In Lonely Angel, you will experience an intriguing blend of Baroque and contemporary music centered around the themes of struggle, redemption, and consolation. Rick Stotijn is the soloist on his double bass in Mazzoli’s Dark With Excessive Bright. Arvo Pärt’s Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten offers consolation and healing.
The programme Lonely Angel presents an intriguing mix of Baroque and modern music reflecting on the themes of struggle, salvation and solace. In Vasks’ Lonely Angel an angel hovers above the Earth, sorrowfully viewing the state of the ravaged world. An almost imperceptible, loving touch of his wings imparts comfort and healing. The solo violin renders the superhuman voice of the angel, who tirelessly watches over the world. Mazzoli exploits the dark, emotionally moving timbre of the double bass in Dark with Expressive Bright, a phrase from Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost, which explores themes such as good and evil, forgiveness and redemption. Interspersed throughout the program, Honegger’s second symphony is like a herald of approaching salvation. Written during the Second World War, it has a sombre character. Nevertheless, the work ends in jubilant optimism with an emotionally stirring climax, a symbol of hope and deliverance. Arvo Pärt’s meditative Cantus in Memoriam is likewise consoling and healing.
Cellist Tim Posner and double bassist Rick Stotijn perform as soloists in Vivaldi’s Concerto for Cello and Double Bass, RV 531 (arr. M. van Prooijen)