Arc Intercontinental Ensemble

• Bianca Bongers (b. 1987):
• 1 Bongers: Collage van een Achtvlak 07:28
• Clara Schumann (1819 - 1896): Drei Romanzen, Op. 21 (Arr. for Nonet by Ernst Spyckerelle):
• 2 Schumann: Drei Romanzen, Op. 21 (Arr. for Nonet by Ernst Spyckerelle): I. Andante 04:22
• 3 Schumann: Drei Romanzen, Op. 21 (Arr. for Nonet by Ernst Spyckerelle): II. Allegretto: Sehr zart zu spielen 01:09
• 4 Schumann: Drei Romanzen, Op. 21 (Arr. for Nonet by Ernst Spyckerelle): III. Agitato 04:26
• Aregnaz Martirosyan (b. 1993):
• 5 Martirosyan: Emotional Diversity 07:47
• Sarah Neutkens (b. 1998):
• 6 Neutkens: September I 06:15
• Louise Farrenc (1804 - 1875): Nonet, Op. 38:
• 7 Farrenc: Nonet, Op. 38: I. Adagio - Allegro 11:54
• 8 Farrenc: Nonet, Op. 38: II. Andante con moto 08:04
• 9 Farrenc: Nonet, Op. 38: III. Scherzo. Vivace 04:54
• 10 Farrenc: Nonet, Op. 38: IV. Adagio - Allegro 05:37
• Total Runtime 01:01:56

Info for Arc

The nine-member Intercontinental Ensemble, which consists of four strings and five wind instruments, has previously made the enthusiastically received productions 'Traveling Light' (TTK 0021) and 'In Motu' (TTK 0071) for the adventurous TRPTK label. Besides playing original nonet repertoire, the musicians focus on their own arrangements of classical pieces. The ensemble was asked by the Amsterdam Grachtenfestival in August 2019 to compile a programme around female composers. The choice then fell on 'Collage van een Achtvlak' by Bianca Bongers (1987), the Nonet en Mi b major' by Louise Farrenc (1804-1875) and an arrangement of the '3 Romances' by Clara Schumann (1819-1896). Their concert was received very enthusiastically and formed the prelude to their third TRPTK album.

"We wanted to make a connection between old and new and went looking for two more talented young composers," says artistic director Ernst Spyckerelle. "For example, the Dutch Sarah Neutkens (1998) contributed 'September I' and the Armenian Aregnaz Martirosyan (1993) composed 'Emotional Diversity'. It has become a particularly exciting production, under the overarching title 'Arc': an architectural form that displays the same exciting contradictions as the pieces on the album."

Never before has a bridge been built between Bianca Bongers' geometric sense of form, Clara Schumann's German Romanticism, Aregnaz Martirosyan's splendour of colour, Sarah Neutkens' melancholy and crystal-clear structures in Louise Farrenc's nonet. An artistic venture of the highest order that paves the way for the performance practice of tomorrow: boundless and unpredictable music that surprises the listener and simultaneously allows you to dream away.

With their new album 'Arc', the Intercontinental Ensemble draws attention to a new generation of composers.

Intercontinental Ensemble

The Intercontinental Ensemble
is an ensemble that consists out of 9 players from over the whole world. They combine 4 string and 5 wind players. The group was founded in 2012 in Amsterdam, with members from Mexico, Spain, Portugal, Czech Republic, Luxemburg and the Netherlands.

Next to performing the standard repertoire for nonet, they decided to arrange symphonies for their formation. Through their arrangements, they give new life to these well-known pieces and are able to bring them to locations where a regular sized orchestra doesn’t fit. In september 2018, a first CD was released at the label TRPTK, containing their interpretations of great symphonies by Schubert, Brahms and Beethoven.

They’ve performed in major Dutch concert halls such as Concertgebouw, Muziekgebouw ah IJ, Schiermonnikoog Festival and were also invited abroad to perform in Belgium, Italy and Mexico.

They also love to collaborate with other musicians and composers and have collaborated as such with Severin von Eckardstein, Wim Henderickx, Ekaterina Levental, Marieke Vos, Bianca Bongers, Gabriel Lubell and Niek Baar.

Booklet for Arc