Love Serenade

Although the combination of a string orchestra and percussion is uncommon, it can generate some very exciting sounds. Amsterdam Sinfonietta and Slagwerk Den Haag have joined forces to present a special programme of new and existing work, with a special role for star violinist Simone Lamsma. The production is based on the jazzy Serenade by Leonard Bernstein, a little known piece for violin, string orchestra, harp and percussion. Simone Lamsma plays the solo part in this magnificent musical adaptation of Plato's Symposium, his famous dialogue about love.  

Four years prior to Bernstein's Serenade, Ton de Leeuw composed the Symphony for strings and percussion. Although this early work by the Dutch composer is rarely performed, it features prominently in this programme. In addition, the Australian-Dutch composer Kate Moore was commissioned by Amsterdam Sinfonietta and Slagwerk Den Haag to write a piece for five strings and five percussionists playing their instruments with a bow. She uses this experiment with sound to explore the boundaries between real string instruments and bowed percussion. 

In solo, Amsterdam Sinfonietta performs Beethoven's String Quartet op. 135, which was first performed with Bernstein conducting the string orchestra, and Mahler's classic Adagietto from the Fifth symphony. Slagwerk Den Haag performs Music for Pieces of Wood by Steve Reich.