Tadej Kenig is the principal clarinetist of the Opera and Ballet Ljubljana and a professor at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana. For the opening, he has carefully selected compositions from both classical and contemporary clarinet repertoire. Branimir Norac is a representative of the Croatian contemporary author scene, and he has prepared a special program for the festival, including a premiere performance
December 2nd - Opening night: Tadej Kenig (clarinet) Ivan Bratoš (piano)
J. Brahms: Sonata for clarinet and piano br. 1 u f molu, op. 120/1
Allegro appassionato / Andante un poco adagio / Allegretto grazioso / Vivace
R. Schumann: Adagio and allegro for clarinet and piano, op. 70 (arr. Kenig)
Landsam, mit innigem Ausdruck / Rasch und feuerig
Luciano Berio: Sequenza IX for clarinet solo
L. Bassi: Fantasia da concerto su motivi del "Rigoletto" di G. Verdi
December 3rd - New in: Where people once were, and now only fireflies remain
Branimir Norac' authorial night
Where people once were, and now only fireflies
Fanfare for a Slice of Sun
Three Meditations for Solo Clarinet
Sculpture of Air
Improvisation (with a clarinet ensemble of high school students and college students)
Branimir Norac on the program: "Similar to the authorial concept from 2021, titled 'Krletka for Spring,' I envision this concert of authorial compositions for solo clarinet as a comprehensive journey through internal emotional landscapes where one composition merges into another, and previously written compositions intertwine with improvisations. The concert space is a place of introspection and sharing, isolated from everything external. Through nakedness and vulnerability, I aim to lead the listener inside to find the beauty and sacredness that lurks in every person, often sheltered from the chaos of everyday life.
I approach the clarinet from a different and unusual point. I am always searching for new approaches and readings of the instrument I have in my hands. I know that the way the clarinet is used does not encompass all the instrument's possibilities. When I play the clarinet, I am interested in the idea of polyphony, which consists of long, continuous phrases reminiscent of sequences in electronic music. In my latest work titled 'Sculpture of Air,' which I will premiere at the concert in the Foyer, I also explore drastic changes in the color of sound, all to extract the maximum amount of music I want to express from the clarinet."