Takemitsu: Spectral Canticle Jakob Kellermann, Vivane Hagner, Julianna Koch, BBC Philharmonic & Christian Karlsen

• Tōru Takemitsu (1930 - 1996): Spectral Canticle:
• 1 Takemitsu: Spectral Canticle 16:18
• To the edge of dream:
• 2 Takemitsu: To the edge of dream 11:21
• Vers, l’arc-en-ciel, Palma:
• 3 Takemitsu: Vers, l’arc-en-ciel, Palma 12:32
• Twill by twilight:
• 4 Takemitsu: Twill by twilight 13:41
• Total Runtime 53:52

Info for Takemitsu: Spectral Canticle

The first Japanese composer to achieve international status, Tōru Takemitsu proposed a fusion between Western music and the culture of his country. His music radiates a lyrical intensity that comes as much from his roots in the early modernists Debussy and Alban Berg as from his affinity with the more overtly experimental mid-twentieth-century styles of John Cage and Morton Feldman. Played throughout the world, he is considered one of the most important composers of the second half of the 20th century.

Of the four works gathered here, three feature the guitar. Inspired by a poem by Emily Dickinson, Spectral Canticle takes the listener through elusive sonic transformations corresponding to the changing seasons evoked by the poem. To the Edge of Dream has an eerie mood and celebrates the haunting, often sinister paintings of Belgian surrealist painter Paul Delvaux. Also inspired by a work of art, Vers, l’arc-en-ciel, Palma, with its refined writing, is close to the spectral composers. Finally, Twill by Twilight for orchestra expresses the moment, just after sunset, when twilight turns into darkness in a delicate and uncluttered pointillism.

Jakob Kellermann, guitar
Vivane Hagner, violin
Julianna Koch, oboe d'amore
BBC Philharmonic
Christian Karlsen, conductor

Jakob Kellermann
Praised for his “excellent technical skills and singing tone” (American Record Guide) and for his “exuberant and decisive interpretations” (Dagens Nyheter), Jacob Kellermann has established himself as one of Scandinavia's most visible and versatile guitarists, with a varied repertoire of concertos, solo works and chamber music. Born in Stockholm, he began his guitar studies at the age of eight.

Regularly performing in major Swedish venues, he has appeared internationally in venues including Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Prinzregententheater and Gasteig Munich, Tokyo Bunka Kaikan, Seoul Art Center and Brucknerhaus Linz. He has partaken in festivals such as Enescu Festival (Romania), Festival Dag in de Branding (the Netherlands) and the El Jem Festival (Tunisia). As a soloist, he has worked with orchestras such as London Philharmonic Orchestra (UK), the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gävle Symphony Orchestra (Sweden), Tallin Chamber Orchestra (Estonia), Querétaro Philharmonic Orchestra (Mexiko) and Incheon Philharmonic Orchestra (South Korea). Upcoming soloist engagements for 2022-23 include BBC Philharmonic, Spanish National Orchestra, Bielefelder Philharmoniker and Orquesta de Valencia.

In 2020 Jacob performed at the official award ceremony of the Nobel Prize, an honor bestowed to a selected few Swedish musicians.

Jacob Kellermann has recorded three Albums on the label BIS records: S. Gubaidulina “Repentance” – 2014, Schubert Sonatas – 2018 and “Rodrigo, Harden & Coll – Guitar works 2020”. His third album, focusing on Spanish guitar concertos, was released in December 2020 and was awarded a Swedish Grammy for best classical album of the year as well as being chosen as #1 Record of the year by Swedens largest daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter. The Times (UK) called it a “distinctive release”, and the NRC Handelsblad (the Netherlands) described “transparent, tight orchestral sound and excellent interpretation of the guitar part”. It was also listed as Diapason d’or of June 2021. ​

Equally in demand as a chamber musician, he regularly performs with string players and singers all over Europe and have made critically acclaimed appearances and tours in Germany, France, The Netherlands, Czech Republic, China, Japan and South Korea.

With an extensive repertoire that often features his own transcriptions, he constantly searches for new expressive possibilities for the guitar. Close collaborations with numerous composers including Sofia Gubaidulina, Toshio Hosokawa, Jose M. Sanchez-Verdu, Francisco Coll, Jesper Nordin, Lisa Streich and Benjamin Staern has resulted in numerous works and concertos written directly for him. He has premiered new guitar concertos with major Scandinavian new music ensembles BIT20 Bergen and Norrbotten NEO.

He is also the co-founder of The Netherlands based group New European Ensemble, performing the 20th and 21th century repertoire in conducted and unconducted chamber settings - from Schönberg, Boulez and Henze to world premieres by composer of the next generation. ​

Jacob Kellermann has studied in Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands and Germany. He received his "Meisterklasse Diplom" under prof. Franz Halasz at the Hochschule für Musik in Munich in 2011. He plays on an instrument by the German luthier Matthias Dammann.

Viviane Hagner
has won exceptional praise for her intelligent musicality and passionate artistry. She performs with “poise and magnificent assurance” (THE TIMES, London) and “an almost hauntingly masterful display of technique and artistry” (WASHINGTON POST), while the BERLINER MORGENPOST wrote: “Listening to Viviane Hagner play the violin is an enchanting experience … she is both a thoughtful and brilliant violinist. In her playing, she knows how to combine reflection and luminosity in the most striking way.”

Since her debut at the age of thirteen in the legendary joint concert of the Israel and Berlin Philharmonics conducted by Zubin Mehta, Viviane Hagner has appeared with the world’s leading orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Munich Philharmonic, and London’s Philharmonia, in partnership with conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Daniel Barenboim, Ricardo Chailly, Charles Dutoit, Christoph Eschenbach, Lorin Maazel, Kent Nagano, and Pinchas Zukerman. Viviane Hagner has most recently appeared with Tonhalleorchester Zürich under David Zinman, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic under Sakari Oramo, Bamberg Symphony under Jonathan Nott, and Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal under Kent Nagano.

As well as bringing insight and virtuosity to the core concerto repertoire, Viviane Hagner is an ardent advocate of new, neglected and undiscovered music. Composers whose work she champions include Sofia Gubaidulina, Karl Amadeus Hartmann and Witold Lutoslawski. In 2002 she gave the world premiere of Unsuk Chin’s Violin Concerto with the Deutsche Sinfonie-Orchester Berlin and Kent Nagano, later playing the work in the United States – an event which prompted the SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE to acclaim her performance as “vibrant, warm-toned and jaw-droppingly precise [and] may well be unimprovable.” After her 2006 premiere of Simon Holt’s new Violin Concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra led by Jonathan Nott, The SUNDAY TIMES critic remarked she “caught the music’s soul”. In May 2012, a live-recording of Christian Jost’s Violin Concerto “TiefenRausch” conducted by the composer will be released on the Capriccio label.

A committed chamber musician, Viviane Hagner performs at important venues including Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Palais des Beaux Arts Brussels, and Tokyo’s Suntory Hall. She has been a featured artist at renowned international festivals including Rheingau, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Salzburg Easter, Marlboro, and Ravinia. She regularly performs recitals with her sister, pianist Nicole Hagner. Recital performances have taken her to some of the world’s great stages including Berlin Philharmonie, Wigmore Hall London, Châtelet Paris, and Salzburg Mozarteum, and with pianist Mitsuko Uchida at Tokyo’s Suntory Hall.

Viviane Hagner’s 2011–2012 season began with an unexpected Cleveland Orchestra debut as she stepped in on one day’s notice to perform with David Zinman. Upcoming highlights include performances with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, with Pinchas Zukerman and the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Neeme Järvi, as well as with London’s Philharmonia and Esa-Pekka Salonen at London’s Royal Festival Hall, at the Edinburgh Festival, and at Beethovenfest Bonn.

Her most recent recording has been released on the Hyperion label featuring Vieuxtemps’ Violin Concerti 4 & 5, and the Canadian company Analekta has released her recording of Unsuk Chin’s Violin Concerto with Kent Nagano and the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal. Her first solo recording on the Altara label features works by Bartók, Hartmann and Bach.

Viviane Hagner dedicates herself to outreach activities for audiences of all ages, from kindergarten to retirement homes, as well as teaching violin students in masterclasses. Committed to introducing music to school children, she participates at “Rhapsody in School”, a mostly German-wide project initiated by pianist Lars Vogt.

Viviane Hagner grew up and resides in Berlin where she has been Professor at Berlin University of the Arts from 2009–2013. Since 2013, she has held the same position at Mannheim Conservatory of Music and Performing Arts.

Julianna Koch
is Principal Oboe of the London Symphony Orchestra, and since the ARD International Music Competition 2017 she has been in demand as a soloist all over Europe. Juliana was appointed Professor of Oboe at the Royal College of Music, London, in 2018. For her debut at the Berlin Philharmonie in 2019, Juliana performed the Richard Strauss Oboe concerto together with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin. Other solo engagements include appearances with the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks at the Philharmonie im Gasteig (Munich), the London Symphony Orchestra, the Münchener Kammerorchester, Tapiola Sinfonietta, Sinfonia Lahti and the Hungarian National Philharmonic, among others.

Juliana is an active chamber musician and has performed at several prestigious festivals around the world, including Musica Viva’s Huntingon Estate Music Festival in Australia, Lucerne Festival and Bachfest Leipzig. She has appeared in recital performances in the Konzerthalle Bamberg, NDR Hannover and Deutschlandfunk Köln.

As a soloist Juliana has recorded for Chandos, BIS, Wergo, cpo and LSO Live labels - including first recordings of the Ruth Gipps and Enjott Schneider oboe concertos. Her recording of the Dutilleux oboe Sonata has been selected for a BBC Music Magazine Award. Juliana has been guest Principal Oboe with some of the world’s most renowned orchestras, including the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Mahler Chamber Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.

She has previously held Principal Oboe positions with the Royal Danish Orchestra and Filarmonica della Scala, and has worked with many of the world’s leading conductors, including Sir Simon Rattle, Sir Antonio Pappano, Bernhard Haitink, Kirill Petrenko, Daniel Barenboim, Riccardo Chailly, Pierre Boulez, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Zubin Mehta, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Sir John Eliot Gardiner and Valery Gergiev.

Juliana has studied with François Leleux in Munich and Fabian Menzel in Frankfurt. Additionally she has worked with Jacques Tys in Paris. In her time in Munich, she also studied Baroque Oboe with Saskia Fikentscher. Juliana plays a Marigaux M2 Oboe.

Christian Karlsen
Having begun his career as assistant to Esa-Pekka Salonen, Christian Karlsen has rapidly established himself as one of the most gifted and innovative conductors of his generation. He has worked with orchestras including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien, BBC Philharmonic, Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, as well as conducting at opera companies such as Deutsche Oper Berlin and the Dutch National Opera. Since 2017 Christian Karlsen has been the artistic director of the acclaimed ‘Gränslandet – symfonisk fest’ in Stockholm, a festival with classical music for young adults. Previously he worked as artistic director of the New European Ensemble (2008–14) and the Festival Dag in de Branding (Netherlands) (2015–17). A strong advocate for the music of our time, Karlsen has led numerous world premières and collaborated with composers such as Sir George Benjamin, Kaija Saariaho, Sofia Gubaidulina, Steve Reich and Karlheinz Stockhausen. He is also a frequent guest with new music ensembles including the Ensemble Modern, London Sinfonietta, Asko | Schönberg and ICE International Contemporary Ensemble. He studied at the Royal Conservatoire The Hague and with John Carewe in London.

Booklet for Takemitsu: Spectral Canticle