Valentin Silvestrov

Three Postludes

Silvestrov thinks that a coda is more than something which brings a work to an end. It is one of the most important parts of a composition, or at least just as important as the other sections. His cantatas and symphonies all have lengthy codas, and so do his songs, in which the postludes sometimes seem to take on a life of their own. These lingering 'postludes' subsequently evolved to form a new genre. The process began with the chamber triptych Three Postludes. The first Postlude DSCH for violin, violoncello, piano and voice (1981) pays homage to Shostakovich in a deliberately subdued manner (which is in stark contrast to the monumental and not infrequently unoriginal works dedicated to Shostakovich by certain Soviet composers). The second Postlude for solo violin (1981) is based on the contrast between a cantabile baroque improvisation and a virtuoso toccata. The third Postlude for violoncello and piano (1982) is an elegiac miniature, which is similar to the 'postludes' of Silvestrov's songs.' (Tatiana Frumkis)