Outstanding German Chamber Musicians to Perform Ravel, Mendelssohn, and Vasks at the Liepāja Concert Hall

On December 8 at 15:00, the grand finale of the Liepāja Concert Hall's “Personīgi” concert series will feature outstanding German chamber musicians – violinist Florian Donderer, cellist Tanja Tetzlaff, and pianist Kiveli Dörken. They have prepared an elegant and refreshing program, including Maurice Ravel's Piano Trio, Felix Mendelssohn’s Second Piano Trio, and Peteris Vasks’ “Landscapes of the Plain.”

“We have been playing together in various formations for a long time. In the wonderful chamber music festival founded by the great pianist Lars Vogt, Tanja and I have performed together for many years. Kiveli, who was once Lars' protégé, is also part of our team. She is an incredible pianist, full of energy, lightness, and sparkle. Mendelssohn’s and Ravel’s trios are composed with immense elegance and virtuosity. At the same time, they are not pompous. They are pure and honest, refreshing, and intricate music that deeply touches the soul. Perfect for this team of musicians,” says Florian Donderer, reflecting on the collaboration in this program.

Florian Donderer is a brilliant concertmaster, passionate chamber musician, and enthusiastic masterclass leader. He has been the long-time concertmaster of one of the world's best chamber orchestras, the Bremen German Chamber Philharmonic, has worked closely with Paavo Järvi and the Estonian Festival Orchestra, and is well-known to Latvian musicians. He often performs with his partner, the outstanding and versatile cellist Tanja Tetzlaff, and lately, they are joined by the rising star of chamber music, the dynamic and expressive pianist Kiveli Dörken. They have performed together at venues such as Wigmore Hall in London and Carnegie Hall in New York. Critics highly praise the musicians' ability to convey fascinating freedom of expression, emotional depth, and close mutual interaction.

Maurice Ravel’s Piano Trio was composed in 1914, shortly before the outbreak of World War I, and just before Ravel voluntarily became an assistant to a military nurse. The work reflects the influence of the composer’s Basque heritage. The second movement, titled “Pantoum,” aims to embody the pantoum, a form of Malay poetry where the second and fourth lines of one stanza are repeated as the first and third lines of the following one, and the first and last lines are the same. This was a popular form in French and English Romantic poetry. The music is full of joy, light vitality, and witty interplay between the instruments.

Felix Mendelssohn's Second Piano Trio, composed in 1845, is dedicated to his good friend, composer and violinist Louis Spohr, and was given as a birthday gift to his dearly loved sister Fanny Mendelssohn. The music, imbued with the light of Classicism, is sometimes emotionally intense, sometimes beautifully spiritual. Mendelssohn’s contemporary and close friend, Robert Schumann, enthusiastically stated, “Mendelssohn is the Mozart of the 19th century, the brightest of musicians – he clearly perceives the contradictions of the era and is the first to be able to smooth them out.”

As a surprise for the audience, the musicians will also perform a piece by a Latvian composer. They have chosen Peteris Vasks’ “Landscapes of the Plain,” originally composed for mixed choir, violin, and cello after an invitation from Gideon Kremer to write a piece for a youth choir and some instrumental combinations. Peteris Vasks says: “I chose the instruments closest to me – violin and cello. Nature has always been close to me with its unparalleled beauty, the plains, the hills of Piebalga, the melancholy of Latgale, and the directness of Kurzeme. Also, the sparkle of the starry sky. In the composition, I have tried to reflect a person’s meditative thoughts in relation to the rhythm of nature, its awakening in the morning sun, and ultimately, the glorious sunrise. The culmination has been reached, and a new day has begun! Then, everything quiets down... Was it just a dream?”

As is customary for the “Personīgi” concert series, after the performance, the audience is invited to gather in the concert hall's 2nd-floor gallery, where they will have the opportunity to meet the musicians in an informal atmosphere and ask questions about their creative journeys, sources of inspiration, and challenges.

The concert “Mendelssohn and Ravel. Elegance of Chamber Music” is organized by SIA “Lielais Dzintars” with the support of the Liepāja Municipality and the State Culture Capital Foundation. Tickets are available at the “Biļešu paradīze” ticket network throughout Latvia, online at www.bilesuparadize.lv, and at the concert hall's information center.

For further inquiries, please contact the concert hall’s information center. Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 11:00–17:00, Saturday and Sunday: 10:00–15:00. Phone: +371 634 24 555, email: info@lielaisdzintars.lv.

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