Aldeburgh Music

Pekka Kuusisto violin Alasdair Beatson piano
Iiro Rantala piano Matt Hunt clarinet
Hans-Kristian Kjos Sørensen percussion

György Kurtág Eight Duos Bartók Contrasts
Erkki-Sven Tüür Conversio Iiro Rantala Gigi
Fagerlund Rush 
plus Improvisations and Finnish Tango music

A prism held up to Bartók’s invigorating Contrasts refracts not only its folk-inspired sounds and improvisatory traditions but also the jazz heritage of its first performer, Benny Goodman. The evocative sound of the cimbalom anchors pungent bagatelles from Kurtág and Kuusisto’s own improvisations on the Romanian folk music so dear to Bartók. And echoes of Argentina in that most unlikely musical phenomenon – Finnish tango, a hybrid incorporating Finnish folklore and landscape. Contrasts, yes, but also surprising connections.