The CULTURAL SOCIETY LONGOS "LORD BYRON", in cooperation with the Hellenikon Idyllion Selianitika and the AMATÈ association, has invited to an
Evening of arias from operas and operettas
in the courtyard of the church of Saint Demetrios Longos on Friday, August 23, at 8.00 p.m.
Choir from Italy, conducted by Richard Joseph Sigmund.
ADMISSION FREE
Programme:
- "Adiemus" by Karl Jenkins
- Masterpieces of classical arias
Soloists:
- Yijun Shen (Piano)
- John Sweeney
- Xenia Galanova
- Ewtelina Rzezinska
- Urszula Bronowicz
- Barbara Kaczynska
Cultural association "Amaté"
The ‘Amatè’ cultural association was founded in Merano in 2018 with the aim of promoting music theatre and concert events in general and singing culture in particular.
By organising musical theatre and concert events as well as courses and further education events in the fields of singing, music, theatre and performing arts in a wide range of cultural areas, it aims to offer all those interested an opportunity to promote their talents and get involved in cultural activities.
Over the years, the Amaté women's ensemble has been formed from girls and women who love to sing and formed the founding group of today's Amaté cultural association.
Divided into the 4 voice parts, the choir rehearses weekly on Monday evenings in Merano. In addition to numerous charity concerts, the choir accompanies the masses at the Capuchin church on Rennweg in Merano on special Sundays throughout the year.
https://www.amatemerano.com/
Here are some photos and a video excerpt:
The event was opened by the Vice-Chairman, Mr Ioannis Paleologopoulos.
The evening was hosted by Mr Werner Charilaos Sollbach.
We began with the young Chinese pianist Yijun Shen playing the Prélude op. 28/24 by Frédéric Chopin.
John Sweeny presented the aria "Madamina, il catalogo è questo" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
and Xenia Galanova interpreted Puccini's "Vissi d'arte".
We were then able to hear Urszule Bronowicz with "Quando m'envò", also by Giacomo Puccini,
and Barbara Kacznska with "Voce di donna" by Amilcare Ponchielli.
Xenia Galanova and John Sweeney have rehearsed Euridice's death scene from Christopf Willibald Gluck's ´"Orfeo and Euridice".
We were able to hear two exceptional talents, the violinist Michael Moiraliotis, accompanied by Yijun Shen with the Largo from Sonata Op. 65 by F. Chopin.
At the end of the first part of the concert, Evelina Rzezink performed "El Vito" by Joaquim Nin
and John Sweeney sings the famous "If I were a rich man" from Fiddler on the Roof.
«Adiemus» by Karl Jenkins
The highlight of the concert evening was the performance of the work "Adiemus" by Karl Jenkins for soloists, choir, clarinet and accordion with Benjamin Hohls (clarinet) and Gertraud Mair (accordion).
This work was deliberately chosen by Professor Richard J. Sigmund for this Summer Academy 2024, especially as it offers the ideal opportunity to apply what has been learnt as a basis in a short time and to experience what has been learnt as an amateur singer.
The music of the million-selling album "Adiemus", known from the Delta Air Lines advert, combines classical and ethnic influences to create a haunting sound. "Songs of Sanctuary" is a choral piece based on the European classical tradition on the one hand, while the vocal sound is more akin to world music on the other.
The idea was to create a thematic unity and a complete work instead of a collection of different pieces in song form. The text was conceived according to purely phonetic characteristics, in which the words are to be understood as instrumental sounds and not as carriers of meaning. The distracting level of a textual content therefore does not exist, so that the effect of a melisma can be maximised. The sound is universal - just as the language is called music.
