DeCHORALE brings on May 25, 2025 at Concertgebouw Brugge a rarely performed musical tour de force: Canto General, the oratorio by Mikis Theodorakis (1925–2021) on texts by Chilean poet Pablo Neruda (1904–1973).
The project brings together an impressive 120-member choir with leading singers Linsey Coppens and Thomas Blondelle. The performance is a revival due to great success and audience demand.
Poetry and protest in musical unity
Canto General was created in the early 1970s, during a period of political activism and cultural upheaval. Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis, himself exiled for his resistance to the military junta, found a kindred spirit in Pablo Neruda's eponymous epic poetry collection. The collection Canto General (1950) is a monumental ode to Latin America, its peoples, its struggle and its nature, written in a language that balances between lyricism, indictment and mythical grandeur.
Theodorakis selected 13 poems from the work comprising more than 15,000 verses and set them to music with rare intensity. The result is an oratorio that blends classical and folk music with Latin American rhythms and Greek drama, powerfully charged with political and human meaning.
Rarely performed masterpiece
Despite the artistic and emotional impact of this work, a live performance of Canto General is a rarity. The logistical and musical demands are considerable: a very large choir, powerful soloists, percussionists, pianists and sometimes even folk musicians. Yet DeCHORALE succeeded in bringing this impressive work to the stage in 2023 with great success, which now leads to this revival.
According to conductor Paul Dinneweth, who has been the driving force behind DeCHORALE since 2002, this revival is more than a musical undertaking:
"It is a tribute to hope, to resistance, to the love of nature and of mankind. In times of polarization and conflict, this music remains relevant and necessary."
Artistic cast
For this revival, DeCHORALE works again with two singers of international stature:
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Linsey Coppens, soprano, acclaimed for her expressive power and broad repertoire
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Thomas Blondelle, tenor, regular guest at Deutsche Oper Berlin and praised for his intense dramatic ability
Together with DeCHORALE's 120 singers they promise the Bruges audience a thrilling performance, where musical refinement and raw emotion go hand in hand.