Flights of the Angakok

‘The composition entitled Flights of the Angakok is scored for choir and virtuoso piano solo. Its overarching structure is inspired by the spirit flights of the Angakok (Angakkuq - shaman of the Arctic), in which time develops in reverse.
The genesis of this concept goes back to my travels in the Arctic, from which my Symphony No. 4 ‘Arctica’ also emerged in 2019. The concept and libretto of the work revolve around the figure of the shaman. The Angakok traverses the porous realms of time, space and altered states of consciousness, venturing from our present to the time before humanity to enter the realm of Sedna (mother of the seas in Inuit mythology) and bring back life. In Flights of the Angakok, the piano takes on the role of shaman while the choir sings ritualistically, invoking the spirit of nature - light/sun, wind and water/sea (renewable energies).’ (Lera Auerbach)