Iannis Xenakis, Oresteïa by Xenakis, lr. 01 uzt. 2023, Noiztik (2023/2023), Zuzendaria Asier Puga, Teatro Romano de Mérida, Mérida, Spain

Aeschylus' Oresteia , written in the 5th century BC. C., is one of the greatest works of ancient Greek theater, and the only trilogy that is preserved from the theater of this time. In 1966, the Greek playwright Alexis Solomos entrusted Xenakis with the music for a new production of the Oresteia, and thus they began to work together with the aspiration of reconstructing, through the prism of their time, the sounds of ancient Greece. “The ancient drama cannot be expressed with tonal or atonal music like serialism. This type of music is typical of another era”, explains Xenakis, who writes fascinating music, full of contrasts and colours. “Collective songs and dances, invocation of Jupiter: order = disorder, madness, screams, metal, voices with different rhythms…”, Xenakis writes in his score; who also explains in several letters to Solomos that the hysterical and chaotic interpretation of the choir tries to produce a sound similar to that of the demonstrations of the 1940s against the Italian and German occupations of Greece. A work that swings between the conflicts of Greek tragedy and those of 20th century Greece, between balance and chaos; all this under an atmosphere of modern primitive ritual. The Zaragoza Auditorium Chamber Orchestra – “Grupo Enigma” (OCAZEnigma), founded in 1995, is one of the leading chamber orchestras on the national scene. A resident group of the Auditorio de Zaragoza since its inception, the OCAZEnigma has established itself through a bold program in a continuous state of crossroads, where tradition enters into dialogue with new forms of contemporary expression. For this concert at the Mérida Festival, OCAZEnigma, together with the Polish baritone Maciej Nerkowski and the Ensemble Vocal Teselas, will join forces with the children's choir from Extremadura Coro Amadeus-IN. All of them under the direction of Asier Puga. Almost a hundred musicians to give life to a work that swings between the conflicts of Greek tragedy and those of 20th century Greece; between balance and chaos; all this under an atmosphere of modern primitive ritual.