KIT ARMSTRONG: COMPOSERS OF THE GREAT WAR

A concert to commemorate 1914-1918

Synopsis

Surrounded by poppies in memory of the soldiers who fell in battle, Kit Armstrong and Ukrainian violinist Andrej Bielow revive the work of Great War composers.

The programme consists of pieces produced between 1914 and 1918: Claude Debussy’s last sonata written on his deathbed; Myths by Poland’s Karol Szymanowki and Gallipoli; a sonata by Frederick Kelly, an Anglo-Australian who died during the Battle of the Somme.

Kit Armstrong showcases a striking snapshot of the musical trends of those dark days. The war was a disaster that brought upheaval in its wake that even touched the music of the time. Deprived of familiar references, composers turned their back on the conventional heritage of the 19th century to rely on their feelings instead.