Dias da Música – The Voyage of Phileas Fogg

The music of this concert traces Phileas Fogg’s route, the main character of Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days. We leave Edward Elgar’s Victorian London where Phileas Fogg wagers he can complete a voyage around the world just in 80 days and we head afterwards to Egypt, right to the stage where Giuseppe Verdi’s Aïda is sung. From Egypt we travel to India, where we listen Léo Delibes’Lakmé famous Flower Duet. From India we reach China where Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot takes place. In order to add local colour to his score, the compositor makes use of the characteristic pentatonic scale. Puccini portrays again Philleas Fogg’s next destination: Japan of the geisha Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly. In this opera we hear some chords of the United States Anthem, homeland of Navy officer B.F.Pinkerton with whom we head to North America west coast. Once there we attend to a rodeo with Aaron Copland’s Hoe-Down and by train we arrive in New York, that Wonderful Town portrayed by Leonard Bernstein in his musical. Only a great doubt subsists: will Philleas Fogg arrive in London before the scheduled date? The Earth’s rotation gives him a helping hand and…in London he wins his bet with the apotheosis of Edward Elgar’s Land of Hope and Glory.

Soprano | Cristiana Oliveira

Mezzosoprano | Cátia Moreso

Conductor | Domenico Longo

OSP – Portuguese Symphony Orchestra
Principal Conductor | Joana Carneiro

Teatro Nacional de São Carlos Chorus
Principal Conductor | Giovanni Andreoli

Photography Credits | David Rodrigues

Edward Elgar | Pomp and Circumstance March n.º 4 in G Major, op. 39

Giuseppe Verdi | Aïda :Triumphal Scene from Aida – Chorus, March, Ballet and Chorus

Léo Delibes | Lakmé: Ouverture and Flower Duet

Giacomo Puccini | Gira la Cote!… Perchè tarda la Luna! e Tu che di gel sei cinta de Turandot

Giacomo Puccini | Il Cannone del Porto!… Dueto das Flores e Coro à Boca Fechada de Madama Butterfly

Aaron Copland | Rodeo: Hoe-down

Leonard Bernstein | Wonderful Town: Ouverture

Edward Elgar | Land of Hope and Glory: Pomp and Circumstance March nº1 in D Major, op.39