Half a century after its creation, Penderecki’s Tren remains one of the cult works of 20th century avant-garde. Through microtones, glissandi, special bow techniques and the play of chance, 52 strings weave a well- structured and fascinating fabric of sound for ten minutes. With the nature and structure of an opera, Sevda Nateli – a more lyrical work – is a splendid requiem by Giya Kancheli, in which the composer makes use of the poetry of several major international authors. Like Tren and Sevda Nateli, Shostakovich’s impressive Symphony No. 7 presents a clear link with World War II. Shostakovich wrote this work during the Nazi siege of Leningrad in 1941.
La Monnaie Symphony Orchestra and Children’s Chorus work once again with Leo Hussain, who has already captivated audiences with Le Grand Macabre and Káťa Kabanová.