Qatar Philharmonic debuts 'The Planets: An HD Odyssey' on Sunday

DOHA – The Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra will premiere next Sunday(May 11th) a performance of Gustav Holst’s ‘The Planets: An HD Odyssey’ at the Qatar National Convention Centre. 

Holst’s music will bring alive Duncan Copp’s film that uses unique imagery from US space agency NASA, the Press Office of Qatar Foundation said. 
The concert also includes a performance of Carl Orff’s ‘Carmina Burana’ conducted by Alastair Willis. 

The MDR Radio Choir of Leipzig, the Qatar Philharmonic Children’s Choir, soprano Anya Matanovic, tenor Marcus Shelton and baritone Jochen Kupfer will also take part in the musical programme. 

Filmmaker Copp developed, directed, and produced ‘The Planets: An HD Odyssey’ in 2009, which fuses NASA’s high definition planetary imagery with a live performance of Holst’s seven-movement orchestral suite. 
Copp is also creator and producer of the acclaimed feature documentary ‘In the Shadow of the Moon’, which portrays the intimate story of the Apollo astronauts and has received more than 15 international film awards. 

He was also a member of NASA’s Venus mapping team responsible for creating the first detailed geological maps of the planet. 
Carl Orff composed the cantata Carmina Burana in 1935 and 1936 based on 24 poems from the medieval collection Carmina Burana that is Latin for ‘Songs from Beuern’. 

It revolves around a manuscript of poems written by the Goliards, a group of European clergy who satirised the church in the 13th century. 
Popular media has borrowed its famous opening ‘O Fortuna’more than 100 times. 

The Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, a member of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, will next perform ‘The Seasons’ of Franz Joseph Haydn, conducted by Howard Arman, on May 14 at the Katara Cultural Village Opera House.-QNA