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WORLD PREMIERE OF IVAN MOODY'S AKATHIST HYMN The innovative vocal chamber ensemble Cappella Romana continues its Eighth Annual Season of music for 1998-99 in January with the World Premiere performances of British composer Ivan Moody's majestic new setting in Greek and English of the Akathist Hymn, a sixth-century masterpiece of Byzantine poetry in honour of the Virgin Mary. This work was specially composed for Cappella after the ensemble's acclaimed 1996 performances of Moody's Holy Week oratorio Passion and Resurrection. Cappella Music Director Alexander Lingas - presently British Academy Research Fellow at Oxford University's St. Peter's College - will conduct this major new work in Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington at the following times and places:
CAPPELLA ROMANA ON TOUR IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Shortly after these
concerts, Cappella will be touring Southern California
and making a recording of music by Greek-American
composer Tikey Zes. The ensemble's 1998-99 season will
conclude in the Spring with concerts of Russian and
Ukrainian Baroque Easter Music on 23 (Portland) and 24
(Seattle) April 1999. Click here for details. |
Cappella Romana recordings are available: Click with here for details.
ABOUT THE AKATHIST HYMN
Probably written early in the sixth century to be sung shortly after Christmas, the Akathist Hymn is one of the finest examples of the early Byzantine genre of popular poetic homilies known today as the kontakion (thus named after the scrolls upon which they were written). This hymn is a rapturous meditation in twenty-four stanzas (one for each letter of the Greek alphabet) on the cosmic role of the Virgin Mary as mother of the incarnate Word of God, each of which is followed by one of two refrains. The hymn acquired both a new prologue and its name "Akathist"-Greek for "not seated"-after the lifting of a siege in 626. The former hails the Mother of God as protector of Constantinople, whilst the latter refers to a custom of remaining standing for the hymn's performance (a custom that will not be observed during Cappella's concerts). After Christmas and Annunciation became separate feasts, performance of the Akathist was eventually transferred to the Lenten period on and around 25 March. Still sung today during that time of year, it remains one of the most beloved hymns of the Orthodox Church. It also continues to serve as a poetic model for new hymns, notably including the Akathist of Thanksgiving set recently to music by John Tavener.
About the Musical Setting
For his own work, Mr. Moody has set in its entirety the English translation of the Akathist made by the Bishop Kallistos Ware and Mother Mary for their celebrated edition of The Lenten Triodion, the book of Eastern Orthodox hymns for the Lenten season. Scored for multi-part a cappella chorus and solo tenor, this reverent work skillfully combines traditional Byzantine melodies - which appear unadulterated (i.e. complete with microtonal ornaments) in the Greek-language refrains-and Russian choral textures with original melodies suited to a rendering in the English language. In this way, the Akathist Hymn is reminiscent of Mr. Moody's highly praised oratorio Passion and Resurrection, in which he achieved a similar blend of ancient and modern material. Regarding Cappella's 1996 performance of this earlier work, David Maclaine of the Willamette Week wrote:
Moody borrows standard motifs and texts from the Greek and Russian Orthodox traditions, but he arranges and combines these seemingly simple elements in a way that creates surprising power and beauty. ŠAlexander Lingas directed the performance with a fine sense of balance, drawing the full effect from each hushed entry or meditative pause.
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About
the Composer Ivan Moody was born in London in 1964. He studied composition with Brian Dennis at London University (winning the Royal Holloway Prize in 1984 for his Three Poems of Anna Akhmatova), and privately with John Tavener. Mr. Moody's music has been performed and broadcast all over Europe, as well as Japan, South America and the USA. Notable musicians and ensembles that have championed his work have included the Hilliard Ensemble, Andrew Parrott's Tavener Consort, Red Byrd, the BBC Singers, Fretwork, the Finnish Radio Choir under T›nu Kaljuste, La Camerata chamber orchestra of Athens, and cellist Raphael Wallfisch. Recordings of his music have been issued on the ECM, Hyperion, Teldec and Ars Musici labels. Mr. Moody is currently Professor of Composition at the Academia de Artes e Tecnologias in Lisbon, Portugal. He has also written extensively on Renaissance polyphony and contemporary music for such periodicals as Early Music, Gramophone, Tempo and Contemporary Music Review. |