On Christmas Eve from 20:00 to 22:00 CET, the Concertzender will be paying special attention to Russian composer Pavel Karmanov. He was considered one of his country’s greatest musical prospects, until he died suddenly at the end of last year at the age of 54. The cause of death was heart failure.
Pavel Karmanov gave minimal music his own unique twist. Influences from the Baroque, pop and neo-romantic periods came together in his sparkling post-minimalist compositions. His works have been performed throughout Europe. He was also a guest in the Netherlands at the Winter Evenings on the Amstel festival in Amsterdam. He dedicated his chamber music work Holland to our small but musical country.
One critic described Pavel Karmanov as a “romantic who wraps himself in a minimalist cloak.” In his accessible and optimistic music, he also references other composers such as Robert Schumann, Franz Schubert and even Simeon ten Holt.
In this episode of Theme, you can listen to a cross-section of Karmanov’s colourful oeuvre. The finale is a live performance from 2013 of his large-scale masterpiece, Oratorio 5 Angels for choir and orchestra.
Compiled by: Mark van de Voort
Click here for the playlist.
