![[defs use this] CelebrationByDAddario_388 pc Denny Medley Random Photography](https://dnan0fzjxntrj.cloudfront.net/Pictures/274x183/5/0/9/43509_defsusethiscelebrationbydaddario_388pcdennymedleyrandomphotography_776141_crop.jpg)
Leah Hollingsworth listens to a recital of Caroline Shaw, Lotta Wennäkoski, Schubert, Astrid Sonne and David Lang at Zankel Hall, Carnegie Hall, New York on 17 April 2026
Carnegie Hall presented a powerful collaboration between the Danish Quartet and the Danish National Girls’ Choir at Zankel Hall, celebrating the idea that ‘cultural exchange and international collaboration still matter in this world’, as choir director Charlotte Rowan shared at the concert’s outset.
Caroline Shaw’s Allemande from the Partita for 8 Voices opened the programme with solo violin offstage. Rune Sørensen slowly walked on stage and was joined by the choir, whose articulation and intensity were remarkable. The first few works were performed attacca, and the Danish Quartet’s intense response to the anguish and agony of Lotta Wennäkoski’s Voruber, ach, voruber! dissolved into beauty at the opening of the Andante from Schubert’s ‘Death and the Maiden’. The girls from the choir then reconfigured in the background, joining the quartet for traditional works that were interspersed with another by Shaw and a piece by Astrid Sonne, all impeccably done.
The second half featured the New York premiere of David Lang’s in wildness, written explicitly for these two ensembles. Although the role of the quartet often seemed merely to punctuate the vocalists, the instrumental commentary always added to the vocal lines rather than feeling incidental, creating a powerful effect. Both these groups are extraordinary ensembles in their own right, and it was a joy to hear them perform together.
LEAH HOLLINGSWORTH
No comments yet