More than Magnus Meets the Ear

Michael Zwiebach on May 10, 2011

Magnus Lindberg is a major name in composition, and not just because of the “Magnus” part. He's at the Herbst Theatre this Sunday, courtesy of San Francisco Performances, as part of a piano trio that also includes Jennifer Koh on violin and Ansi Karttunen on cello.

The program features selections from The Mystery Variations, a collection of 31 short works by different composers based on the Ciaccona of 17th-century string player Giuseppe Colombi, all written in honor of Karttunen's 50th birthday this year.

The world premiere occurs in New York on May 10, so it will still be pretty fresh when San Francisco hears it on Sunday. Lindberg's Piano Trio, reworked for violin instead of clarinet, and his Sonatas (1979) will also be performed.