The »Elphi at Home« series was born in spring 2020. When the concert halls were closed to the public, the Elbphilharmonie invited artists to stream concerts live from the Elbphilharmonie.
Who's on Stage Tonight? :»Blind Date« at the Elbphilharmonie during the lockdown
Whether it's a live jazz improvisation, classical music or folk: anything is possible at the Elbphilharmonie's Blind Date! Only once the stage doors open does the audience find out who is appearing in this popular Elbphilharmonie series. The last »Blind Date« of the season took place on 24 June 2020 without an audience, and was broadcast as a streamed concert. The surprise artists were mandolin player Avi Avital and accordionist Aydar Gaynullin.
Avital, born in Israel in, has breathed new life into the mandolin repertoire – not least through his »explosively charismatic« live appearances (New York Times) at leading concert venues. His repertoire ranges from Bach and Vivaldi to jazz and world music. Aydar Gaynullin is also a virtuoso with a worldwide reputation; he plays the bajan (the Russian button accordion), an instrument that likewise has its roots in folk music. »In this respect«, says Avital, «our instruments are very similar, and when we met in person we knew that things were going to gel.«
Line-up
Avi Avital mandolin
Aydar Gaynullin accordion
Programme
Bulgarian folk dance »Bucimis«
Béla Bartók: Romanian Folk Dances Sz 56
Igor Strawinsky: Suite italienne (excerpts)
Nikolai Budashkin: Concerto for mandolin
Aydar Gaynullin: Eurasia
Aydar Gaynullin: Euphoria
Podcast: A conversation with the performers
Before their concert, the two musicians spoke with Tom R. Schulz about the closure due to Corona, about their instruments, which »speak directly to the heart«, and the art of spontaneous improvisation, which they give an example of at the end. (in German and English)
