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The Quartet for the End of Time, written by Olivier Messiaen in 1940-41 under conditions of detention in a concentration camp, is one of the most emblematic pieces of the 20th century. According to the composer, the motivational force which leads man from the abyss of incarceration to the liberation of the spirit is nothing but faith and hope. Through this prism, Messiaen’s piece is accompanied by texts excerpted from Elias Venezis’s shocking detention chronicle “The number 31328” and from the Apocalypse, verses of which were a source of inspiration for the Quartet.

The combination of violin with cello in chamber music isn’t the most usual. But it’s not unusual either. Even though most composers ignored this combination, some of them not only were involved in it, they even gave prominence, through masterpieces, to the multiple capabilities and timbres of these two string instruments. Through a connection of central Europe’s tradition with Kodaly’s western writing, Martinu’s lyric melodies which defy gravity, Skalkottas’s particularly personal and groundbreaking style and the incomparable beauty of Ravel’s French temperament, these four composers make us travel in the most difficult period of the 20th century, before and after the two world wars, and remind us that Art not only survives, but flourishes even during the hardest times.

“12” is the acoustic print of the months, with starting point images and snapshots that characterize each one of them. It is unfolded through minimalistic forms and repeated patterns using the earthly timbres of piano, horn, strings, guitaristic harpisms and tympani, balancing between the landscapes of cinematographic music and the electronic texture of the experimental music. Recorded in July 2015, it is the third of four discs created by the awarded composer and songwriter Nefeli Liouta.

In the beginning of the 20th century, American trombonists seek a repertoire and new compositions, in order to give prominence to their instrument. “Paganini of the trombone” was the denomination given to Arthur Pryor, who evolved the technique of the instrument in such a level that he’s considered a milestone for brass instruments worldwide. This concert will enrich you with images, sensations, even surprises from that significant era, since the pieces we have chosen are composed by trombonists for… trombonists!

Very often, behind the term “light music”, real diamonds are hidden; it is probably an arbitrary assumption that music written (also) for entertainment purposes, lacks value and quality. Let’s discover that through the light but, at the same time, interesting musical choices of our musicians!

As true as it is that the strings had the “lion’s share” in the chamber music of the 18th and 19th century, it is equally true that during the 20th century winds came dynamically to the foreground, since many significant composers deployed them in masterpieces of chamber music. Some of them, rarely performed in our country, will be interpreted by eminent musicians of the Athens State Orchestra’s woodwinds family.

The distinguished hornists of our Orchestra always find a way to show off! And not only in the great symphonic works, but, as they will prove during this concert, by taking single-handedly the control of the musical action in a programme that covers a huge time spectrum, from the 17th to the 21st century.