Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Markus Hinterhäuser, Laurence Dreyfus

Concerts at unusual times of the day often have their own atmosphere and intensity and this late-night concert promises to be a special event. Violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja and pianist Markus Hinterhäuser will perform two works by Galina Ustvolskaya: the Duet for Violin and Piano from 1964 and the Sonata for Violin and Piano from 1952. Both are compositions in which the asceticism of musical means is in inverse proportion to the expressive force and monumental character of the works.

Deceased in 2006 at the age of 87 years, Galina Ustvolskaya is among the most important composers from the former Soviet Union. The musical autonomy of Ustvolskaya, who neither followed the aesthetic guidelines of socialist realism in her works nor pursued any other trend favoured by the Western European avant-garde, was first recognized by her teacher Dmitri Shostakovich: “I am convinced that Ustvolskaya’s music will achieve global recognition among everyone who values truth in music.” Shostakovich’s prophetic words have proven true in the past decades. In their performance, Patricia Kopatchinskaja and Markus Hinterhäuser trace this integrity with every fibre.

Music from the Middle Ages and the Early Renaissance can be heard between the two works by Ustvolskaya, expanding the associative space and introducing a special music-historical dimension. Patricia Kopatchinskaja plays with Laurence Dreyfus on the descant viola da gamba.