Alex Poelman

Seven Wonders Of The Ancient World

In the Ancient World the seven most beautiful monuments were called 'The seven Wonders of the World'. In his Symphony nr.1, The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World' the young Dutch composer Alex Poelman has made a musical portrait of these splendid human realizations which are now, but for one, all destroyed. The symphony is masterly and lavishly orchestrated and portrays both the power of the sovereigns of ancient times and the splendour of the most beautiful buildings and works of art they have had built. Moreover, neither the seducing Eastern charm nor the mysterious exotic atmosphere are failing.Alex Poelman (Arnhem, 1981) studied informatics at the Twente University and plays French horn in several top amateur bands. Under the guidance of David Rowland he wrote his first composition for wind band 'Volcano'. This was followed by 'Theseus', 'Symphony nr. 1 'The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World', 'D-Day' and 'Aquila Chrysaetos'. This symphony was premiered on 28 May 2004 at Enschede. One year later, it was recorded on CD by the new Dutch military band KMKJWF conducted by Norbert Nozy.I. THE TEMPLE OF ARTEMIS.The Greek goddess Artemis, daughter of Zeus and Leto and twin sister of Apollo, was the goddess of the hunt and was especially worshipped in Arcadia. In the town of Ephesus, an Ionic colony in Asia Minor, a splendid temple was built in honour of Artemis which was destroyed in 356 B.C. when Herostratos set fire to it. Some years later it was reconstructed.II. THE GREAT PYRAMID OF CHEOPSCheops, the second pharaoh of the 4th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt (3rd century B.C.) had the big pyramid built at Gizeh on the left bank of the Nile, next to Cairo. The technical perfection and the huge dimensions of this magnificent 137 m high building were never equalled. It is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that was not destroyed and is kept undamaged up to this day. III. THE STATUE OF ZEUS Zeus, son of Chronos and Rhea, was the leading god of the Greek pantheon and, according to Homer 'the father of all gods and all humans'. He was the god of the celestial light and controlled all physical phenomena. In the Greek town of Olympia, birthplace of the Olympic Games, there was a splendid statue representing the Olympic Zeus. It had been sculptured about 433 B.C. by the great Athenian sculptor Phobias (ca 490 - ca 430 B.C.) and was considered as the nicest statue of the ancient Greek world. IV. THE MAUSOLEUM AT HALICARNASSOS. Halikarnassos (the actual Bodrum in Turkey) was at one time the capital of Asia Minor. When king Mausolos died in 353 B.C., his wife and sister Artemisa ordered to build a huge funeral monument (Mausoleum) for her deceased husband. It gave its name to all large funeral monuments in the world.