Naji Hakim

Fantasia

Lebanon-born composer Naji Hakim, one of the most important organ composers of today, wrote this piece for solo violin under the spell of a painting. 'Edvard Munch's painting Unge mennesker pa stranden (Young people on the beach) depicts a peaceful melancholy evening with pensive young people on the beach. A redhead wearing a white dress and a jolly red hat sits near a pram in the center of the picture; to the left, the calm sea in cold bluish colors and to the right, green and lively colours.The atmosphere of this picture inspired me to write a nostalgic fantasy for the violin.' (Hakim) 'The melodic development with its contrasted characters reveals allusions to the Danish and Norwegian folk melodies Det var en lørdag aften and Per spelmann. The closing bars quote Maurice Ravel's ostinato motif from Prélude à la Nuit.