Name: Spiritual Quests in the Shadow of War
Start: 2021-09-30T00:00:00.000Z
End: 2021-09-30T00:00:00.000Z
Location: Konserthus

Admin

Oslo Philharmonic

Conductor

Conductor (+1)

Klaus Mäkelä

Orchestra

Chorus master

Øystein Fevang

Others

Oslo Philharmonic Choir

Baritone

Thomas Hampson

Cellist

Sol Gabetta

Cello

Konserthus

Spiritual Quests in the Shadow of War

Oslo

Norway

Spiritual Quests in the Shadow of War: The Hymn of Jesus, Op.37 Holst (+2 More)

Concert

The Hymn of Jesus, Op.37

Schelomo

Belshazzar's Feast

Joshua Dos

Approved

Klaus Mäkelä conducts works by three different composers who worked in the shadow of the great world wars. Gustav Holst, Ernest Bloch and William Walton all found inspiration in biblical personalities.

Gustav Holst (1874–1934) produced some of his most popular works during the first world war. His orchestral suite The Planets was written during the first war years, from 1914–16. When Holst wrote his Hymn of Jesus in 1917, the war had become a catastrophe of inconceivable dimensions, and the composer had lost several of his own friends. The work is based on the Gnostic text Acts of John from the 1st century, and in contrast to the suffering of war, the music comes across as light and filled with hope.

Ernest Bloch (1880–1959) was born in Geneva, Switzerland, but moved to the United States in 1916 – the same year that he composed his Schelomo for cello and orchestra. The piece is the last in a series of works where he explores his own Jewish identity as a composer. Schelomo is the Hebrew name for the biblical King Solomon, and the cello voice represents the king himself, while the orchestra represents his environment. Schelomo builds on texts from the Book of Ecclesiastes.

William Walton (1902–1983) also drew on biblical sources in his magnificent oratorio Belshazzar’s Feast from 1931; namely Belshazzar, the last king of Babylon, described in the Book of Daniel. The story of decadence and the fall of kingdoms had parallels with contemporary society, but the work was first and foremost a great artistic triumph. Despite its faithfulness to the biblical texts it was based on, the oratorio was not given permission to be performed in churches before the 1970s – the final chorus’ celebration following the fall of the enemy might have proved a touch too exhilarating!

English

Klaus Mäkelä dirigerer verk av tre komponister som skrev musikk i skyggen av verdenskrigene. Gustav Holst, Ernest Bloch og William Walton fant alle inspirasjon i bibelske personligheter.

Gustav Holst (1874–1934) skrev noen av sine mest populære verk under første verdenskrig. Orkestersuiten Planetene ble til i de første krigsårene, fra 1914–16. Da Holst skrev Hymn of Jesus i 1917, var krigen blitt en katastrofe av ufattelige dimensjoner, og komponisten hadde selv mistet flere venner. Verket bygger på den gnostiske teksten Johannes’ gjerninger fra 100-tallet, og i kontrast til krigens lidelser fremstår musikken lys og preget av håp.

Ernest Bloch (1880–1959) ble født i Genéve i Sveits, men flyttet til USA i 1916, samme år som han skrev Schelomo for cello og orkester. Stykket er det siste i en serie verker der han utforsker sin jødiske identitet som komponist. Schelomo er det hebraiske navnet på den bibelske kong Salomo, og cellostemmen representerer Salomo selv, mens orkesteret fremstiller hans omgivelser. Schelomo bygger på tekster fra Forkynnerens bok i Bibelen.

William Walton (1902–1983) bygde også på bibelske kilder i sitt storslåtte oratorium Belshazzar’s Feast fra 1931: Belsassar, den siste regenten i Babylon, omtales i Daniels bok. Historien om dekadanse og rikers fall hadde sine paralleller i samtiden, men verket ble først og fremst en stor musikalsk suksess. Tross sin trofasthet mot bibeltekstene ble ikke oratoriet godkjent for fremførelse i engelske kirkerom før på 1970-tallet – sluttkorets begeistring over fiendens fall ble i sterkeste laget!

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