“Abel duo Muenchen” shines with its premiere appearance at Birkeneck Castle.
Already for the third time the music department of the adult education Centre Halbermoos
invited on Sunday to a summer serenade concert in the festival room at Birkeneck Castle.
Yorick Alexander Abel, who in the musical community of Halbergmoos is a highly
appreciated cellist, participated for the third time. On this occasion he came in the
company of the young violinistin Anna Petrova: The premiere appearance of the
“Abel duo Munich” was received with standing ovations.
■ Pure Alternation
The musical variety was favourably received: in the first part, excellent interpretations
of works by Mozart, Fiorillo and Halvorsen were featured. After the break the main focus
was on “folk music”. The “Appalachian Dance Fantasies” by the American composer
Laurence Traiger followed Bartok’s “Seven Hungarian Folk melodies”. After the composer,
who was among the listeners, revealed himself, there was great surprise and joy among
the audience. The evening turned into a very special event after he was convinced to
talk about his work. Laurence Traiger, assistant lecturer at the University of the
Arts in Innsbruck at the Mozarteum in Salzburg and at the Richard-Strauss Conservatoire
in Munich, told the audience that for a composer, turning towards his own cultural
roots could also be a therapy. In the folke music from the Appalachian Mountains
he found something that touched him profoundly. In his compositions he tried to
retain the originality of the folksongs and to let them cut their own path.
■ Composer as a guest
A sensitive interpretation by the two musicians followed the captivating and humorous
introduction. Traigers praise for the two artists made clear that he felt himself and
his work understood. The crowning conclusion of the evening was a German debut
performance of the Sonata-Duet by the Armenian composer Gagik Hovounts.
Especially this contemporary music seems to suits the two musicians, as
their harmonious interaction, executed in perfection, showed.