Štěpán Lucký Videos
Czech composer, choirmaster and organist
- classical music
- Czech Republic
- composer, choir director, organist, music critic, pianist
Last update
2024-04-25
Refresh
Jacob Druckman Jorge Mester Kogan Pierre Boulez Pier Francesco Cavalli Louisville Orchestra Albany Symphony Orchestra New York Philharmonic 1649 1974 1976
Lamia, for soprano & orchestra (1976) Jan de Gaetani, mezzo-soprano The Louisville Orchestra Jorge Mester The magic of music has seldom celebrated the music of magic with as much force, directness and power as in Jacob Druckman's remarkable work for soprano and orchestra, Lamia. Commissioned by the Albany Symphony Orchestra, Lamia was premiered on April 20, 1974, under the batons of Julius Hegyi and Robert Kogan. The work was enlarged in 1976 with an additional movement based on a Malaysian folk conjuration. The new version was premiered by Pierre Boulez and David Gilbert with the New York Philharmonic in 1976, and was hailed as "a work of considerable imaginative power, imagery, and craftsmanship." The incredible artistry of mezzo-soprano Jan de Gaetani, soloist at all the performances, figured largely in the composition of the work. Turning to the world of the occult, the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer gathered together seven widely diverse texts - a "lucky" number - in order to celebrate those magical metaphysical powers to which people have always turned - whether an innocent provincial maiden longing for a husband, a frightened traveler warding off thieves or even death, or those darker figures like Medea whose terrifying links to the supernatural have always played havoc with the world's idea of the natural. Lamia, a mythical witch and sorceress, has long been associated with the occult. Her name as the title of the present work is not meant to personify the soloist, but to evoke the mystical atmosphere which impelled the work's creation. The piece begins with a "Folk Conjuration to make one courageous" from Lorraine, chanted by the soloist midst a subdued menacing accompaniment. The second movement opens with a quotation from Ovid in which the soloist virtually becomes the tormented Medea. Suddenly, she is no longer Medea but an innocent French maiden beseeching the moon for a glimpse of her future husband. Those sudden character shifts are central to Druckman's conception. The soloist - the sorceress - becomes another being in an instant because all existence is potentially within her life force. This feature of the work is also reflected in the unexpected - and quite wonderful - stops and starts in the orchestra. The third movement is a conjuration from Malaysia "against death or other absence of the soul." Then, in a quotation from Druckman's earlier Animus 2, the soprano begins the final movement by becoming an instrument, and pitting one conductor against the other with teasing magical sounds, bewitchingly transcending text. The figure of Medea is then evoked once more with a powerful quotation - words and music - from a 1649 opera by Pier Francesco Cavalli entitled Il Giasone, initially played by the smaller of the two orchestras. Suddenly, the soloist turns to the conductor of the large orchestra and becomes Isolde, exclaiming of herself, "Entartet Geschlecht!" ("Degenerate offspring!"), then concludes the Cavalli quotation. Finally, the larger orchestra swells as Druckman's own music accompanies Isolde's powerful incantation from the beginning of Wagner's opera. The work ends with an eerie text, a conglomeration of words worn in the 16th century on one's person as a "periapt" or charm against thieves. To achieve his own musical sorcery, Druckman divides the orchestra into two unequal parts, each with its own conductor. The resulting sonorities are tantalizing, spooky, poignant and evocative. But more than that, the orchestral division allows the soloist to interact with them in a unique and beguiling way, cajoling them, mocking them, infusing conflict. The orchestra's percussion section is extremely rich, including many of the newer instruments that have become part of contemporary symphonic sound. A spring coil with sizzles is used with particularly haunting results. [First Edition Records – LS 764] Art by Hanna Ilczyszyn
Video footage can be a useful piece of evidence in virtually any ongoing investigation. However, it seems to be especially important tool when it comes to missing persons cases. Sometimes, detectives are lucky enough to find surveillance footage of missing people, which helps them create a timeline of their disappearance and generally moves the search in the right direction. In 2019, countless people vanished without a trace but the last known location of these few victims was luckily confirmed when they were discovered in video footage. ►TWITTER: (http•••) ►FACEBOOK: (http•••) ►SUBSCRIBE: (http•••) Previous Videos: (http•••) (http•••) Written By: Shel Narrated By: Ty Notts Music: COAG
Leokadiya Kashperova Levi Igor Stravinsky Glazounov Scriabine Tchaïkovski 1899 1902 2020
Kashperova, une compositrice russe à découvrir – un projet d’offrir pour la première fois, un enregistrement de sa sonate pour piano et violoncelle en sol majeur au grand public. Discovering Kashperova – A project to create the first internationally available recording of her sonata for piano and cello in G major. Ces derniers temps nous permettent (nous obligent même) de sortir de nos habitudes et nos emplois de temps habituels—ce qui a conduit David Levi et Susan Edward à se lancer dans la recherche du répertoire pour violoncelle et piano. These past months have permitted or rather obliged us all to modify our lives and our daily routines. For David Levi and Susan Edward, an unexpected benefit of this period has been the chance to spend time exploring the repertoire for cello and piano duos. Trouvaille extraordinaire ! Une sonate en sol majeur par Leokadiya Kashperova, compositrice russe peu connue tant en France qu’à l’étranger. En juillet 2020 Susan et David ont présenté le 1èr mouvement dans un concert. Suite à la réaction enthousiaste du public, Susan et David ont senti l’importance de faire découvrir cette œuvre à une audience plus grande : le projet d’enregistrement est né. One of the fruits of their research was the extraordinary discovery of the Sonata in G Major by Leokadiya Kashperova, a Russian composer, virtually unknown both in her own country and abroad. In July 2020 Susan and David performed the first movement in concert. Inspired by the enthusiastic response of the audience, Susan and David decided to commit themselves to bringing this work to a larger public. And thus the idea of a recording project was born. Comment mettre en lumière cette musique de chambre—mélodique, élégante et passionnée à la fois, et tellement bien construite ? Quelques recherches sur la vie de Leokadiya Kashperova ont suffi à révéler qu'à l’époque elle était loin d’être invisible, même si maintenant son nom n’est pas connu. Professeur de piano d’Igor Stravinsky de 1899 – 1902 (elle avait 27 ans, lui 17 ans), elle lui a transmis une technique virtuose et solide. Il en a fait hommage dans sa biographie, sans penser de préciser son nom. En plus d’enseigner au Conservatoire de St Pétersbourg, elle était appréciée en tant que soliste, renommée pour son jeu sonore, avec des concerts à Berlin et Londres. Elle était l’interprète préférée de Glazounov. Although now her name is hard to find in the history books, during her lifetime Leokadiya Kashperova was a well known soloist and piano teacher. Igor Stravinsky was among her students at the St Petersburg Conservatory when she was 27 and he was 17. He recognised her excellent teaching in his biography and credited her with creating his piano technique, all the while failing to mention her by name. She also composed several orchestral works (symphonies and concertos) and performed as a soloist as far afield as Berlin and London, where critics remarked on the quality of her sound. Glazunov would always try to have her give the premieres of his compositions. Pour mieux illuminer la musique de Kashperova, Susan et David se sont mis à explorer l’univers musical de la Russie à la fin du 19ème siècle et les compositeurs qui auraient pu se croiser dans les salons musique de chambre à Saint Pétersbourg et Moscou. En plus de l’Elégie de Glazounov, ils vont enregistrer la Romance de Scriabine, et un arrangement de leur propre main de l’air de Tatiana, de l’opéra Eugène Onéguine de Tchaïkovski. Wishing to illuminate Kashperova’s melodic, elegant, passionate and well constructed chamber music, Susan and David began to explore the Russian musical universe of the 1890s and the composers who could have been present in the chamber music salons in St Petersburg and Moscow. Knowing that Glazunov admired Kashperova, they will record his Elegy, as well as a Romance by Scriabin. They will include their own arrangement of Tatiana’s Letter Aria from Tchaikovsky’s Eugène Onegin. Afin de réaliser ce projet, Susan et David disposent de la magnifique salle de concert à Caillavet dans le Gers, endroit propice à enregistrer leur programme. Néanmoins un bon ingénieur du son ainsi qu'un matériel d'enregistrement de qualité sont nécessaires pour rendre à Kashperova l’honneur qu'elle mérite. In order to bring this project to fruition, Susan and David are lucky to have at their disposal the lovely concert hall in Caillavet in Gascony, which has perfect acoustics for recording. However, they will require the services of a good sound engineer/artistic director, well versed in classical music, and are therefore asking for financial support to cover the cost of this expert as well as for his or her high quality technical equipment. Nous serions ravis de votre participation et de votre soutien ! We would be thrilled and delighted to have your participation and support ! (http•••) Vidéo : Brian Edward
or
- timeline: Composers (Europe). Conductors (Europe). Performers (Europe).
- Indexes (by alphabetical order): L...