Elbphilharmonie Sessions: Théotime Langlois de Swarte & Thomas Dunford

Théotime Langlois de Swarte and Thomas Dunford are two shooting stars of the early music scene, whose influence reaches far beyond too. Armed with their broad artistic interests and enormous enthusiasm, they devote their energy to works dating back centuries that still inspire audiences to this day. They are both superb improvisers, whether they’re playing solo or in a duet. »I often feel like a jazz musician on stage,« Thomas Dunford says.

For their Elbphilharmonie session in the foyer of the Recital Hall, they play Nicola Matteis’ multi-faceted »Variations on la Folia« – made up of short variation movements shifting between melodious melancholy and breathtaking virtuosity.

You need to find the musician that can speak the same language and tell the same story. Like when you go on stage, you need to tell one story together

»You need to find the musician that can speak the same language and tell the same story. When you go on stage, you need to tell one story together,« says Théotime Langlois de Swarte, who has been working with Thomas Dunford for several years now. The two French musicians have delighted audiences around the globe with their joint performances. They have made a name for themselves over recent years, especially in the field of early music, and their performances show that works dating back hundreds of years very often haven’t lost any of their relevance and emotional energy.

Despite being on tour together, they are also both sought-after soloists in their own right. Théotime Langlois de Swarte had his big break while still studying in Paris. He now performs on major world stages including the Walt Disney Hall in Los Angeles and the Musikverein in Vienna. The award-winning violinist also founded his own ensemble, Le Consort, which has already made a number of acclaimed recordings.

In 2018, Thomas Dunford also founded a baroque ensemble, known as Ensemble Jupiter. As an in-demand soloist, he not only works regularly with other ensembles in the same vein, but also makes some excursions into jazz and pop, to rapturous reception. It is not without reason that the BBC Magazine has referred to him as the »Eric Clapton of the lute«. And it’s no wonder either that the two baroque advocates have long been known for their marvellous »Beatles« encores.

They do exist, those immortal bass lines that survive down through the centuries – from the baroque passacaglia to the blues scheme. La Folia (Italian for »madness«, »to be out of one’s mind«) is one of them: the beloved bass model originates from a Portuguese dance and is one of the most popular musical themes of the 16th and 17th centuries. It inspired a string of composers to create wide-ranging variation and dance movements, including the Baroque composer Nicola Matteis.

In his »La Folia« variations, the musician, who was living in London at the time, wrote a varied sequence of short movements. »There are some that go crazy and some very calm ones. And many of them leave plenty of room for improvisation,« the duo reveal, who not only show off their virtuosity in the different variations, but also their deep, shared intuition for the music. »It is about madness and how to free yourself from it,« says Théotime Langlois de Swarte. In other words, good for the soul.

The dark wood panelling made of French oak gives the Recital Hall a cosy atmosphere, putting the listener in the mood for the intimate concert formats and the room's warm acoustics.

Production:

Karola Parry Sound

Nils Kohstall Camera
Julian Conrad Edit

Julika von Werder, Julian Conrad Production Management

Artists record exclusive music videos at the Elbphilharmonie and the Laeiszhalle for Elbphilharmonie Sessions – sometimes in unusual locations offstage. Discover the concert halls from the inside. Discover what they sound like.