A Mini Chamber Music Festival
Vivaldi’s *The Four Seasons* is one of classical music’s most beloved works. With its lively and evocative music, the piece takes us through the birdsong of spring, the thunderstorms of summer, the harvest festivals of fall, and the bitter cold of winter.
The work was published exactly 300 years ago, in 1725, as part of a collection of twelve concertos. It was received with great admiration, not least for how vividly and expressively nature and human emotions are portrayed through the music. Each concerto is accompanied by a poem that explains what the music depicts, making *The Four Seasons* an early example of program music. With virtuosity and drama, Vivaldi invites us to listen and feel how the year unfolds through the notes.
First up on Friday evening is the Klughardt Woodwind Quintet, which offers romantic warmth and charm, with clear influences from both Brahms and Schumann. With its rich woodwind sound and well-balanced form, the ensemble showcases Klughardt’s flair for both lyricism and technical mastery. A somewhat forgotten gem from the German Romantic era.
Next, we get a taste of Gounod’s playful elegance and melodic lightness in *Petite Symphonie*, with the French esprit that permeates his music. The classical form meets romantic sounds in this symphony for nine woodwind instruments, in which the flute, in particular, shines in its solo passages.
Out in our public foyer, Schubert’s final chamber music work, the String Quintet in C major —which is also one of his most beloved—will be performed. With its unusual instrumentation (two cellos), the quintet creates a deeper and more resonant sound world. Here, fragile beauty blends with existential weight, and joy of life with darkness. This evening, the third movement, Scherzo–Trio, will be performed.
Featuring percussion and timpani, the contemporary composition *Geaux* by American composer L. J. Moore draws inspiration from the energy and rhythms of the American South. *Geaux* (pronounced “go”) is a rhythmic powerhouse that plays with pulses and textures and explores the driving force of music in a way that is both playful and physical.
Evening Program Schedule
The Concert Hall
6:00 p.m.
Klughardt – Woodwind Quintet (20 min)
Performers
; Flute: Ebba Wallén
; Clarinet: Tania Villasuso Couceiro
; Bassoon: Maria Kindell
; Horn: Edna Fernandes
; Oboe: Yui Ito
7:00 p.m.
Gounod – Petite Symphonie for Winds (21′)
Performers
; Flute: Ebba Wallén
; Clarinet: Tania Villasuso Couceiro, Jonas Olsson Hakelind
; Bassoon: Berthold Grosse, Maria Kindell
; Horn: Orvar Johansson, Yerang Ko
; Oboe: Yui Ito, Johannes Ögren
8:00 p.m.
Vivaldi – The Four Seasons (37′)
Performers
, First Violin: Miguel Chamorro, Matias Malmqvist, Kitiara Braune, Per-Erik Andersson, Lisa Erpelding, Amandus Lind
, Second Violin: Pontus Björk, EvaBritt Molander, Mikhail Zatin, Thomas Nichols, Patrik Kimmerud
, Viola: Malgorata Blazcyk, Pablo Muñoz Salido, Karolina Bednarz, Åsa Hjelm
Cello: Florian Erpelding, Kerstin Isaksson, Kristina Tereschatov
Double Bass: Jan-Emil Kuisma, Josefin Landmér
Harpsichord: Jonas Olsson
The Fan Section
6:30 p.m.
Moore – Geaux (7′)
Performers
; Percussion: Maximilliano Polo
; Timpani: Ian Pinies
7:00 p.m.
Schubert – String Quintet in C Major (12’) III. Scherzo – Trio
Performers
, violin: Andreas Olsson, Kersti Wilhelmsson
, viola: Ester Forsberg
, cello: Bekhbat Tsagaanchuluun, Karin Bjurman
7:30 p.m.
. Moore – Geaux (7′)
Performers
; Percussion: Maximilliano Polo
; Timpani: Ian Pinies
Spelrum – Umeå’s new cultural festival. The initiative is organized by Visit Umeå and the City of Umeå.
