Programme

Philosophies is a new concert created for tenor Benjamin Alunni, featuring works composed by Hana David Ajiashvili to texts that celebrate enlightened ideas of historical thinkers.

Placing the newly composed works alongside existing repertoire for tenor, the evening of song follows a human soul looking to the wisdom of those that have come before to find a spiritual and rational equilibrium.

Created with librettist Royce Vavrek, Philosophies is a journey from darkness to illumination, a contemporary presentation that excavates the past to offer a path to the future.

Programme:

Hana Ajiashvili, Strange Land

– A response to Anonymous Ballette, Chanson Pieuse, Chanson de Femme (XII

Century)

Guillaume de Machaut/ arr. Hana Ajiashvili, Puis que ma dolour

Hana Ajiashvili, A Crocus’s Laugh

– A response to Rûmî, Lyric Ode (ghazal) n° 1393 (XIII Century)

Diana Rotaru, some reeds and the air moving them – for solo accordion

Hana Ajiashvili, A woosh of fire

– A response to Khalil Gibran, The Scarecrow (1918) & A Profile of the Art of Music (1905)

Marcel Reuter, Interludio – for clarinet, viola and piano

Hana Ajiashvili, An Arrowhead

– A response to Israël Najara, If I were (XVI-XVII Century)

Jean-Philippe Rameau/arr. Hana Ajiashvili, La Cupis

Hana Ajiashvili, Death Once, Death Twice

– A response to Laura Vazquez, Ce n’est pas parce que vous êtes morts une fois que

vous ne mourrez plus (2020-2021)

Original idea:

Benjamin Alunni and United Instruments of Lucilin

Libretto: Royce Vavrek

Music: Hana Ajiashvili

Tenor: Benjamin Alunni

United Instruments of Lucilin:

Danielle Hennicot (viola / viola d’amore), Max Mausen (clarinet/ duduk), Benny Sluchin (trombone), Pascal Meyer (piano), Frin Wolter (accordion)

Coproduction:

Chant de Linos, direction artistique Benjamin Alunni et United Instruments of Lucilin, Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg

Illustration: Sans titre, 2014, avec l’aimable autorisation de Nicolas Roggy