Raleigh Civic Chamber Orchestra:
Rituals and Renewals
Sunday, April 2, 4 PM
Talley Student Union, Stewart Theatre, Raleigh, NC
The Raleigh Civic Chamber Orchestra performs the World Premiere of two new works inspired by cycles of the natural world: Nowruz by composer Adeliia Faizullina, and ao kuewa by Pulitzer Prize Finalist Leilehua Lanzilotti.
Nowruz is the holiday celebrating the arrival of spring and a new day, throughout the Persian, Arabic and Turkic speaking worlds. In the piece, a new light is born; it is young and innocent, like a child that will grow up to be big and all-embracing, to give its warmth to new life. But the light, too, is cold, carrying the shadow of winter. Can it become the Light of Renewal? Faizullina is an Uzbekistan-born Tatar composer, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and quray player, who happens to be blind. She explores cutting-edge vocal colors and paints delicate and vibrant atmospheres inspired by the music and poetry of Tatar folklore.
ao kuewa tells the story of renewal after destruction, and the importance of taking care of the land. Traditionally, it was thought that certain trees were homes for spirits. When people cut down all the trees and destroyed some of the natural habitats, that it caused a crisis of these spirits not having a place. Only through the dedication of restoring the land, do the spirits find renewal.
The program also includes two atmospheric French works, groundbreaking 19th-century composer Augusta Holmès’ La nuit et l’amour and Arthur Honegger’s evocative portrait of the countryside in summer, Pastorale d’ete. Kodály’s driving, joyous Dances of Marosszék, inspired by the folk melodies of his native land, rounds out the program.
Program:
Adeliia Faizullina: Nowruz (World Premiere)
Leilehua Lanzilotti: ao kuewa (World Premiere)
Augusta Holmès: La Nuit et l’amour
Arthur Honegger: Pastorale d’ete
Zoltán Kodály: Dances of Marosszék
$12 general public
$5 for NC State students; $10 for faculty/staff/seniors
