Bram van Sambeek & Animato Kwartet: feest voor fagot en strijkkwartet

Animato Quartet and Bram van Sambeek

'With their vibrant and glowing interpretations of music from various periods, they know how to enchant the audience,' according to the jury of the Kersjes Prize, which the musicians of the Dutch Animato Quartet received in 2023. Tonight, the quartet joins forces with an inventive compatriot: bassoonist Bram van Sambeek. He is one of the leading bassoonists of his generation. The program clearly shows that the five players maintain a creative musical outlook. The music ranges from Bach to Sebastian Fagerlund, former composer in residence at the Concertgebouw.

A feast for string quartet and bassoon

At first glance, it seems like a motley collection, this program in which Bach and Sibelius come together with living composers and the bassoon plays a leading role. Yet there is a system to it. Sallinen and Fagerlund transport us to Nordic spheres, with the bassoon as a guide through the musical forest. Early Sibelius follows seamlessly from here. Roxanna Panufnik wrote an intimate dialogue between bassoon and string quartet—the contrast with Beethoven’s Serioso Quartet could not be greater. And in his arrangement of Beethoven’s Allegretto, Bram van Sambeek demonstrates why you should not miss this concert by the Netherlands’ most exciting bassoonist.