Oscar-komponist James Horner i samarbeid med norsk stjernesøskenpar

Den Oscar-vinnende kompinisten James Horner har blitt lokket vekk fra storskjermen og tilbake til konserthallen, takket være det norske stjernesøskenparet Mari og Håkon Samuelsen. Sammen har de overbevist Horner om å skrive hans første konsertstykke på over 30 år - en konsert for violin, cello og orkester kalt "Pas de Deux". Opptaket fra verdensremieren i Liverpool i November kommer på deres debutalbum som slippes på Mercury Classic 25. mai 2015.

Horner er tidligere kjent for stykker som Titanic, Braveheart og Avatar, og dette er det første verket komponisten har skrevet for fiolin og cello, samt det første bestillingsverket i rekken fra Mari Silje og Håkon Samuelsen. 

I sommer inngikk stjernesøskenparet Mari Silje og Håkon Samuelsen en langsiktig eksklusiv albumavtale med Mercury Classics. I november 2014 fremførte de for første gang Horner-verket "Pas de Deux" i Philharmonic Hall i Liverpool. Verket ble fremført med Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra og dirigent Vasily Petrenko på orkesterets 175-års jubileum og åpningskonsert i deres nyrenoverte konserthus. Produsent for albumet er Simon Rhodes (kjent fra Skyfall, Harry Potter og Avatar samt Grammy-vinnenende album med Berlin Philharmonikerne). 

"Vi hadde aldri trodd vi skulle få til dette. Det føles fantastisk," sier fiolinist Mari Samuelsen. "Det er en drøm som har blitt virkelighet," samtykker hennes cellistbror Håkon.

Søskenparet har opptrådt mye hver for seg, og siden de var i tidlig tyveårene har de jobbet som en duo. I 2004 grunnla de den årlige julekonserten i Vang kirke med Prinsesse Märtha Louise som nå er sendt i over 116 millioner hjem verden over.

Se albumtrailer her og les full pressemelding under.

Oscar-winning composer of Titanic and Avatar JAMES HORNER

writes first concert work in over 30 years

Double Concerto ‘Pas de Deux’ for Norwegian star siblings MARI & HÅKON SAMUELSEN

World premiere recording released on Mercury Classics: 25 May 2015

“Rhapsodic, lushly scored”– The Guardian

Watch the album trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6GIQQrqa8Q&feature=youtu.be

Oscar-winning composer James Horner has been lured away from the silver screen and back into the concert hall thanks to captivating Norwegian siblings Mari and Håkon Samuelsen. They’ve persuaded him to write his first concert work in over 30 years – a concerto for violin, cello and orchestra called ‘Pas de Deux’. The world premiere recording features on their debut album, released on Mercury Classics on 25 May 2015.

Horner’s new work received its world premiere in November last year, under the baton of conductor Vasily Petrenko, at the 175th anniversary concert of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. The work was highly praised by critics (“Hypnotic, mesmerising” – The Arts Desk) and since then, Horner has gone on to write another concerto – this time for 4 Horns, premiered on 27 March 2015 at the Royal Festival Hall.

“We never believed we could achieve this. It feels incredible,” says violinist Mari Samuelsen of their first major commission. “It’s a dream come true,” agrees her cellist brother Håkon. The recording of ‘Pas de Deux’ is combined on the album with hauntingly beautiful works by Arvo Pärt, Ludovico Einaudi, and Giovanni Sollima.

Classical stars Mari and Håkon have performed individually at venues as prestigious as the Amsterdam Concertgebouw and Carnegie Hall, and since their early twenties have also worked as a duo. They’ve had spectacular successes: in 2004 they founded an annual Christmas Concert in Norway which is now broadcast into over 116 million homes internationally. But the lack of duo repertoire has always been a problem. There is just one acknowledged concerto masterpiece for their instruments (Brahms’s Double Concerto in A minor), and a handful of other lesser-known pieces to play.

Håkon says, “We had lots of discussions with contemporary composers about writing for us, but decided to take our time. We wanted to give people something to remember as they walk home from a concert – a melody, or a beautiful piece of harmony – something which would stick with them. A lot of contemporary music is more fragmented in sound.”

Regular movie-goers, the duo had adored the soaring and atmospheric scores of James Horner in films such as Aliens, Braveheart and Apollo 13, and they dreamed of approaching him, but didn’t know how. Their chance came when visited their friend (and fellow-Norwegian) Harald Zwart in California. He had just directed The Karate Kid, and had employed Horner to write the score. Zwart offered his house as a concert venue for the duo, and invited the celebrated composer to hear the young stars. Plucking up her courage, Mari then asked him directly if he would like to write a concerto for them.

The request came at exactly the right moment. After his many movie successes, Horner was looking for an opportunity to return to the world of the concert hall, and accepted the challenge immediately. He was inspired as much by watching Håkon and Mari play, as by their sumptuous sound. “I wanted to write a romantic piece inspired by their movements, and the way I envision them ‘dancing’ together. That’s why I named it Pas de Deux. I see them as two distinct people entwined, with their own musical personalities, with their own flow.”

Mari describes the work. “The first part is poetic, dreamy, distant, full of layers and patterns. Then, after a cadenza, there’s an explosive second part, driving and dramatic, and full of drums. It’s amazing, hypnotic music – almost like being on another planet.” Håkon says: “I see it as a landscape, like a huge stretch of endless nature. It’s more beautiful the more you get to know it.”

To accompany it, the Samuelsens have found pieces which reflect Horner’s romantic and post-minimalist soundscape. There’s the meditative, haunting Fratres by Arvo Pärt; the rhapsodic Violoncelles, vibrez! by Giovanni Sollima (with cellist Alisa Weilerstein); and the minimalist smash-hit Divenire by Ludovico Einaudi. “We wanted to create a whole atmosphere, a unity of sound, like a red line running through the disc,” says Mari.

Another unifying element of the recording lies in the violin and cello used by Håkon and Mari. They played on two precious Stradivarius instruments, loaned specially for the project. “For the recording, we really wanted to do something unique. These Stradivariuses were amazing – and we felt at home with them immediately.” Mari adds: “Their sound blended perfectly together, because they’re part of a family.” Then she smiles. “Just like us!”

Tracklist:

James Horner (b. 1953)

Pas de Deux

Double Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra

1. Part 1

2. Part 2

3. Part 3

Arvo Pärt (b. 1935)

4. Fratres

For violin, string orchestra and percussion

Giovanni Sollima (b. 1962)

5. Violoncelles, Vibrez!

For two cellos and string orchestra

Ludovico Einaudi (b. 1955)

6. Divenire

For violin, cello and orchestra