| Composed for | Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra |
| Opus Number | 57 |
| Category | Orchestral music |
| Year | 2018 |
| Duration | 7 |
| Orchestration | 2222-4231-2perc-66442 |
| Orchestration (chamber orch.) | 2222-2200-1perc-66442 |
| Availability | Gehrmans Musikförlag |
Program note
My orchestra piece “Lucrum” Op.57 is composed for the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra and the piece was premiered on 3 May 2018 under the batton of Michael Bartosch. The season programme of the orchestra was themed “The seven deadly sins”, and therefore I was also asked to compose a piece inspired by one of the deadly sins. “Lucrum” is inspired by the deadly sin greed and the latin word lucrum translates in to English as profit, gain, advantage, riches and of course greed.
In this piece I have tried to express the emotions I feel that greed provokes, namely a bitterness of not having everything and always wanting to have more, even when you already have excessive amounts of everything. I feel greed can always be seen as something growing, which is also mirrored in our materialistic free market society, as well as in this piece of music.
For the Finnish first performance I made a new version of the piece for chamber orchestra. The Finnish premiere was performed by Jyväskylä Sinfonia in concerts on the 29th and 30th of August 2018. The concerts was conducted by the conducting class of professor Ari Rasilainen from the Hochschule für Musik Würzburg.
Lucrum – Listen on Soundcloud
Lucrum preview – for symphony orchestra
Lucrum preview – for chamber orchestra
Review
Damström’s wonderful musical language is impressive
Cecilia Damström’s piece Lucrum now fits our time a little too well. The Helsingborg Orchestra commissioned the work from Damström to their theme “The Seven Deadly Sins,” and greed is now the sin that attacks our eyes and ears from the media every day.
Damström works with the subject musically superbly through elements of growth, continuously adding more and more through demanding musical structures. A magnificent work from one of our leading composers of the new generation. Itkonen managed to bring out fantastic effects out of the orchestra.
Jussi Mattila, Savon Sanomat 19.3.2022
Damströmin upea sävelkieli teki vaikutuksen
Cecilia Damströmin teos Lucrum istuu aikaamme nyt vähän liiankin hyvin. Helsingborgin orkesteri tilasi teoksen Damströmiltä teemaansa “seitsemän kuolemansyntiä”, ja ahneus on nyt se synti, joka hyökkää silmiimme ja korviimme tiedotusvälineistä joka päivä.
Damström käsittelee aihetta musiikillisesti hienosti kasvuelementtien kautta, koko ajan enemmän ja lisää kaikkea vaativin musiikillisin rakentein. Upea teos yhdeltä uuden säveltäjäpolven kärkikastiin kuuluvalta säveltäjältämme. Itkonen nosti orkesterista valtavan hienoja tehoja esiin.
Jussi Mattila, Savon Sanomat 19.3.2022
Performances
3rd of May 2018 World premiere by Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra conducted by Michael Bartosch – More info
29th of August 2018 Finnish premiere by Jyväskylä Sinfonia – More info
30th of August 2018 Jyväskylä Sinfonia – More info
9th of May 2019 German premiere by Hochschulsinfonieorchester Würzburg conducted by Janne Valkeajoki – More info
CANCELLED 17th of April 2020 Gävle Symphony Orchestra conducted by Christian Reif – More info
17th of March 2022 Kuopio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Maria Itkonen – More info
27th of October 2022 Joensuu City Orchestra conducted by Maria Itkonen – More info