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 BartoschMore info

29th of August 2018 Finnish premiere by Jyväskylä SinfoniaMore info

30th of August 2018 Jyväskylä SinfoniaMore info

9th of May 2019 German premiere by Hochschulsinfonieorchester Würzburg conducted by Janne ValkeajokiMore 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 ItkonenMore info

27th of October 2022 Joensuu City Orchestra conducted by Maria ItkonenMore info