Nils Mönkemeyer (photo Irène Zandel)

Living room

Amsterdam Sinfonietta + Nils Mönkemeyer
Fri 2 May 2025 20:15 - 22:00
Fri 2 May 2025
20:15 - 22:00
  • Fri 2 May 2025
    20:15 - 22:00
    Grote Zaal

Program

19:15 / Foyerdeck 1 / Pre-concert talk

20:15 / Grote Zaal / Main programme

Antonio Vivaldi Ouverture from L’Olimpiade
John Cage Living Room Music
Matthias Pintscher Janusgesicht
Pietro Locatelli Concerto grosso in C minor
Antonio Vivaldi Concert RV 495
Antonio Vivaldi Concert RV 416
Francesco Geminiani Concerto grosso ‘La Folia’
Garth Knox Traditionals

Credits

Amsterdam Sinfonietta 
Candida Thompson direction, violin
Nils Mönkemeyer viola

The stage as living room

The living room: a familiar space, alive with warmth, where people come together, inspire each other, and recharge. In his work Living Room Music, composer John Cage instructed musicians to use household objects and architectural elements as instruments. Magazines, cardboard, books, the floor, the wooden frame of a window... The stage becomes a living room. 

In the middle of the living room, a cellist and a viola player play back-to-back Janusgesicht by German composer Matthias Pintscher. The head of Janus has two faces, symbolising ambivalence and opposition. Viola player Nils Mönkemeyer showcases his virtuosity in a programme of contrasting works, from contemporary pieces to masterful Baroque concertos.