Spectra Ensemble - Gerard Bouwhuis

The musical forces alone are dizzying: piano, percussion ‘coffin’, 8 contrabasses, 4 bassoons, 4 flutes, bass tuba and piccolo.Shostakovich versus Ustvolskaya is the premise of this all-Russian requiem concert.

The ultimate stillness of the last string quartet Shostakovich wrote is diametrically opposite to the relentless harshness of the three Compositions by Ustvolskaya – also known as ‘the composer with the hammer’. Where Shostakovich’s quiet and fragile elegies seem resigned to approaching death, Ustvolskaya seems to storm the concrete gates of heaven. Her relentless music sounds unshakeable. But behind all the violence there is most of all an unfathomable vulnerability, as if the composer is doomed for eternity to conquer her desperation.

You’re in for an impressive, confrontational and in any case absolutely unique musical experience.

Docu about Galina Oestvolskaja on YouTube: Scream into space (Josée Voormans)