Martin Kuuskmann, bassoon
Lars Anders Tomter, viola
1B1 Chamber Orchestra – Jan
Bjøranger, leader
A new, young orchestra from Norway makes its debut CD
1B1 is a
progressive string ensemble founded in 2008. It unites musicians teaching at
the University of Stavanger, their most accomplished students, and members of
the distinguished Stavanger Symphony Orchestra. Its founder and artistic
director is violinist Jan Bjøranger. In its short existence 1B1 has already
collaborated with such outstanding performers and composers as Arvo Pärt,
Clemens Hagen, Benjamin Schmid, Steve Reich, Tonu Kaljuste and Lars Anders
Tomter.
Martin Kuuskmann,
Lars Anders Tomter and 1B1 bring you a Bach you've never heard before. Purists
within the early music community; prepare to frown! We claim that this is a
natural continuance of the practice from Bach's own time.
Bach concertos
Bach wrote 14 concertos for harpsichord in Leipzig around 1740. That
is; they are most known as harpsichord concertos – in reality they are
arrangements of concertos for other instruments written as early as 1708. When
working with the outstanding musicians of Collegium Musicum Bach re-worked his
old concertos into new works, of course a completely standard procedure in
those days.
Tomter and Kuuskmann continue a practice and challenge the notion of
authenticity
Continuing
his pioneering work with the Mozart Clarinet Concerto and Clarinet Quintet in
versions for viola, professor Lars Anders Tomter is joined by the outstanding
bassoonist Martin Kuuskmann. Not only do they transcribe the solo concertos to
fit their own instruments, they also construct a whole new concerto based on
fragments and parts from other works! All in all much along the same lines
which Bach and his colleagues did.
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