Amsterdam 750 years: Music from Sweelinck to Tsoupaki

On the occasion of the 750th anniversary of the city of Amsterdam, Calliope Tsoupaki presents her latest orchestral work Another Day. The work, specially composed for the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, will have its world premiere at Het Concertgebouw on 6 March, at 20:15. The premiere will be followed by two additional concerts: on 7 March at 20.15 and on 8 March at 14.15. The latter concert will also be broadcast live on NPO Radio 4.

Inspiration and performance

Calliope wrote Another Day in response to Amsterdam poet Anneke Brassinga’s new, image-rich and poignant poem ‘Every Day Started New’. Brassinga, who wrote the poem especially for this occasion, will recite it herself during the concerts. In her composition, Tsoupaki interweaves haunting moments, nebulous harmonies, enchanting melodies and intense walls of sound that on the one hand evoke feelings of loss, but above all embody the ecstatic urge to fully embrace life.

Another Day evokes a cinematic quality, exploring a rich, multi-layered narrative that alternates between eloquent, imaginative scenes and an undefinable emotional landscape. Spooky moments give way to loud, intense walls of sound, only to dissolve back into misty harmonies and haunting melodies, bending under private emotional tension. It expresses deep feelings of loss, but even more so, the ecstatic desire to embrace life, to be intoxicated by every moment that each day brings.

Greek-born composer Calliope Tsoupaki has been living and working in Amsterdam for over 35 years and was Composer Laureate of the Netherlands from 2018 to 2021. The memory of her arrival in Amsterdam inspired her newly commissioned work, Another Day, written in response to Brassinga’s poem. Conducted by Bas Wiegers.

 

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Published 7 months ago

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