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“The strangest, most haunting of the opera DVDs which have come my way this year…It’s baffling, but chilling; and it’s remarkable to witness how brilliantly Hannigan performs alongside her video double. The final minutes, as Hannigan’s elderly self delivers a brief soliloquy, are terrifying.

Van der Aa’s music, punctuated by the crackle of snapping twigs, eloquently melds electronica and acoustic sounds. Watch this in a dark room, late at night and on a laptop, and you’ll have uneasy dreams.”

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You can read the text here (German).

Click ‘read more’ for translations of the reviews of De Volkskrant, NRC, Parool and PlatoMania, or order your copy of ‘Up-close’ in our web-store

“A cross between a cello concerto and a songless film opera… The organic entwining of acoustic music, electronics, film and theatre is a feature of many of Van der Aa’s decidedly original scores… Van der Aa brilliantly succeeds in making image and sound clash and blend as independent media. With astute editing and suggestive mirroring, the video is much more than a mere depiction of the music, Gabetta is moreover the ideal soloist: her rendering of the cello part, which sometimes sounds detached but is nevertheless extremely nostalgic, is agile and accurate.” (★★★★)
- NRC

“‘Up-close’ shows how film can heighten the pull of a first-class score” (★★★★)
- de Volkskrant

“‘Up-close’ begins like an ordinary work for cello, although the wrenching, unrelentingly taut opening minutes of the solo, played by the outstanding Sol Gabetta, are anything but ordinary… Film and music continually give way to one another. Reality on the stage blends increasingly with images of the film… Amsterdam Sinfonietta and Gabetta were very good.”
- Het Parool

“To see and hear is to believe: Van der Aa personifies the future of classical music.”
- PlatoMania

Order your copy of ‘Up-close’ in our web-store

During its premiere tour in March this year, critics in six countries described it as ‘brilliant, sensuous and virtuosic’, ‘riveting’, and ‘hautingly beautiful’.

‘Up-Close’ has been released on DVD and HD movie download, and is available to order from your local record shop, or from our web-store.

“A perfect synthesis of all components…a phenomenal performance”

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The label’s successful first year has seen its first three releases – CDs of Spaces of Blank and the Here trilogy, and a DVD of Van der Aa’s first video opera, One – receive rave reviews across Europe. The UK’s Gramophone magazine described the Here Trilogy as “a major achievement in recent European music,” and praised the two CDs for their “uniformly excellent” sound and “detailed” and “stylish” presentation.

But turning one is just a beginning, and this autumn will see Disquiet grow in several exciting directions.

DQM04 – a multimedia recording of Van der Aa’s recent cello concerto-cum-video opera Up-Close will be released in November, performed by Sol Gabetta and the Amsterdam Sinfonietta. Described as “brilliant, sensual, virtuosic,” “exciting, complex,” and “hauntingly beautiful” after its first performances in April, this premiere recording of Up-Close may be pre-ordered on DVD and as an HD movie download from October.

The coming months will see the official launch of disquiet.tv. A groundbreaking, online stage for contemporary music, disquiet.tv will offer live streams of concerts, coupled with user choice over camera feeds and opportunities to interact backstage with the performers through social media.

The label’s international distribution will also be expanded to include the United States, Japan, France, Italy and Switzerland, in addition to its current availability in the UK, Germany and the Benelux countries. Worldwide shipping, as well as digital distribution of both music and film, continues to be available through the Disquiet web-store.

Finally, to celebrate our first birthday, we are offering a 30% discount on any purchase made at the web-store between now and 4th September. Just use the discount code “1year” at checkout to claim your 30% off.

“Two great discs from the ambitious Dutch composers new own label…The ‘Here Trilogy’ is a mayor achievement in recent European music”

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“Een zelfstandige ‘video-opera’ die zich in zeggingskracht kan meten met de beste uitvoeringen van Erwartung.”

Read the review (Dutch)