According to Greek mythology, heaven and hell were divided by the miraculous river Styx, and crossing its waters meant travelling from the realm of the living to that of the dead. This was why the Georgian composer, Giya Kancheli, gave the title Styx to his piece for viola, choir and orchestra, which was his farewell to his friends Avet Terterian and Alfred Schnittke, who died in the 1990s, and also includes references to monasteries and churches in Georgia. The works of Kancheli have in Rostropovich, the Kronos Quartet and Gidon Kremer some of their most renowned and enthusiastic interpreters.

Gulbenkian Choir
Gulbenkian Orchestra
José Eduardo Gomes Conductor
Hansjörg Schellenberger Oboe
Diemut Poppen Viola
Maria Elisabeth Lott Violin
Sebastian Klinger Cello

Johann Sebastian Bach
Concerto for Oboe and Violin in C minor, BWV 1060

Giya Kancheli
Styx, for viola, choir and orchestra

Johannes Brahms
Concerto for Violin and Cello in A minor, op. 102