Ivanhoe

The renowned book “Ivanhoe” by Sir Walter Scott (1791) formed the starting point when writing this heroic composition. In fact it`s the emotional tension and atmosphere of the book (instead of the original story line) that is represented musically in 3 parts.Part 1 refers to the sense of honour and the pride of the knight who fights for his ideals.After a bombastic opening a noble hymn follows that turns into a dansant theme in 6/8 time.In the middle part the difficulty of choosing between love and loyalty is expressed (Ivanhoe loves Rebecca, but must marry Princess Rowena) in a compelling and increasingly modulating theme (agitation) that builds up to a climax.Then theturmoil of battle erupts (part 3) which conveys the personal vendetta between Ivanhoe and Templar Brian. The piece ends in a magnificent finale where the bombastic opening and noble hymn from the beginning are resumed.