SEPIA & AMARANTH

SEPIA: nostalgia, melancholy and memory
…musings over times long past … an old photo album, a hat box with silk ribbons, a string of pearls that belonged to a great-aunt… An Art Deco house — its wallpaper yellow with age but still splendid, copper door handles that need to be cleaned, a layer of dust on a dresser, dulled pieces of crystal… perfumes of earlier times emerge from the old linen closet as it opens … an old gramophone in a corner with a record still on it. Could it be one of Pierné’s harp quintets? Or Goossens’ trio that is almost salon music? Just think, if you return to those times…

AMARANTH: bright red; passion, joy and energy
Everything has been dusted and polished till it shines, the crystal glasses sparkle, the parquet floor has just been waxed, fresh cut flowers stand on the dresser, a flapper’s dress is draped over a chair and a burst of laughter echoes from the passage… Dancing, music, enjoyment to the full without any fear of the future: life writ large! Let us forget what is past… Strong contrasting colours, gold and glitter, complicated patterns, richly worked details: seen together, an impresson of rebellion and wantonness. Everything sparkles and shines.

SEPIA & AMARANTH: the 1920s and 1930s, the years between the two World Wars with Europe in chaos. Fear and uncertainty rule. But it was also a time filled with new developments and change. This can be heard in the chamber works of the composers who lived through this fascinating time — it is nostalgic, innovative and at times surprisingly modern…

The Lumaka Ensemble
"Lumaka transports the audience with playful ease into a new world of atmospheres and colours, of moods and exotic thoughts". The Lumaka Ensemble, based in Amsterdam, is currently one of the Netherland’s most active chamber ensembles; its instrumental composition of harp, flute, and string trio combine to make a unique sound world.

The Lumaka Ensemble began their career almost 15 years ago when they won the International Chamber Music Competition in Almere and Het Debuut amongst other competitions. They perform in major festivals and regularly give concerts both in the Netherlands and abroad. Heard frequently on Dutch Radio 4 and Concertzender, this will be their third CD release.

When circumstances require, the Ensemble also collaborates with actors, writers, and lighting designers for special projects. They also often provide personal introductions to their programmes, making their concerts mind-expanding, fairytale experiences. The ensemble combines its enthusiasm for music from between the two World Wars with new forms of concert-giving in their concert series MOnuMENTEN 1920, performing in buildings from the same period. In the 2016-2017 season they toured their production Visionaire Timbres 1926, in the Netherlands to great acclaim, receiving high praise from the Dutch Volkskrant, which described their ensemble playing as simply "excellent".