Voices from the East: Georgia & Armenia

For the second concert of the day, the focus is on music by two composers who were close friends: Giya Kancheli from Georgia and Avit Terterian from Armenia.

Kancheli’s Styx was inspired in 1999 by the deaths of his beloved colleagues, Terterian and Alfred Schnittke. At its core, the viola soloist represents the mythical river that departing souls must cross.

Kancheli writes: ‘…the voice of the viola is capable of bringing together the world of the living and the world of the dead, divided by the waters of Styx.'

‘Only the viola, with the richness of its sound and versatility of expression, can bring the soul to reconciliation, peace and harmony.’

Finally, Terterian’s Symphony No.3 is a deeply personal contemplation of the composer’s own grief following the death of his brother.

Karabits says of Terterian’s music: ‘It is like a mirror in which you look at yourself; it excites your imagination and takes you on a powerful emotional journey.’