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Verdi: Quattro Pezzi Sacri
with The Hymn of the Nations and Kodaly: Te Deum
8pm Saturday October 11. 25th Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Concert Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra & Melbourne University Choral Society Royal Melbourne Philharmonic presents sacred works from Verdi and Kodaly on October 11 as part of the 2008 Victorian Seniors Festival.
Verdi’s Quattro Pezzi Sacri and Kodaly’s Te Deum, will accompany a rare chance to hear Verdi’s unusual Hymn of the Nations and to experience international opera soloists in Melbourne Town Hall.
Andrew Wailes, conductor of the event, is excited: “it will be a grand and romantic show, as it involves 300 performers on stage. Also, straight from Italy will be tenor Aldo Di Toro. The performance of the rare Verdi work contains a challenging tenor solo, and RMP believes Aldo will perfectly capture its nature.” Quattro Pezzi Sacri (Four Sacred Pieces) was first performed in Paris in Holy Week 1898. The Pezzi Sacri are: the Laude alla Vergine Maria (based on lines from the 33rd Canto of Dante’s Paradiso of 1887-1888), for unaccompanied women’s voices; the Ave Maria sulla scala enigmata, in 1889 (written as an experiment in response to a challenge in a musical journal ); the Te Deum of 1895-1896, for double chorus and orchestra, whose score Verdi apparently wanted buried with him; and the Stabat Mater for chorus and orchestra,his last composition, a setting of the medieval hymn, completed in 1896-1897. Hymn of the Nations, given here its Melbourne premiere, is a wildly patriotic cantata for tenor solo, chorus and orchestra written in 1862. Commissioned to represent Italy at the London International Exhibition, it features the national anthems of England and France, and what eventually became Italy’s. It was not performed at the event for various reasons including internal politicking, but the fuss generated by the press and public when this came to light earned it its debut at a command performance in Her Majesty’s Theatre three weeks later. It is best known contemporarily for its performance in a documentary filmed and conducted in 1943 by Arturo Toscanini, who added “The Star-Spangled Banner” and the “Internationale” in order to increase its relevance to the global power structures in WWII. Zoltán Kodály’s Budavari Te Deum for soloists, chorus and full orchestra, was completed in 1936. It was commissioned for 250th anniversary of Budapest’s liberation from the Turks, and first performed in a church within the Buda Castle in September that year. Zoltán Kodály (1882-1967) a Hungarian composer, had a strong personal interest in and commitment to the study of his national folksong– which in turn had a big impact on his musical style. The Te Deum is interwoven throughout with allusions to Hungarian folk music. His Psalmus Hungaricus, originally performed in 1923 at the 50th anniversary of the union of Buda and Pest, sealed his reputation internationally when it was performed at the Zurich Festival three years later. Among his other well-known compositions are the Peacock Variations, operas Háry Janos and The Spinning Room, and choral orchestral works, the Budavari Te Deum and his Missa Brevis. He was also a critic and educationalist, concerned about music education in his country. Operatic soloists include Rosamund Illing, Roxanne Hislop, Aldo Di Toro and Andrea Carcassi. The choir comprises Melbourne University Choral Society (MUCS) and Royal Melbourne Philharmonic (RMP). MUCS (est. 1939) provides students and the wider community– irrespective of age, experience or profession– the opportunity to learn and perform fine choral works. It has in recent years enjoyed successful collaborative performances with distinguished musical organisations. RMP (est. 1853) is one of the world’s oldest secular choirs. Established by a group of civic leaders and music lovers who wished to bring musical culture of a high standard to the early colony of Victoria, it today continues to present critically acclaimed performances to audiences in Melbourne. It is committed to the encouragement and fostering of young musicians, and is recognised by many as Melbourne's premier symphonic choir.
Quattro Pezzi Sacri is at 8pm on Saturday 11 October in Melbourne Town Hall. Tickets are $45 for adults (or $60 for a premium seat), $35 concession (including seniors and students) or $20 for under 16s. Tickets are available from Ticketmaster on 1300 136 100 (charges apply). You can purchase directly through RMP on 03 9419 1582 or via www.rmp.org.au
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Location: Melbourne Town Hall, Melbourne
Contact: 03 9419 1582 |
