‘Rhapsody’ by Geert Callaert and his orchestration of Curt Wallner’s Concerto for Double Bass and Orchestra published by Hofmeister Musikverlag Leipzig
Rhapsody for alto horn in E-flat and piano (Opus 76) by pianist, composer and key member of HERMESensemble Geert Callaert has now been officially published by the prestigious Hofmeister Musikverlag in Leipzig. This work, composed in 2007 for alto horn virtuoso Tim De Maeseneer and created at Bozar by the two of them on 13 January 2008, is an intriguing addition to the contemporary chamber music and alto horn repertoire.
The Rhapsody offers a unique synthesis of the brilliant sound and flexibility of the alto horn with the rich, spectral sound possibilities of the piano. The result is a new, innovative dialogue between the two instruments. The composition shows the influence of classical rhapsodic traditions such as those of Franz Liszt and Johannes Brahms, combined with a modernist aesthetic and a playful reference to Debussy’s Première Rhapsody.
With a virtuoso piano part and solo cadences for both instruments, Callaert explores new tonalities, modalities and sophisticated sound direction via pedals and articulation in the piano. The unexpected sound contrasts and the playful, almost improvisational structure make this composition both technically challenging and expressively powerful.
The publication by Hofmeister Musikverlag highlights the artistic value of Callaerts’ work and offers musicians an extraordinary opportunity to discover this challenging and expressive piece.
Geert Callaerts’ orchestration of Curt Wallner’s Concerto for Double Bass and Orchestra, of which only the piano reduction remained, is now also available through Hofmeister Musikverlag Leipzig. He wrote this orchestration at the request of Aykut Durşen, solo double bass of the orchestra of Opera Ballet Flanders, who created it on 18 October 2024 in Antalya (Turkey) with the Antalya State Symphony Orchestra conducted by Julio García Vico.
Find more information on the Hofmeister Musikverlag Leipzig website.
New work premiered
Callaert will also release two new compositions to the public very soon:
- 20 December 2024, 8pm, Zoerla, Gevaertlaan 1, Zoerle-Parwijs: Concerto for Violin and Fanfare ‘Abya Yala’, performed by the brass band Brass-aux-Saxes conducted by Jan Van Hove, with Antoine Maisonhaute as violin soloist. The concert is part of the theme concert ‘American Connections’. More info: Brass-aux-Saxes.
- 21 December 2024, 8pm, Kultuurschuur, Kapel van het Scheppersinstituut, Cooppallaan 128, Wetteren (Overschelde): world creation Trio for flute, violin and piano Cesar Franck/Geert Callaert, a contrapuntal recomposition of Cesar Franck’s violin sonata, rewritten for flute, violin and piano by Geert Callaert. Performers are Trio Localeux: Femke Van Leuven (flute), Maximilian Lohse (violin) and Geert Callaert (piano). More info: Kultuurschuur.