A Descent into the Maelstrom Two documentaries and a Concert with music composed by Philip Glass inspired by a tale by Edgar Allen Poe INTERNATIONAL Poorhouse Newsletter No47 February - March 2019 Shell Shock A Requiem of War with music by Nicolas Lens and lyrics by Nick Cave 2beacon isle films Philip Glass Photo © Marthe Amanda Vannebo A Descent into the Maelstrom The American writer, poet and critic Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) is famous for his short stories, tales and poems of horror and mystery such as 'The Fall of the House of Photo © Marthe Amanda Vannebo A Descent into the Maelstrom from Usher', 'The Tell-Tale 1841 tells the tale of two fishermen caught in torrents raging between the mountainous Heart' and 'The Raven', islands of Lofoten, inside the Arctic Circle of published in 1845 and northern Norway. A treacherous whirlpool drags their boat down and only one of considered among the them survives. Based on this story Philip Glass composed a choral work for the best-known poems in Australian Dance Theatre in 1986. With the blessings of the composer, Beacon Isle American literature. Films has produced an arrangement for the Artic Philharmonic Orchestra, the world's He captured the imagination and interest of youngest and northernmost professional readers around the world and led to literary orchestral institution, which gives about 150 innovations, earning him the nickname of performances each year covering the entire 'Father of the Detective Story'. Some aspects Northern Norway and the High North. The of his life, like his literature, are shrouded recording took place in the surroundings that in mystery, and the lines between fact and inspired Poe's story, the spectacular landscape fiction have been blurred substantially since his of Lofoten. Tim Weiss conducted the Arctic death. Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir with Berit Norbakken Solset assuming the soprano solo part. Edgar Allen Poe Newsletter No47 February - March 2019 beacon isle films3 Photo © Yngve Olsen Sæbbe directed by Jan Vardøen produced by Beacon Isle Films Shot in 4K A Descent into the Maelstrom - the documentary uses the music as recorded by the Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir in an examination of the social and political turmoil we are experiencing at the present time. We are staring into the abyss and the abyss has started to stare back at us. Douglas and Mary Filmmaker Jan Vardøen is marrying images of the hard life in the Lofoten with great Photo © Marthe Amanda Vannebo sensitivity to the music of Philip Glass. Running Time 70' A Descent into the Maelstrom - the concert presents the actual recording of the music by Philip Glass with state of the art equipment undercut with spectacular images of the surrounding landscape. Running Time 63' Approaching the Maelstrom is a documentary about the whole process of putting A Descent into the Maelstrom together, featuring one of the rare interviews with the composer Philip Glass. Running Time 50' Photo © Marthe Amanda Vannebo Newsletter No47 February - March 2019 4 monarda arts Photo © Reinhard Winkler Anton Bruckner A GiANT iN THE MAKiNG The reception to Bruckner's music has been late and slow. The recording of a complete Bruckner Cycle by Telmondis with Photo © Christian Herzenberger Valery Gergiev and the Munich Philharmonic at St. Florian in Upper Austria provides us with occupy, tells us about his triumph in Notre a unique chance of obtaining clips from all of Dame in Paris and the Albert Hall and Cristal his symphonies from one source in order to Palace in London. Composing symphonies make a comprehensive documentary about however made him lots of enemies because the composer. Deryck Cooke quite rightly Anton Bruckner the traditionalists led by Brahms had the upper pointed out that “Bruckner's symphonic music hand against the Neudeutsche Schule which is more like walking round a cathedral and taking to improvise on the organ and point out how included Wagner and Liszt and Bruckner in each aspect of it than like setting out on a the organ influenced orchestration in his later was lumped in with the latter. While the journey to some hoped-for goal”. Hence the symphonies. Other contributors tell us about fourth symphony was quite successful when difficulty of familiarizing oneself with much Bruckner's pining for young girls to whom he performed at the Musikverein, the Vienna of his work. St. Florian has been the first proposed in old fashioned letters which have Philharmonic declared other works to be stepping stone in what subsequently became been available to be filmed. The successors of unplayable and rubbish. It was only very late a career as a composer. On the death of his the choral society Frohsinn, which Bruckner led in his life that Bruckner experienced a real father Bruckner was taken to St. Florian by to fame while in Linz, will perform secular and breakthrough with a performance of his his mother in the hope that he would be sacred a cappella works and the current music 7th symphony in Munich. We will hear how accepted as choir boy. One mouth less to feed. director will assess Bruckner's vocal writing. Bruckner was feted and how disappointed We therefore begin with a visit to St. Florian On another level Valery Gergiev will discuss he was when the next symphony was initially and follow the Florianer Sängerknaben during Bruckner's most innovative compositions turned down by his most ardent supporter. recreation as well as learning and rehearsing followed by the appropriate clips. Bruckner's We will also devote time to the creation of music while their music director talks about little known, but quite close relationship with Bruckner's ninth and last symphony which was the institution in Bruckner's time as well as Richard Wagner merits a fresh look. The dedicated to God and remained unfinished. As today, together with his early upbringing. No director of the Richard Wagner Museum at he wanted to be buried under the organ of St. doubt that the splendour of the place made Bayreuth shows us the score of the third Florian in the crypt of the Basilica we return a lasting impression on the boy who would symphony, which Bruckner dedicated to to St. Florian and end with his Ave Maria later become Organist at St. Florian. The Wagner and reads out the amusing double performed by the Linzer Singakademie and architecture and space of the monastery is autograph which reassures the composer that Hard-Chor. certainly an element reflected in his symphonic Wagner was indeed the dedicatee, as some work. We hear about his choice to become a confusion had occurred in Bruckner´s mind directed by Reiner E. Moritz teacher, the misery of his first employment, the after a beer fueled evening at Wahnfried. produced by Monarda Arts final decision to turn to music and his success Arriving in Vienna to become successor to as organist. Both the organists of St. Florian, his teacher Simon Sechter Bruckner's fame as running time for television 58' where he began, and the Old Cathedral in Linz, an improviser earned him trips to France and there will be a 90' version for home where he went next, will talk about these first England. The current organist of the Vienna video & theatrical release Shot in 4K steps in a career as musician, demonstrate how Court Chapel, a position Bruckner would later Newsletter No47 February - March 2019 telmondis5 The Zaryadye Concert Hall On September 8th, 2018, of Paganini at breakneck speed turning himself The Programme: into a Paganini like demon and Anna Netrebko, Mussorgsky: Overture "Dawn on the Moskva President Vladimir Putin who at the height of her musical powers sang River" from Khovanchtchina opened the Zaryadye Marfa's aria from Rimsky-Korsakov's opera The Shchedrin: Solemn Overture Tsar´s Bride. All in all an unforgettable evening Ruslan and Ludmila Philharmonic Hall, a brilliant viewers around the world can share thanks to Glinka: Ludmila's Aria from . new venue in Zaryadye Telmondis who expertly recorded the event. Soloist Albina Shagimuratova (Soprano) This is what conductor Valery Gergiev has to Mussorgsky: Coronation Scene from Boris Park, Moscow. Valery Gergiev and say about the new hall: “Zaryadye Hall will have Godunov, Soloist Ildar Abdrazakov (Bass) his Mariinsky Orchestra provided the fitting more unique opportunities for staging opera and Rachmaninov: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, framework for the event with an all-Russian ballets than the second stage of the Mariinsky Soloist Daniil Trifonov (Piano) programme of music by Shchedrin, Glinka, Theatre built ten years ago. There is a bad Khovanchtchina Mussorgsky, Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky and practice – you build a philharmonic hall and then Mussorgsky: Scene from , Rimsky-Korsakov. Needless to say that Gergiev spend millions on improvement and updating. Soloist Mikhael Petrenko (Bass) Instead we want to build a hall that will not need Tchaikovsky Melancholic Serenade, Soloist any improvements. It should become a perfect Pinchas Zuckerman (Violin) acoustic instrument that will touch the soul and Shostakovich Concerto for piano, trumpet and the imagination of the audience once and for all. strings, Soloists Denis Matsuev (Piano) and I really believe in its success…” Timur Martynov (Trumpet) The Tsar's directed by François-René Martin Rimsky-Korsakov Marfa's Aria from Bride, Soloist Anna Netrebko (Soprano) produced by Telmondis Mussorgksy/Ravel Extracts from Pictures at an running time 107' Exihibition invited world class soloists he is used to work with, including Albina Shagimuratova, Ildar Abdrazakov, Daniil Trifonov, Pinchas Zuckerman and Anna Netrebko. Breathtaking highlights were the performances of Daniil Trifonov who played the Rachmaninov Rhapsody on a theme Newsletter No47 February - March 2019 6lgmt SHELL SHOCK A REQUiEM OF WAR Whether you call it shell shock or post- see where the war started, why it happened and traumatic stress disorder, war creates serious what the consequences are.” Shell Shock psychological wounds.