Matangi Moments: Haydn - Die sieben letzten Worte

Matangi Moments: Haydn - Die sieben letzten Worte

Experience Matangi Moments, a captivating concert series where the sublime world of the string quartet is explored in surprising ways by Matangi, one of the most renowned and versatile ensembles in the Netherlands.  

Matangi Moments ranges from timeless classical masterpieces to unexpected, genre-defying collaborations. One of the most fitting works for string quartet during the Passion period is Haydn’s Die sieben letzten Worte unseres Erlösers am Kreuze. These seven sonatas for string quartet, with their deeply narrative character, are truly impressive. The slow tempos of the dramatic opening, all seven movements, and the overall length of the piece create an almost trance-like state. An hour-long journey through adagios filled with shifting atmospheres and emotions, culminating in the sudden, bombastic earthquake (Il Terremoto) at the end. For the four musicians, this work is an immense challenge, requiring them to navigate a rollercoaster of intense emotions—despair, pain, forgiveness, hope, acceptance, and death. Of all the existing versions of this piece, the string quartet form has become the most well-known and beloved, perhaps because its intimacy best reflects the idea of four people united in prayer.  

YOUNG TALENT 

Matangi strongly values talent development. That’s why we are proud of our annual collaboration with the Prinses Christina Concours. Each year, we present the Matangi Award to an outstanding young musician—an honor that, in this edition of Matangi Moments, goes to mezzo-soprano Aaike Nortier. Together with Aaike, we will perform Respighi’s breathtaking Il Tramonto, a deeply moving work filled with emotion and profound depth. The theme of death as a form of redemption resonates powerfully in both Il Tramonto and Die sieben letzten Worte.  

MATANGI

Maria-Paula Majoor violin  

Hannelore De Vuyst violin  

Karsten Kleijer viola  

Arno van der Vuurst cello  

Guest Artist:

Aaike Nortier mezzo-soprano