later works and mark a departure from the strict classical form.

Opus 101 was written eighteen years later in 1816. It is the first of the final five sonatas. Beethoven was now completely deaf. He described the sonata as "a series of impressions and reveries". 

Opus 110 was composed in 1821. Beethoven was gravely ill with jaundice, delaying the completion of the work. Like opus 101, the sonata begins with a lyrical opening theme. Then comes a scherzo based on two folk songs, "Our cat has kittens" and "I'm a slob, you're a slob". 

The third movement is a masterpiece that has inspired all sorts of nonsense from the critics. For example, Vincent d’Indy described the movement as “one of the most poignant expressions of grief conceivable to man”. Charles Rosen states that Beethoven does not "simply represent the return to life, but persuades us physically of the process." They might be right. Come and listen to the piece and decide for yourself.

Sunday 18th October, 5pm

Transcriptions - piano transcriptions by Liszt and Rachmaninov

The piano transcription was one of the most popular forms of music in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The idea of a transcription is a faithful reduction of a more complex score to the piano. The original could be an orchestral work, a song from an opera or a chamber work. The purpose could be to make the work accessible to the home, in the days before recorded music. Or it could simply be the composer's fascination with the subject matter.

The granddaddy of the transcription was Franz Liszt. He transcribed the works of 99 composers, from Kornél Ábrányi to Géza Zichy. He also transcribed all of the Beethoven symphonies. In the 20th century, Rachmaninov was one of the most prolific transcribers. 

Sergey has arranged a program focusing on the transcriptions of these two composers.

Schubert - Liszt: Songs: Die Stadt,  Litany, Aufenthalt and Fruehlingsglaube

Chopin - Liszt: The Maiden's Wish, Mes joies and The Bridegroom (from the 6 Polish songs) 

Verdi - Liszt: Reminiscences de Simone Boccanegra
                                              

J. Strauss - C. Tausig: (Liszt's pupil) Valse-caprice on the theme "One lives but once"

Verdi - Liszt: Aida Paraphrase. We heard this last year and Sergey has included it at my request.

Tchaikovsky - Rachmaninov:  Lullaby opus 16 no. 1

Bizet - Rachmaninov: Menuet from L'Arlesienne

Mussorgsky - Rachmaninov: Gopak from the opera, Sorochinsky Fair

Rachmaninov - Rachmaninov: Romances, Lilacs op. 21 no 5 and Daisies op. 38 no 3

Mendelssohn - Rachmaninov: Scherzo from "Midsummer Night's Dream"

Kreisler - Rachmaninov: Valses, Liebesleid and Liebesfreud

New: Encore Concert on Monday 19th at 6pm

Selections from the previous two concerts plus a surprise or two. Only 500 baht if you've attended either of the other concerts. Children free. No catering. Bring your own. 
All proceeds will go to the struggling artist.

Reservations: 1,200 baht for one concert. 2,000 baht for both. 2,500 baht for all three nights of 1,700 for either Friday or Sunday and Monday. Email asiachart@hotmail.com or call 038 069681 office hours. Due to limited number of places payment must be received before the day.

Sergey Sobolev is a graduate of both Moscow Conservatory and the Royal College of Music in London. He has a long list of prizes and awards, including 4th prize in the 2007 Tchaikovsky Competition - only one in a hundred applicants makes it to the finals, as I just discovered last month.

Sergey visited us last year to great audience acclaim. According to at least two members of the audience his Scriabin was the best they had ever heard.

Sergey is a great pianist and a great musician. He puts a lot of thought into his programs, making them interesting and thematic and always considering the enjoyment of the audience. Please join me for these two wonderful programs.

Reservations: 1,200 baht for one concert. 2,000 baht for both. Email asiachart@hotmail.com or call 038 069681 office hours. Due to limited number of places payment must be received before the day.

Directions to Eelswamp: search for 'Eelswamp' on google maps. Directions can be found at the bottom of this page: http://eelswamp.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-music-room-at-eelswamp.html

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Between the two big competitions

A favourite from the the Tchaikovsky Competition

new: Encore Concert Monday 7th September 6pm
See below for details

Dmitri Shishkin

Contestant in both the Tchaikovsky 2015 and the Chopin 2015 
plays two programs based on his performances in each competition.

I saw Dmitri Shishkin perform at the Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow last June. I was very impressed. I was also delighted to learn that Dmitri has been accepted to compete in the Chopin Competition in Warsaw in October. The Tchaikovsky and the Chopin are the two major competitions in Europe. Dmitri has agreed to play for us selections from his programs from both competitions.

Friday 4th September, 6pm

The Tchaikovsky Competition Program

Bach Prelude and Fugue in G major, Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1, BWV 860
Mozart Sonata 11 in A major, K. 331, Alla Turca
Tchaikovsky Russian Scherzo, Op. 1, no.1 and 'June', Barcarolle from The Seasons Op. 37 no. 6
Chopin Etude in A minor, Op. 10 no. 2
Liszt Etude, 'La Campanella' in G-sharp minor from Grandes Etudes de Paganini, S. 141,3
Rachmaninov Etude-tableau in D major, Op. 39 no.9
Bach – Busoni Chaconne from the Partita No.2 for violin in D minor, BWV 1004

Sunday 6th September, 5pm

The Chopin Competition Program

All Chopin program

Please note the change of program from 12 etudes op. 10 to the pieces highlighted below.

3 Etudes op. 10
Ballade no. 2 in F major
Polonaise op. 53 A flat major, 'Heroic'
Impromptu no. 1 in A flat major op.29
Scherzo no. 2 
Sonata no. 2 in B minor
Three Mazurkas op. 59

Monday 7th September, 6pm

Encore concert

Works from Friday's Tchaikovsky and Sunday's Chopin recitals and, for a little variety, four Scarlatti Sonatas and Debussy, 'Girl with the Flaxen Hair'.

Special price for those who have attended either the 4th and the 6th. Children over 8 free.
Call Helen for details: 038 069681. All proceeds will go to Dmitri.

Dmitri Shishkin was born in Ulan Ude, which is the part of Russia immediately north of Mongolia. He studied at the Moscow Conservatory. In 2004 he won the 5th International Nutcracker Television Competition for Young Musicians. In 2013 he won third prize in the 59th Busoni International Piano Competition in Bolzano, one of the major competitions in Italy. In the same year he won third prize in the Friuli Venezia Giulia International Piano Competition, also in Italy. In 2014 he came second in the 4th BNDES International Piano Competition in Rio de Janeiro. 

In 2010 Dmitri performed Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.1 with the Gnesin Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra at a concert on Red Square to celebrate Russia Day. He has appeared with the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra and the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2014 he became a recording artist for the KNS Classical label, which features artists such as Andrea Trovato, Martin Muench and the Novafonic Quartet.

Reservations: 1,200 baht for one concert. 2,000 baht for both. Email asiachart@hotmail.com or call 038 069681 office hours. Due to limited number of places payment must be received before the day.

Directions to Eelswamp: search for 'Eelswamp' on google maps. Directions can be found at the bottom of this page: http://eelswamp.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-music-room-at-eelswamp.html

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Jugalbandi: Indian voice and sitar

"Whatever Can be Played Can be Sung"

Saturday, 27th June, 7pm

Vocal and Sitar recital

Purbayan Chatterjee, sitar

Joyeta Choudhury, vocals

Rupak Bhattacharjee, tabla

At the end of his recital last December, Purbayan Chatterjee played a few phrases on sitar and then sang them, to great effect. He told the audience, 'whatever can be played can be sung'. 

Inspired by those words, I have invited Purbayan back next month with a very talented young vocalist from Kolkata, Joyeta Choudhury. Purbayan and Joyeta will play and sing separately and they will combine for a duet, known in Indian classical music as Jugalbandi.

Purbayan Chatterjee is one of the most celebrated sitarists in India. He quickly rose to prominence by winning, at the age of 15, one of the highest awards in his country, the 'President of India' Award. Purbayan was described by Rajendra Teredesai, one of India's most respected musicians, as "possibly the most outstanding sitar player of the younger generation." His music, "is high on aesthetics, lyricism and understated technical brilliance."

Purbayan Chatterjee is a world-class performer. He has performed in many of the most important music venues in the world, including the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the main venue at the Royal Festival Hall in London, the Sydney Opera House and the Konzerthaus in Berlin. 

Purbayan has recorded nine CDs one of which won the Palm IRAA Award for the Best World Music Album of the Year. 

Joyeta Choudhury is classically trained but she also performs light classics and bhajans, which are very lyrical Hindu devotional songs. She is a disciple of Dr Amiyo Ranjan Bandopadhyay, an eminent vocal classical singer of India. She is a graded musician under the All India Radio grading scheme, taking the second highest grading. Joyeta has a rich and mellifluous, voice. The combination with sitar will be a delight.

Purbayan and Joyeta will be accompanied on tabla by one of the most capable tabla players of the younger generation, Rupak Bhattacharjee. Rupak is the senior-most disciple of tabla legend Anindo Chatterjee. Master and disciple have recorded a CD together, "Rhythm of Passion". Rupak is an  'A-graded artist' of All India Radio, the highest ranking under AIR grading system.  He is also the winner of the All India Radio Music Competition in 2004.

Program: The program will be highly varied and entertaining, with performances emphasising each soloist, both classical and bhajan (Hindu spiritual) and a 'jugalbandi' duet with sitar and vocals. We might also get a tabla solo.

Starting time: We will start a little later than usual. Performance will start at 7pm and finish around 9pm. 

Reservations: 1,000 baht per person. 

Email asiachart@hotmail.com for reservations. For more information call 038 069681 during office hours. Due to limited number of places payment must be received before the day. 

Directions to Eelswamp: can be found at the bottom of this page:  http://eelswamp.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-music-room-at-eelswamp.html. If you haven't been to Eelswamp before I strongly urge you to find the venue before the day of the concert.

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Chamber Music in May

Monday, May 18th, 6pm

Only a few places remaining (as of 4th May)

 Dvorak String Quintet in G, op. 77

 Mozart Divertimento in D, K136

Rossini Sonata for Strings in G major






Played by five members of Pro Musica

Tasana Nagavajara, violin

Jiyun Yoo

Khunakorn Svasti-Xuto, double bass

David Abrahamyan, viola

Ruaychai Saengow, violin

Reservations: 1,000 baht per person. Email asiachart@hotmail.com or call 038 069681 during office hours. Due to limited number of places payment must be received before the day.

Directions to Eelswamp: can be found at the bottom of this page: http://eelswamp.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-music-room-at-eelswamp.html
or simply search for Eelswamp on Google maps.

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