Giya Kancheli: Angels of Sorrow – at Amirani Cinema
By Mariam Chanishvili
Wednesday, January 22
The screening of the film Angels of Sorrow, dedicated to Giya Kancheli and directed by Teona Jorbenadze, took place at Amirani Cinema again on January 19-20 due to the high demand of the public.
A documentary film Angels of Sorrow, dedicated to the 80th Jubilee of a Georgian classical composer has been filmed during the concert tour in several cities of the world. The film screening was also held in November 2019, where famous musicians performed masterpieces from Giya Kancheli.
The project participants, who performed the pieces before the screening of the film featured National Symphonic Orchestra as well as Nikoloz Rachveli, Giorgi Zagareli, Liza Bagrationi, Sandro Nebieridze, Anna Chania, Sandro Gegechkori, vocal sextet the Georgian Six, etc.
Giya Kancheli was a Georgian composer. He was born in Tbilisi, Georgia but resided in Belgium. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Kancheli lived first in Berlin and from 1995 in Antwerp, where he became composer-in-residence for the Royal Flemish Philharmonic.
The prominent musician's compositions have become an iconic part of Georgian theatre and cinema.
Giya Kancheli has died at the age of 84 in Tbilisi, due to heart-related complications in October 2019.
The name of the film comes from the composer’s vocal work Angels of Sorrow for violin, violoncello, children’s choir and chamber orchestra, which was performed in Kronberg, in order to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Kronberg Academy on 5 October 2013.
Kancheli had also commented on Angels of Sorrow:
“Contrary to my desire, events taking place in the world subconsciously influence the creative process. I cannot remain indifferent to the endless manifestations of ruthlessness and violence, which is perhaps why sadness and sorrow prevail in my music.
Within my abilities, I tried to use the innocent voices of children and most simple melodic structures to express my attitude to the strength of the human spirit – the unbending strength of spirit that elevates it above an immoral regime.”
