Sol Gabetta / Amsterdam Sinfonietta VASKS Presence

Cellist Sol Gabetta has long wanted Pēteris Vasks to compose a concerto for her and on 25 October 2012, Gabetta, in collaboration with the Amsterdam Sinfonietta and its Artistic Director Candida Thompson, presented the new work at last. Klātbūtne (‘Presence’), for cello and string orchestra, was premiered at the music centre De Bijloke in Gent.

Latvian composer Vasks stands out among his contemporaries as an especially versatile composer, writing in different timbres and tunings to create hugely varied sound worlds. This can be heard in his eight works for string orchestra and three concertos for violin and strings. Klātbūtne is the first of Vasks’ works for the combination of solo cello and strings, and the three movement work was commissioned by the Amsterdam Sinfonietta, the Amsterdam Cello Biennale, Eduard van Beinum Foundation and the International Istanbul Music Festival.

Gabetta and the Amsterdam Sinfonietta gave the German premiere of Klātbūtne on 26 October at the Forum am Schlosspark, Ludwigsburg, and two further performances took place on 27 October at the Tonhalle Düsseldorf and on 29 October at the Muziekgebouw, Amsterdam.