Flamma Flamma - The Fire Requiem

Nicholas Lens, a Belgian composer of contemporary music, is known particularly for his operas. One of his earliest works is the music drama “Flamma Flamma – The Fire Requiem”, the first part of his triology “The Accacha Chronicles” (Flamma Flamma / Terra Terra / Amor Aeternus).
The fusion of non-European musical cultures and Western classical music has been described as highly unique.
“Flamma Flamma” is conspicuous for its unusual instrumentation – apart from chamber orchestra, mixed choir and six soloists, there are also a Japanese koto, an extensive percussion set-up and three natural voices. The work is a composition beyond all conventions.
The story is a delightful mixture of mythology, philosophy and fantasy:
Flammarius, the god of fire, comes to earth with his entourage. To entertain the illustrious company, he comes up with something very special: The immortals are to slip into the skin of mortals in order to experience feelings such as pain, jealousy and fear of death first-hand. They are delighted and Flammarius lights a cigar with satisfaction. He throws the match to the ground, where it - not yet extinguished - ignites a conflagration the likes of which no mortal has ever experienced before.
Unlike almost any other requiem, “Flamma Flamma” not only deals with grief and pain, but also with the idea that death is a natural part of life. Tribute is paid to the afterlife without glorifying it, the positive aspects of fire – such as light and warmth – are praised and all human emotions in the face of death are addressed ... across all philosophical and even musical boundaries.
“Flamma Flamma” has been used numerous times for the most diverse art events and hundreds of dance and ballet creations around the world. For instance, it was performed live at the opening of the Adelaide Festival with more than 1,000 performers in front of an audience of 30,000 people.
After its first release on CD in 1994, “Flamma Flamma” moved up various international charts and quickly went from being an insiders’ tip to a huge success, with even a videoclip showing on MTV and Arte.
Tracks such as “Sumus Vicinae”, “Corpus Inimici” or the title track “Flamma Flamma” have even become cult classics and made it to some alternative dance floors from Paris to NY and Tokyo.
“Flamma Flamma” by Nicholas Lens – out of stock for years – will now be re-released on CD to mark the 30th anniversary of INTUITION which will also release an elaborately designed double vinyl in gatefold cover. The composer himself artistically supervised the re-mastering.