“If you were to ask me to name a contemporary composer, the first name that I would voice is the name Silvestrov. Valentyn – is unconditionally the most interesting contemporary composer, even if the majority are given to understand this much later…”. Arvo Pärt.
Louth Contemporary Music Society, with funding from the Arts Council, have obtained the first Irish commission from the Ukrainian composer Valentyn Silvestrov described by Alfred Schnittke as “ the greatest composer of our generation” a sentiment seconded by Arvo Pärt in the New Yorker some years ago: “Silvestrov is one of the greatest composers of our time.”
LCMS commissioned Valentyn Silvestrov to write 5 Sacred Songs for choir. The world premiere performance will be held in Ireland in St. Peter’s Church of Ireland Drogheda on 24 September 2009.
Silvestrov has been gaining a solid reputation from his CD releases with ECM and being praised by the likes of Arvo Pärt. Apart from Sofia Gudaidulina , Silvestrov is the last of the generation of Soviet Composers that included Pärt, Schnittke etc to break through to a western audience. Gavin Bryars writes about working with the Latvian Radio choir “Arriving early for the rehearsal he heard the choir sing a work he did not know but thought “the most beautiful music I had ever heard”.
The great record label ECM have issued a number of Valentyn Silvestrov’s recordings notably Silent Songs, Requiem for Larissa, Bagatellen und Serenaden. For further information click here. Silvestrov’s ECM CDs are also available from Amazon.
