Interview: Pianist Jonathan Powell preps for Denver performance of seven-hour piece

Listen Now
12min 38sec
Photo: Pianist Jonathan Powell
Pianist Jonathan Powell

British pianist Jonathan Powell visits Denver on Saturday to perform a massive solo piece by an overlooked composer: the seven-hour long "Sequentia Cyclica super Dies Irae," written in 1949 by Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji.

The concert runs from 1 to 9 p.m.at Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church in Denver, with two 30-minute intermissions.

Though the piece is 65 years old this is only the fourth time it’s being performed in its entirety.

jonathan_powell_final_mix-141106-160622

Powell spoke with CPR Classical about how he prepares to perform the piece and how it felt to discover Sorabji’s music. Click the audio above to hear the interview.

Watch footage of Powell playing Sorabji’s Sixth Piano Symphony: