DOHA: The Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra will perform the MENA premiere of Gustav Holst’s ‘The Planets’ at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) on Sunday.
‘The Planets’ was set to a film by Duncan Copp that uses imagery from US space agency NASA. The concert also includes a performance of Carl Orff’s ‘Carmina Burana’ conducted by Alastair Willis.
The MDR Radio Choir of Leipzig, the Qatar Philharmonic Children’s Choir, soprano Anya Matanovic, tenor Marcus Shelton and baritone Jochen Kupfer will also take part in the musical programme.
Filmmaker Duncan Copp developed, directed, and produced ‘The Planets: An HD Odyssey’ in 2009, which marries NASA’s high definition planetary imagery with a live performance of Holst’s seven-movement orchestral suite. Previous premieres have sold out in Houston, at Carnegie Hall in New York, and during a two-week tour of the UK.
Copp is also creator and producer of the acclaimed feature documentary ‘In the Shadow of the Moon’, which portrays the intimate story of the Apollo astronauts and has received more than 15 international film awards.
Copp holds a Master’s degree in Satellite Remote Sensing and a Doctorate in Astronomy, both from the University of London. He was also a member of NASA’s Venus mapping team responsible for creating the first detailed geological maps of the planet.
Carl Orff’s ‘Carmina Burana’, which is Latin for ‘Songs from Beuern’, was written in 1936 and is based on a manuscript of poems written by the Goliards, a group of European clergy who satirised the church, circa 13th Century.
Its famous opening ‘O Fortuna’ has been borrowed more than 100 times by popular media.
The Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra will next perform ‘The Seasons’ of Franz Joseph Haydn, conducted by Howard Arman, on Wednesday at the Katara Cultural Village Opera House.
The Peninsula
