Emil Holmström, piano
Petri Kumela, guitar
Anna Kuvaja, piano
Annemarie Åström, violin

Joint performances by virtuosos were a popular pastime in the early 19th century, often approached with playful irreverence toward composition and authorship. When the era’s two “superstars,” Ignaz Moscheles and Mauro Giuliani, joined forces, the result was a delightfully extravagant duo where both showcased their virtuosity. Guitarist Petri Kumela has earned acclaim as a period-instrument specialist with his highly praised Fernando Sor album and Giuliani concerto performances with the Finnish Baroque Orchestra. Now he takes on this unique guitar repertoire together with PianoEspoo’s artistic director Emil Holmström!

Niels Gade became the first Nordic composer to integrate into Leipzig’s influential music circles, centered around Felix Mendelssohn and, to some extent, the Schumanns. His Second Violin Sonata, dedicated to Robert Schumann, is an ambitious work. Violinist Annemarie Åström and pianist Anna Kuvaja have systematically explored early 19th-century repertoire, highlighting not only Gade’s sonata but also Fanny Hensel’s sole work for violin and piano.

Among the great virtuosos of the era, Franz Liszt brought instrumental brilliance to new poetic heights, exemplified in Années de pèlerinage.

Programme:

Ignaz Moscheles & Mauro Giuliani: Gran Duo Concertante for guitar and piano
Petri Kumela, guitar
Emil Holmström, piano

— Stretch break —

Niels Gade: Violin Sonata No. 2 in D minor, Op. 21
Fanny Hensel: Adagio for Violin and Piano
Annemarie Åström, violin
Anna Kuvaja, piano

Franz Liszt: Années de pèlerinage, Première année: Suisse

• Les cloches de Genève: Nocturne

• Vallée d’Obermann
  Anna Kuvaja, piano

Duration: approx. 70 minutes, no intermission

Tickets: €15–35 + service fees (from €1.50 + 0.65% per order at www.lippu.fi)
Ticket packages for Karhusaari concerts available online.