European Gala: London Philharmonic Orchestra & State Choir Latvija
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Written by BrusselsLife Team -
02 Mar 2011, 00:00
(Updated: 13 Dec 2012, 07:59)
This European Galaconcert is programmed during the Klarafestival, which concentrates on utopia, the desire for a better world, longing for paradise,...If there is one ancient myth that can be referred to as utopian thinking, then it is certainly that of Prometheus, son of the Titan Lapetus and brother to Atlas.
Out of pride, Prometheus stole fire from the Olympian gods and gave it to mortals, who were thus able to develop a technically sophisticated civilisation. Since then, Prometheus has been linked to techno-logical progress and faith in the latter in Greek, his name is explained as the "forward thinking one". However, his pride would cost him dear. Zeus punished him by having him bound to a mountain, where an eagle would eat away at his regenerating liver every day, until the hero Hercules freed Prometheus during his 11th labour. It is, therefore, not surprising that this myth has inspired countless composers to an ode to human strength and ambition from Beethoven's powerful theatre music to Scriabin's vision-ary symphonic poem for an immense symphonic orchestra, complete with "colour organ". Based on eso-teric thinking, Scriabin consistently linked colours to certain musical keys, and wanted to clarify this notion to his audience through the projection of light. To conclude all this prophetic violence, the magical pianist Nikolai Lugansky plays Prokofiev's Third Piano Concerto, which is a work that demands both Homeric endurance and transcendental technique qualities which Lugansky possesses in abun-dance.
Program
"The fire of Prometheus" Modest Moesorgski, Ivanova noch na Lïsoy gore (St. John's Night on the bald mountain) Sergei Rachmaninov, Rapsodie sur un thème du Paganini pour piano et orchestre, opus 43 Franz Liszt, Prometheus (poème symphonique) Alexander Scriabin, Prometheus: The Poem of Fire
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