The 28th Liepāja International Stars Festival. HARLEQUIN

It is for the 28th time that Liepāja International Stars Festival will present to the audience unforgettable moments of classical, jazz, modern and vocal music in interpretation of outstanding musicians. In five concerts given in the Great Hall of “GREAT AMBER” and in the Jurgelaitis Chamber Hall, it will feature renowned conductors Gintaras Rinkevicius, Andris Veismanis, and Atvars Lakstīgala, Liepāja Symphony Orchestra and Latvian Radio Big Band, singers Maija Kovaļevska and Maria Mendes, virtuosos Michael Pipoquinha  un Karel Dohnal, pianists Armands Ābols and Wilhem Latchoumia, a premiere of Ēriks Ešenvalds’ Concerto for Saxophone with Oskars Petrauskis as soloist, the Riga Chamber Choir AVE SOL male group, and Orests Silabriedis. Supported by: the Ministry of Culture of the Latvian Republic, the State Culture Capital Foundation and Liepāja city.

The unique piece “Harlequin” by inventive modernist Karlheinz Stockhausen was composed 45 years ago for a single clarinettist to play the clarinet, dance and to take the role of a mime.

Czech clarinettist Karel Dohnal does it excellently – he magnificently depicts the classical image of harlequin, who is joyful, funny, obliging when necessary and at times smug. Dressed in a traditional harlequin costume rhombus, Dohnal plays clarinet, dances, bows, stretches, flirts with ladies in the audience, poses for an imagery photographer and convinces that anything is possible. “Karel Dohnal’s performance of Stockhausen’s ‘Harlequin’ was, quite simply, one of the most astonishing 45 minutes I've experienced” writes Keats Bruce in Scottish newspaper The Herald.

Karl Dohnal is a musician with Prague National Opera Orchestra, Trio Amadeus, Prague PhilHarmonia Octet, and a Professor with Ostrava University; he is frequently invited to run masterclasses all over the world. Dohnal takes special interest in contemporary music and Stockhausen’s musical and dance masterpiece is well suited for the famous musician’s artistic abilities and excellent sense of humour. 

Prior to Stockhausen’s “Harlequin” the audience will be briefly acquainted with the character of performance and the classical commedia dell’arte.

Karel DOHNAL – clarinet

Programme:

Karlheinz STOCKHAUSEN “Harlequin” for Clarinet