By Jack Arnhold, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – This Thursday, November 8th, will see the ‘Orquestra Petrobras Sinfônica’ (Petrobras Symphony Orchestra) present the seminal Pink Floyd album ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ at Rio’s Vivo Rio Arena as part of their album series, and as a celebration of the record’s 45 anniversary.
The presentation will feature more than fifty classical musicians and is part of the ongoing ‘Albums Series,’ which has already honored Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ and Los Hermanos’ ‘Ventura.’
Between 2016 and 2017 their ten presentations brought together more than 20,000 people in three cities and are part of the Petrobras Symphony Orchestra’s aim to popularize classical music and bring new and younger audiences to the genre.
For three dates, this Thursday, November 8th, Friday, November 9th, and next Thursday, November 15th, the Orchestra, led by Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the group, Isaac Karabtchevsky, will present the third-bestselling album of all time in its entirety.
Audiences will hear the songs that helped make the Dark Side of the Moon such a phenomenon, including ‘Time,’ ‘Money,’ and of course, ‘Dark Side of the Moon,’ using previously unpublished arrangements by Ricardo Candido.
The group will then go on to the Allianz Parque Hall in São Paulo, where they will play one more show on Monday, November 26th. “We chose very well, did we not?” said Karabtchevsky to O Globo during a rehearsal held on Wednesday afternoon.
“I was living in Europe at the time that ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ was released, and I remember the impact of the album. What Pink Floyd did there was impressive – there are elements of various types of music on that album, from erudite to popular even through ‘musique concrète’, explains Karabtchevsky.
Adding, “Not by accident, the work became the success that it is. We wanted to show the public how much classical music and rock can go hand in hand and we think this was the right choice.”
“The ‘Albums Series’ was born from a desire to honor artists and records that marked the history of Brazilian and international music, and soon became one of the most in-demand dates in our calendar.” says João Magalhães, Marketing Manager of the Petrobras Symphony Orchestra.
He continues, “After the success of Thriller in 2017, people were already asking what was going to be next and we wanted to present something timely, so what better to do that then by honoring one of the most important albums in rock history, which also celebrates its forty-fifth anniversary in 2018.”
Fans of the English rock group will already know that Roger Waters recently stopped by to play Rio’s iconic Maracanã stadium, and caused quite a controversy with his outspoken criticisms of the then presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro.
What: Petrobras Sinfônica apresenta: Dark Side of the Moon (RJ)
When: Thursday, November 8th; Friday, November 9th; and Thursday, November 15th; doors open at 8PM
Where: Vivo Rio Arena, Av. Infante Dom Henrique, 85
Parque do Flamengo
Entrance: Tickets from R$90; currently sold-out