Songs of Love & Death with Arturo den Hartog

Love and death—two eternal forces that shape our deepest emotions and most profound music.
Songs of Love & Death brings together a selection of works that explore longing, solitude, and transcendence, performed by the Surinamese-Dutch countertenor Arturo Den Hartog alongside the boundary-pushing Ensemble Klang.
Majoie Hajary, ‘the lost daughter of Suriname’, was a concert pianist and composer who bridged cultures, combining elements of Surinamese musical style with eastern and classical traditions. Den Hartog is a known champion of her remarkable music, with works here inspired by Indian raga and mysticism.

At the heart of the program is David Lang’s Death Speaks, a haunting meditation inspired by Schubert’s Death and the Maiden, in which Death itself is given voice. From the raw beauty of Julius Eastman’s Joy Boy to the stark fragility of Thomas Adès’ The Lover in Winter, each piece offers a unique reflection on mortality and love’s persistence. The programme also revives the exquisite melancholy of Henry Purcell, whose songs dealing with love reach across centuries with their tenderness, and their musical and emotional wisdom.

Henry Purcell (c.1659-1695) – Selection of Songs
Majoie Hajary (1921-2017) – Blue Raga, Koraknen & Raga Joy
Julius Eastman (1940-1990) – Joy Boy (1974)
David Lang (1957-) – Death Speaks (2012)
Thomas Adès (1971-) – The Lover in Winter (1989)