First Performance
November 1997 Kamran Ince Ensemble
Kamran Ince, conductor
Istanbul, Turkey
Instrumentation
alt. sax., el. bass, female and male voices, pi./synth., vln., vlc.
Duration
24'
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Program Notes
Commissioned by Sanmal with assistance from Euroimages for the feature film Love Under Siege. The movie tells about the conquest of Constantinople (now Istanbul) and the last days of the Byzantium Empire. Anna and George, the main characters, are having a passionate love affair just before the days of the siege. Anna is Lukas Notaras' daughter, the most important general if the Byzantium Empire. George, a common man, is in reality the son of the Emperor. This is kept a secret, even from Anna. Should the city fall, the continuation of the imperial blood line is deemed important above any other consideration. Anna dies when a bomb falls near her, and the city eventually falls. George is brought before Sultan Mehmet, who knows George's identity. George is told by Sultan Mehmet that if he does not accept and acknowledge who he is (thus continuing to be a threat to the Sultan) he will be put to death. George is put to death after refusing to acknowledge his identity.
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