concert
Anton Batagov. World premiere of the program “The Hours” . Music by Philip Glass and Johann Pachelbel
24 October 2015, Saturday 03:00
  • Слайдер для Anton Batagov. World premiere of the program “The Hours” . Music by Philip Glass and Johann Pachelbel
Erarta Stage
16+

On 24 October, at 20:00, Anton Batagov will present his new program “The Hours” at Erarta Stage.

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There is a gap of 300 years between two halves of this program, but the music of Philip Glass and Johann Pachelbel has similar structure. Simple chord sequences are repeated over and over again with variations giving birth to various melodies and textures and gradually revealing their magic. This is how all the music written a few centuries ago was structured. In the 20 th Century this compositional technique came back to life under the name of minimalism.

However, this is not the only thing they have in common.

One of the pieces from "The Hours" has a title "Why Does Someone Have to Die?". The last composition of this program is a piece by Pachelbel called "Alle Menschen Mussen Sterben" (All Men Must Die). The heroes of "The Hours" movie are separated by decades but connected through the events that happen with some kind of similar inevitability. On a surface they live a beautiful successful life; "they are fine". But deep inside they suffer from disharmony and despair leading them to suicide. The music of Philip Glass written for this film is a journey through the labyrinth of sorrow that has no way out. It sounds simple and recognizable, and it has a strong power of compassion. In fact, all of us live in such a labyrinth. We want our life to be somewhat different but we don't know how to change it while hours, years and centuries are passing by.

Johann Pachelbel (1653–1706), German composer and organist, received much recognition during his lifetime. He was as popular as a 20 th Century rock star. The beginning of his private life was also extremely successful: he married a beautiful woman, the mayor of Erfurt's daughter, and they had a son. However, soon afterwards his wife and son died of plague. Pachelbel's first published work was called Musicalische Sterbens-Gedanken (Musical Thoughts on Death). All his compositions from that moment were meditations on death. Step by step through this music we gain awareness of the fact that death is not the end and not a transition into non-existence. Just the opposite: it is an entrance into a space in which there are no temporary phenomena subject to suffering and decay, no parting and no fear. There is only dazzling light and love, nothing else. And our whole life is a preparation for this transition, an anticipation of this moment. We train ourselves, we learn how to live there. And finally, to arrive in that space, we must first pass the entrance exam: we must die.

 

Program:

Philip Glass

The Hours

(music from the film)

The Poet Acts

Morning Passages

Something She Has to Do

I'm Going to Make a Cake

An Unwelcome Friend

Dead Things

Why Does Someone Have to Die?

Tearing Herself Away

Escape!

Choosing Life

 

Johann Pachelbel

Chaconne in D major

Fantasia in D minor

Chaconne in C major

Fantasia in A minor

Alle Menschen Mussen Sterben

 

* Please note that on the day of the event tickets can be purchased only at the museum ticket office.

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