Valentin Silvestrov: Forgotten Word I Wished to Say

In the final decades of the 20th century, a handful of Eastern European composers, among them Arvo Pärt, Henryk Górecki and the Ukrainian Valentin Silvestrov eschewed the avant-garde and instead embraced gentler, tonal styles. It proved a popular move among audiences. Listening to Silvestrov’s music is like glimpsing the Classical and Romantic eras through frosted glass—in Kitsch-Musik, a beautiful set of piano miniatures, we hear what sound like ghostly fragments of Schumann, Brahms or Chopin, as if entirely improvised. Alexei Lubimov plays each with a clear affection for the music. Equally mesmerising are the 11 songs that make up Stufen (Steps), settings of Russian poetry, plus one poem by the English poet Keats. The lush purity of soprano Viktoriia Vitrenko’s voice is perfect for these poignant works, each ebbing and flowing with the gentleness of a tranquil lake. Completing the album are five enchanting pieces for solo piano. The final, reflective Two Pieces for Piano Solo were premiered in 2023 in Berlin, the city to which Silvestrov was forced to flee at the outbreak of war in Ukraine.