Aleksandrs Antoņenko and choir "Blagovest"
An exclusive opportunity - the world-famous tenor Aleksandrs Antoņenko and the Riga Orthodox Chamber Choir "Blagovest" in the concert programme "Eternal Light" at the Ventspils Concert Hall "Latvija" on 14 April at 18.00 and at the Riga Cathedral on 28 April at 19.00.
New and unusual concert programme of sacred music "Eternal
Light" on 14 April at the Ventspils Concert Hall "Latvija" and on
28 April at the Riga Cathedral performed by Aleksandrs Antoņenko - the most renowned
internationally Latvian tenor, engaged by the world's largest opera houses, and
the Riga Orthodox Chamber Choir "Blagovest" - one of the best Latvian
choirs, which for already 34 years holds a unique, important and recognizable
place in the Latvian cultural space, combining at a high level of professionalism the best traditions of
Latvian choral singing and the bright and heartfelt technique of performing Orthodox
music.
The concert programme includes wonderful, but rarely performed Latvian contemporary sacred music works – composition "Easter" (Na Strastnoi) by Arturs Maskats (1957) dedicated to tenor Aleksandrs Antoņenko, and the oratorio for choir, organ, and percussion "Lux aeterna" by Pēteris Butāns (1942-2020) for which the composer received the Great Music Prize; as well as other Orthodox music gems sung by A. Antoņenko and the choir.
Inspired by the poem of Boris Pasternak, Arturs Maskat's impressive composition “Easter” (Na Strastnoi) is – in the composer's own words – filled with "the miracle of resurrection, its power and majesty".
Pēteris Butāns' expressive and simultaneously meditative oratorio “Lux aeterna” (Eternal Light in translation from Latin) combines various sacred texts manifesting the presence of eternal light – the canonical text of the Requiem, the Old Testament texts of Psalm 5 and the verses of the book of Moses in Old Slavonic, the poetry lines of the Latvian poetess Aspazija.
The concerts will feature tenor Aleksandrs Antonenko, Riga Orthodox Chamber Choir "Blagovest", conductors Aleksandrs Brandavs and Jānis Kokins, Larisa Carjkova (organ), Uģis Krišjānis (piano), Edgars Saksons, Uģis Krūskops, and Ivo Krūskops (percussions).
The concerts are supported by the State Culture Capital Foundation.
Tickets for the concerts are available at "Biļešu paradīze" outlets or:
https://www.bilesuparadize.lv/lv/event/138121 for 14.04.2024.
https://www.bilesuparadize.lv/lv/event/138122 for 28.04.2024.
