CAPPELLA ROMANA ON TOUR IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Orthodox Music, Ancient and Modern: from Titov to Tavener In Irvine and Redondo Beach

St. Paul's Greek Orthodox Church in Irvine, California

Cappella Romana will present two concerts in Southern California over the Martin Luther King holiday weekend, as well as a workshop on Orthodox Church Music. Click here for full tour schedule.

This tour is presented through the generous support of the Greek Orthodox parishes of St. Paul (Fr. Steven Tsichlis, priest), and St. Katherine (Rev. Fr. Michael Courey, priest). For more general information, please call (206) 523-6100.

About the Music

Cappella will present a programme of Greek, Russian and English Orthodox sacred choral music from three centuries, ranging from Moscow Baroque composer Vasily Titov (ca. 1650-1715) to modern mystic John Tavener.

The first half of the programme will be devoted to works in Greek and English by Californian composer Tikey Zes (b. 1927). Dr. Zes completed his doctoral studies at USC, having studied Composition under renowned neo-classicist Ingolf Dahl. Upon retiring from his position as Professor of composition at San Jose State University in California, he assumed directorship of the Music Ministry programme of the Greek Orthodox Diocese of San Francisco. Dr. Zes has composed extensively in both Greek and English for the Orthodox liturgy, cultivating a graceful style of polyphony based on the modes and melodies of Byzantine chant. On the upcoming concerts, Cappella Romana will perform a selection of his a cappella sacred works for the Divine Liturgies of St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil, the two ancient forms of the Eucharist celebrated most frequently in the Orthodox Church. These works will also be featured on a recording that the ensemble will make of Dr. Zes' choral music in late January 1999.

The second portion of the programme will begin with by following the development of the Russian choral music from the rough splendour of the Moscow Baroque to the Neo-Classicism of Igor Stravinsky. An exuberant eight-voice sacred concerto by Titov, who sang and composed for Tsar Peter the Great, will be followed by the elegant music of the Italian-trained Dmitry Bortnyansky (1751-1825). The end of the 19th century witnessed a return to native Russian traditions in the field of sacred music that was initially led by Peter Tchaikovsky, from whose All-Night Vigil, op. 52 (1881) several movements will be sung. The concert will conclude with works by John Tavener, who not only has established himself as one of England's leading contemporary composers, but has also been honored by the government of Greece for his contributions to Hellenic art. Since his reception into the Orthodox Church in 1977, an event he likens to "coming home," his compositional output has been dominated by works that draw upon the spirituality and musical traditions of the Eastern Church.

Complete tour schedule

For further information, please email Dr. Lingas: alexander.lingas@mod-langs.ox.ac.uk

Many thanks to Seattle Community Network
for their support
Seattle Community Network - SCN Arts Menu

This site is maintained by Mark Powell.
Last update: 23 March 1999