Quite the impressive concert took place in Harpan, consisting of pieces by Kjartan Ólafsson, Haukur Tómasson, Ingibjörg Ýr Skarphéðinsdóttir, Gunnar Andreas Kristinsson and Áskell Másson. Ingibjörg’s work really stood out to me!
A moving piece that fully deserves its praise and gives an intimate and personal perspective on a traumatic part of someone’s life.
“Capriccio” by Áskell Másson starts very energetically and quickly, the small Darabuka drum, played by the composer himself, starts establishing an interesting rhythm that continues throughout most of the piece.
I walk wide-eyed into Harpa, the steel honeycomb prism that anyone in Reykjavik recognizes as the most prestigious venue in Iceland. Coming from a Latin American country, everything from the design to the inner workings of a first class arts institution fascinates me.
Some of the pieces were just so beautiful! Harpist Katie Buckley and Frank Aarnink, the percussionist who plays that „stuss“, form the Duo Harpverk – were playing amazing throughout the concert.
Háttatal by Guðmundur managed to give me a glimpse of a world of music that, until now, has been unknown to me and for that, I will be eternally grateful.
Last Wednesday I went to a Nordic Music Days concert starring Siggi String Quartet. They had two guest performers in Fabian Svensson’s „Five Obsessive Movements“, playing a melodica and a toy piano. I had a little chat with the pianist, Erna Vala Arnardóttir.
Have you ever eaten pork while standing besides a pig? Have you ever talked about slaughtering pigs in front of pigs? No? Composer Mathias Monrad Møller was letting people try that at the Reykjavík zoo, it was strange but very, very interesting.
Styrmir and Hugi discussing the concert of Siggi String Quartet, featuring Ásthildur Ákadóttir, melodica and Erna Vala Arnardóttir, toy piano
