Im Spiegel II: Musik der Poesie
Program note
On September 30, 2022, the most important Ukrainian composer, Valentyn Silvestrov, celebrated his 85th birthday.
Arvo Pärt called Valentyn Silvestrov “a genius”, Alfred Schnittke described his music as “cosmic”, and Sofia Gubaidulina referred to it as “the beginning of a new historical path.”
In the early 1970s, Silvestrov turned away from the avant-garde and began writing radically new music, which became the starting point of the “new simplicity.” Today this style is recognized as an innovative musical movement, embraced by many composers and admired by listeners around the world.
The works we have selected for the concert in honor of Valentyn Silvestrov’s jubilee form a unique musical portrait of the composer himself. In contrast to the later vocal cycle “Music of Poetry” (2011–2021), the early “First String Quartet” (1974), which brought Silvestrov fame in the West, will be performed by the renowned Gringolts Quartet from Zurich. The vocal part of the concert will be presented by Inna Galatenko and Oleg Bezborodko, who have come especially from Kyiv at the request of Valentyn Silvestrov.
Program
Valentyn Silvestrov
String Quartet No. 1 (1974)
Music of Poetry (2014–2021) for mezzo-soprano and piano
Musician:
Gringolts Quartet
Inna Galatenko, voice
Oleg Bezborodko, piano