Black Sun

Composer Alexander Raskatov dedicated his composition Black Sun to Irina Shostakovich, with whom he maintains a close relationship. During their phone calls, she would often recite entire poems by Osip Mandelstam from memory. For this song cycle, Raskatov chose poems that, in his view, represent feelings of existential fear and melancholy. The score requires a dramatic soprano because of the enormous contrasts and the wide vocal range.

Leonid Desyatnikov is virtually unknown in the Netherlands, and that is a shame. His music may be less melancholic than Raskatov’s, but it is by no means superficial. He embraces consonance, flirts with the banal, and reflects on the modern world. Desyatnikov is best known for his work as a film composer and as the director of the Bolshoi Theatre, as well as for his long-term friendship and collaboration with violinist Gidon Kremer and his ensemble.