Martin Huges / Hexham Courant:
NORDIC VOICES FESTIVAL
KOTTOS – CONCERT IN HEXHAM ABBEY
FRIDAY 18TH MAY 2018
Danish Musical Gold!
The visit of the astonishing Danish quartet Kottos had been eagerly awaited in Hexham and the audience that gathered in the sun-filled north transept of the Abbey on Friday evening was rewarded with a long to be remembered concert of classical arrangements of Vivaldi, Grieg, Bartok, Piazzolla et al, and works by contemporary Nordic composers. This is no ordinary quartet however. Pernille Petersen playing a variety of recorders from a huge Ikea-looking lowest bass to the highest, smallest sopranino, Bjarke Mogensen on a huge Russian Bayan concert accordion, Josefine Opsahl playing a cello and Christos Farmakis adding unmistakeable Mediterranean colour but also blending with the Celtic sound world, all displayed total command of their instruments and demonstrated their collective brilliance and musical understanding of the genre. The group’s achievement doesn’t stop there however, because at its beating heart lie creative composing musicians who are able to distil and develop strands of folk music. Herein is the genius of these performance artistes and their collective ability to connect with an audience which seemed to this musician listener to be second to none!
Audience members on Friday will no doubt have their favourite moments from this wide ranging musical survey, but for openers, Vivaldi’s La Folia variations and Piazzolla’s Fuga y Misterio were simply knock-out! The technical standards of the recorder playing were to be marvelled at, whilst Bjarke Mogensen’s wonderful accordion playing brooded, exploded and cajoled. Josefine Opsahl showed how brilliantly versatile a cello can be and Christos Farmakis added another distinctive and telling voice to what was a perfectly balanced group of musicians. This was a serious case of “once heard, never forgotten”!
Jacob Wivel, Børsen:
“Ensemblet, der i sin instrument-sammensætning trodser enhver sund fornuft, er Kottos, der med akkordeonisten Bjarke Mogensen i front for længst har bevist, hvilken mening der findes hinsides fornuften. Her får man klanglige virkninger, man så absolut ikke får andre steder, leveret med en ubestridelig musikalitet.”
Henrik Friis, Politiken:
****
“Det lille ensemble Kottos i scenens ene side sørger for, at Kaj Munks sort-hvide verden får nogle livgivende farver. Kvartetten siger selv, at de spiller folkemusik fra et land, der ikke eksisterer, og det er nok meget præcist. Det er fire klassisk skolede musikere på blokfløjte, lutinstrumentet bouzouki, accordeon og cello, der spiller sig rundt i grænselandet mellem lydeffekter og melodisk opbygget musik med både fart og inderlighed.”
Peter Dürrfeld, Kristeligt Dagblad:
*****
“De fire musikere – formidler Frandsens musik med årvågen professionalisme og bidrager i højseste grad til forestillingens helstøbte sammenhæng.”
Christine Christiansen, Jyllands Posten:
****
“Fire blændende instrumentalister på cello, akkordeon, det græske strengeinstrument bouzouki og et arsenal af blokfløjter lader fremmedartede folkemusikalske klange pible energisk under det konkrete handlingsforløb.”
Camilla Marie Dahlgreen, Information:
“Den instrumentale del udgjordes af ensemble Kottos, der er lidt af en begivenhed på den danske, klassiske musikscene. Deres besætning består af blokfløjter, cello, akkordeon og bouzouki og udover at være nogle fremragende musikere, kan de hive nogle rariteter op af deres instrumentbeholdning.”
Politiken, December 2015
New Light Messiah
*****
“Resultatet var skrøbeligt, klangskønt, originalt og fascinerende. Den vigtigste grund til det var, at de fire musikere ville lege. At de ikke holdt sig tilbage for at udsmykke Händels toner med ekstra pynt eller variere musikken med helt anderledes klangfarver. Eller at de turde lade det rytmiske billede flyde i situationer, tiden alligevel var gået i stå.”
George Rompolas, Aixmi news
Greece 26/10/2017
“The prolonged warm applause came as a natural consequence of the great effort made by the performers…absolute synchronisation, incessant flow, fortitude and directness with the audience.”
