The OCL in Geneva
OSR invites Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne
Thursday
16.01.2025
19:30 — Victoria Hall
The OSR partner of the Frank Martin Odyssey
Programme
Hossein Pishkarconductor
Johan Reuterbaritone
Joseph Haydn
The Seven Last Words of Our Saviour on the Cross
Frank Martin
Six Monologues from Jedermann, for bariton and orchestra
Approximately 1h45 including a 20-minute intermission
The music
Frank Martin, the devout Christian composer from Geneva who passed away 50 years ago, left behind numerous vocal works, notably the Six Monologues of Jedermann – a window into his profoundly expressive art. His poems evoke life’s fragility and the deceptive allure of wealth. Jedermann (“everyone” according to Hugo von Hofmannsthal), abandoned by his loved ones and dying amid his treasures, facing death alone, can only find salvation through faith. A very similar sentiment guided Joseph Haydn’s mind when composing his extraordinary The Seven Last Words of Our Saviour on the Cross in which seven adagios are framed within a prelude and a gripping earthquake. Initially written for orchestra, this work gained such acclaim that Haydn adapted it for different ensembles, from string quartets to oratorios.