Programme

Ingibjörg Ýr Skarphéðinsdóttir: Dream poems (world premiere)

Hans Gál: Trio (first Icelandic performance)

Francis Poulenc: Invitation to the castle (theatre music)

interval

Hjálmar H. Ragnarsson: Leiftur II (theatre music)

Peter Schickele: Serenade for Three (first Icelandic performance)

Ingibjörg Ýr Skarphéðinsdóttir: Dream poems (second performance)

Performers: Tríó Sírajón

Laufey Sigurðardóttir violin

Einar Jóhannesson clarinet

Anna Áslaug Ragnarsdóttir piano

About the programme

The combination of violin, clarinet and piano isn’t the most common chamber music ensemble. You could say that it is a variant of the classical piano trio where the clarinet substitutes for the cello or the viola.

In this programme we are proud to present the world premiere of a new work by Ingibjörg Ýr, one of several Icelandic women currently seen as rising stars among young composers. This new piece is inspired by a poem by renowned Icelandic poet Þorsteinn frá Hamri. It’s also an honour to present a warm and melodic work by Hans Gál (1890-1987), a composer of Jewish descent who had to leave Vienna along with so many other gifted artists and intellectuals at the rise of Nazism.

Peter Schickele was born in the US, the son of immigrant parents from Alsace in France/Germany. He had a successful career as a bassoonist and a composer, but is also remembered as the tongue-in-cheek creator of P.D.Q. Bach, the last child and forgotten son of Johann Sebastian Bach. His Serenade for Three shows his more serious but still entertaining side as a classical composer. Poulenc and Hjálmar then add humour, a little sarcasm and wonderful melodies to complete the programme!