"From the pastoral idylls of Handel and Bach to the vivid nature pictures of Debussy, from the intense love of the countryside of Beethoven and Schubert to the gentle but deep English pastoralism of Vaughan Williams, so much in our common great musical heritage celebrates the majesty of the natural world which is now under such dire threat. Tonight we are performing a beautiful re-imagination of Bach by the great Hungarian composer György Kurtág, written 250 years after Bach’s original: let us all work for a world in which this pure distillation of music can still weave its magic 250 years from now, and into perpetuity." (Julian Jacobson)
Programme
Schubert Fantasie in F minor D 940
Debussy Petite Suite
Bach/Kurtág Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit
Arthur Benjamin Jamaican Rumba
JACOBSON-BROWN DUO Since their formation in 2011, the piano duo of Julian Jacobson and Mariko Brown has established itself as an ensemble of rare distinction and vitality, with a broad and diverse repertoire including many original works and arrangements as well as the great classics of the piano duet repertoire. Following their critically acclaimed debut in the Beethoven Piano Societyʼs Summer Festival they have given many concerts throughout Britain including the Southbank Centre, St Johnʼs Smith Square, Fairfield Halls, St James Piccadilly in London and at venues in Birmingham, Manchester, Oxford, Bristol, Brighton and many others. They perform annually in France and will make their Paris debut in November 2018. Both composers as well as performers, they bring a wealth of understanding to their always developing repertoire and a passion which always communicates itself to their audiences. Marikoʼs “Travels Through A Mist Of Chinese Mountains” was given its critically acclaimed debut in 2014, and for the duo Julian has transcribed Gershwinʼs “An American in Paris” and “Second Rhapsody” to huge acclaim, both arrangements being published by Schott/Bardic Edition. Their CD debut, for Naxos, was in a programme of the music of Julianʼs father Maurice Jacobson, and in January 2018 they released their first full duo CD, for the SOMM label, with a challenging and adventurous programme including Busoniʼs monumental Fantasia Contrappuntistica. The CD, which has been attracting rave reviews, will be followed by many more recordings.
FARHANA YAMIN is an internationally recognised environmental lawyer, climate change and development policy expert who has advised leaders and countries for 20 years. In addition to founding Track 0 she is an associate fellow at Chatham House, a visiting professor at University College London and a member of the Global Agenda Council on Climate Change at the World Economic Forum. She has published numerous books and articles on the nexus of climate change and development and served as an adviser to the European Commission on emissions trading directive from 1998-2002, later serving as special adviser to Connie Hedegaard, EU commissioner for climate action. From 2010-12 she oversaw the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation investments and continues to provide research and strategy development for a number of foundations. She is lead author for three assessment reports for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on adaptation and mitigation issues. She continues to provide legal, strategy and policy advice to NGOs, foundations and developing nations on international climate change negotiations under the UNFCCC.
