An Ox on the Roof 46: The Ox in times of war.
An introduction to contemporary music in everyday language.
Episode 46 of An Ox on the Roof by Thea Derks, inspired by her book An Ox on the Roof: modern music after 1900 in a nutshell.
As we toast to the new year, Ukrainians are still being shelled by the Russians. Many will therefore have said the obligatory “peace on earth” during last Christmas with mixed feelings.
Because of that, we will again listen to music from Ukraine, the country fighting a fiercely unequal battle with its aggressive neighbours but not giving up. It remains to be seen whether we Dutch would fight for our freedom as determinedly and bravely.
Many Ukrainians have now fled to safer places. That includes Valentin Silvestrov, the grand old man of modern Ukrainian music. He lived his whole life in Kyiv, but he was forced to celebrate his 85th birthday in Berlin last September.
Silvestrov belongs to the movement of so-called ‘neo-spiritual music’, which also includes Arvo Pärt. Today his Sixth Symphony, which Silvestrov composed in 1995 but did not have its world premiere until 2002, will be heard in Kyiv.
Today a performance by the Orchestra of the Mariinksky Theatre conducted by Valery Gergiev, an ardent supporter of Putin …
The 1st edition of An Ox on the Roof is sold out, but you will receive a copy of the 2nd edition at boekenbestellen.nl
Valentin Silvestrov (born 1937). Symphony No 6.
Orchestra of the Mariinkski Theatre olv. Valery Gergiev.
Composition, presentation and sound engineering: Thea Derks
