“Mon cheval de bataille”, the Swedish bassoonist Frans Preumayr called the Concertino that his father-in-law Bernhard Crusell had composed especially for him in 1829. Crusell wrote the Concertino in the French style of the early 19th century, with an infectious Polacca as a bouncer. Of course with the intention of displaying the versatility of the instrument and the virtuosity of the player.

“The versatility of the instrument and the virtuosity of the soloist are expressed”

That task is very much entrusted to the soloist, Bram van Sambeek, endowed in 2009 with the State Award for the Dutch Music Prize. Bram is accompanied by the German Signum Quartett. Especially for that combination, the Finnish composer Sebastiaan Fagerlund recently undertook – commissioned by the String Quartet Biënale Amsterdam – to create a quintet for bassoon and string quartet. After the break, the internationally acclaimed Signum Quartett will play the wonderful string quartet Der Tod und das Mädchen by Schubert.

Source : Theater aan het Vrijthof offical web site