Vox

In Vox, Duo Rozemond & Bekkers combine new music for Violin, Voice and Accordion with compositions by the great masters from a century ago: Rachmaninov, Stravinsky, Ravel and Satie. The new works are by the Dutch composers Willem Jeths, Gerard Beljon and the Jewish composers René Samson (Netherlands), Iván Fischer (Hungary) and Efrem Podgaits (Russia). Duo members Jacobien Rozemond (Violin & Voice) and Renée Bekkers (Accordion) have sought out and commissioned captivating works, largely inspired by song. The result is a collage of works exploring all the possibilities of this instrumental combination. For instance, the accordion can sound like an organ, combining with the violin to evoke a profound sense of serenity, as in Podgaits’s Ave Maria and the chorales from Willem Jeths’s Ritratto. These provide a strong contrast with the nostalgic romanticism of Rachmaninov or the folk music in the tangos and Jewish songs. Through the occasional addition of singing and recited texts, the duo expands their color palette and the program’s expressive power. The title Vox refers to the ‘vocalize principle’ from which this album draws its inspiration. Vocalize or Vox is a poem that is constructed using one or two vowels. In these poems sound plays a central role: the word goes beyond its primary function as a means of communication and becomes flexible, associative, and pure sound material. Those looking for unequivocal meaning in such poems soon find themselves on the wrong track. On their Vox album, the duo plays with this idea, among others. Jacobien makes use of her voice, singing as well as playing the violin, while the compositions themselves also often display a link with the human voice. Duo Rozemond & Bekkers Jacobien Rozemond - Violin & Voice Renee Bekkers - Accordion https://youtu.be/faFMFCebaRE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21n0t7jH9CE