The title of ECM's release of works by three composers born in the former Soviet Union perfectly captures the mood of the CD -- it is truly mysterious. Although more than half a century separates the first of these pieces from the most recent, they share a sense of otherness that defies easy explanation. The pieces are not so much mysterious in the sense of being eerie (although there are several moments that might raise the hairs on the back of your neck if you were listening alone in the dark); they are unsettling because ...
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The title of ECM's release of works by three composers born in the former Soviet Union perfectly captures the mood of the CD -- it is truly mysterious. Although more than half a century separates the first of these pieces from the most recent, they share a sense of otherness that defies easy explanation. The pieces are not so much mysterious in the sense of being eerie (although there are several moments that might raise the hairs on the back of your neck if you were listening alone in the dark); they are unsettling because they raise more questions than they answer.Silvestrov's Post Scriptum is disturbingly enigmatic. You may find yourself scratching your head at the juxtapositions (and simultaneities) of disparate idioms -- Mozartian classicism, new age repetitions and progressions, aleatory elements, and modernist gestures -- but the ultimate effectiveness and emotional directness of the piece are undeniable. On any rational level, there is no reason why the piece should succeed, but it works...
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