Sadie Harrison

Via Della Fortuna

Via Della Fortuna by Sadie Harrison. Written in 2013 especially for the St. Christopher Chamber Orchestra and Donatus Katkus. 6; for String Orchestra World premiere: 25th April 2013, St. Katharine's Church, Vilnius, St. Christopher Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Donatus Katkus. UK premiere: 10th May 2013, Cardiff Millennium Centre, Vale of Glamorgan Festival. I - Casa di Caccia Antica (The House of the Ancient Hunt) II - Casa degli Amorini Dorati (The House of the Golden Cupids) III - Casa del poeta tragico (The House of the tragic poet) IV - Return to the Casa di Caccia Antica and northwards to Lithuania and the Amber Road (Gintaro Kelias) The piece is in four short movements, each taking its title from one of the houses that line the main streets in Pompeii. Borrowing Mussorgsky's 'Promenade' from Pictures at an Exhibition, the piece has two walkers (violas) who take the listener with them onto the Via Della Fortuna, then lead them from house to house. Several amber objects were found within the houses, linking Pompeii with Lithuania. The last movement returns to the House of the Ancient Hunt then heads northwards along the Gintaro Kelias. The jubilant closing music refers to an earlier work (Geda's Weavings) based on Lithuanian folksongs.