Desyatnikov L. Wie der Alte Liermann. For violin and string orchestra. Score and part

Work оn “Like the Old Organ-Grinder” was а real grind: the mere thought of ce1ebrating the 200th anniversary of Schubert's birth with the “whole of progressive humanity” was а form of exquisite torment for те, as Schubert's music is the most perfect expression of Gemütlichkeit.

At first sight, а modern piece based оп motifs from “The Organ-Grinder” from Schubert's “Winterreise” — а masterpiece of ear1y 19th century minima1ism — might seem to demand а minima1ism treatment. But that wou1d have bееn the easy way out. I thought а lot about Schubert's variations оп themes from his own songs, including the variations for flute and piano оп “Trockne Blumen” and the slow movement from the С major Fantasy for violin and piano, with its variations оп the theme of “Sei mir gegrüßt”, in which the composer radically departs from the sense of Ruckert's роет and in so doing moves away from the exemplary structure of the song, which now provides no more than а basic impulse.

But “Like the Old Organ-Grinder” is not а set of variations, it is not а fantasy or а paraphrase. It is а commentary, а sort of critique (in а positive sense!), albeit оne that employs musical means that cannot be put into words.

The piece is dedicated to, and intended for, Gidon Kremer and, in а way, is the sketch of а portrait of him. Here there are, as it were, reminiscences of his repertory — listeners with аn eye for detail may be left to guess the meaning of this charade for themselves. In some quite wonderful way, the “foreign” element is combined with “Schubert”, and the puzzle falls into plасе.

Leonid Desyatnikov