CySO introduces new musical landscapes

As live music gets back on its feet, the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra has yet another concert series planned for this month.

On April 15 at Rialto Theatre, Limassol and on April 16 at Pallas Theatre, Nicosia, the orchestra presents a tribute to 20th-century music with three outstanding musical works connected by a geographical place, whether inspired by its sensations, nature, life or vibe.

The concert will begin with Orawa (1986) for string orchestra by the Polish composer Wojciech Kilar, one of his most popular works. The piece was inspired by the region Orawa, located between Slovakia and Poland in the Tatra Mountains and forms the last piece of his cycle ‘Tatra Mountain work’. As the composer stated in an interview: “Orawa is the only piece in which I wouldn’t change a single note, though I have looked at it many times. […] What is achieved in it is what I strive for – to be the best possible Kilar”.

From the 1980s, the orchestra will head back to the 1940s and the emblematic work Appalachian Spring (1944) by the American composer Aaron Copland. “The piece was originally commissioned as ballet music for the famous Martha Graham Dance Company and the setting is a 19th-century farmhouse in Pennsylvania,” says the orchestra. The ballet was a huge success and Copland received a Pulitzer Prize in 1945 for his achievement. “Copland was consequently commissioned to create an instrumental suite from the ballet,” they add, “which resulted in the ballet suite for 13 instruments you will hear in our concert.”

The programme will close with Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů’s Sinfonietta La Jolla, written in 1950 while Martinů was in the USA. The piece took its title from the town of La Jolla, Florida for which it was commissioned. “As a part of the commission, Martinů was requested to compose music that would be tuneful and accessible. And so he did! His Sinfonietta is a joyful piece full of spirit, energy and colour, and thus concludes our 20th-century musical journey with a positive vibe.”

Musical Landscape

Concert by the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra. April 15. Rialto theatre, Limassol. April 16. Pallas theatre, Nicosia. 8.30pm. €5, 7, 12. Tel: 7777-7745