Impressions of Petra

The historic location of Petra in Jordan is a natural and architectural marvel: a complete city cut out of rock! The view it offers is unbelievable. In the first century A.D. some 30,000 caravan traders of the Incense Route (called Nabataeans) gathered there. Petra, often considered the eighth wonder of the world, reflects a breathtaking inventiveness and organizational spirit. The mysterious introduction (in which the English horn solo can be played by an alto saxophone) brings us back to ancient times. At first the music evokes the temples, the streets, the canals, the tombs and the necropolis. It also depicts the everyday life of the people by means of a dance in a Middle Eastern style. Then, Petra's power and what the town represented in the Middle East is represented through a more solemn and noble style. The main theme, which has been hinted at several times before without being completely revealed, finally comes to the fore and offers a final panoramic and aerial view of the city, its colours, its splendour and its majesty.