Legends
On ABC Classic FM
Presented by Mairi Nicolson
Many composers speak of an instant compulsion to write music for Håkan Hardenberger, and he says he's addicted to the whole experience of giving birth to new music. "I think I'm some sort of vampire. I need it to keep me alive. I couldn't just play things like the Hummel all the time, there's obviously something in the mental process of dealing with these new pieces that sustains me."
The Swedish virtuoso who’s been described as ‘the best trumpeter in the galaxy’ has inspired a vast new repertoire from composers like Sir Harrison Birtwistle, Brett Dean, HK Gruber, Peter Maxwell Davies and Sally Beamish. Works that have extended the trumpet’s possibilities exponentially, and then some.
On Legends, Hardenberger also stresses that the trumpet can be poetic, as vulnerable and moving as a singing voice. He cites the famous Swedish tenor Jussi Björling as one of his childhood influences. “I always look for melody – no matter how avant-garde or complex the score. After all, isn’t that a basic human instinct?"
Hear the Håkan Hardenberger episode of Legends this Sunday, October 4 2026, at 8pm
First published at ABC Classic, September 29, 2026
No comments:
Post a Comment