We have known of Flemish composer Luc Van Hove's deep admiration for György Ligeti since 2003, when he was curator of the music@venture festival. Here, he opts for two Ligeti masterpieces to frame his 'Chamber Symphony'. The Six Bagatelles for wind quintet are largely folklore-inspired, and Ligeti originally wrote them as 'Musica ricercata' for piano. The two versions are on the programme here. In the 'Chamber Concerto', Ligeti plays a surprising game with traditional forms, true to his motto: "I seek order, but it must also contain a touch of chaos".
Luc Van Hove on his 'Chamber Symphony': "It has been a real challenge, but having been able - at last - to write a fully fledged chamber symphony represents a milestone. The genre is extremely rich and ambiguous, with the features of both orchestral and chamber music at the same time. The format also offers excellent opportunities to weave solo passages into the overall scheme. I'm looking forward to seeing how I stand up in the genre and I have the greatest confidence that the Emanon Ensemble will bring this off successfully."