Exactly one year ago, the whole world froze when the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in the morning of 24 February 2022. The war is still going on, so on the anniversary of its outbreak, our thoughts go out to the citizens of Ukraine who are fighting for freedom. That evening, the Main Hall will resound with the sounds of Valentyn Silvestrov’s Prayer for Ukraine and the Requiem in D minor by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Silvestrov is one of the most respected living Ukrainian composers, and at the same time one of the best contemporary composers in the world. Recently, the artist was honoured with one of the most prestigious European music awards – Opus Klassik – for his life’s achievements, and also with the Gold Medal “Gloria Artis Merit for Culture”. The Prayer for Ukraine was created in 2014 in response to the bloody clashes on Kyiv’s Maidan. The composer was also present there, listening to numerous prayers and peaceful songs. This work is his personal, deeply emotional expression of his commitment to the fight for a free Ukraine.
The great Requiem in D minor was composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart just before his death in 1791. The commission for the work was to come from an “author” who wanted to remain anonymous. In fact, Prince Frranz Walsegg-Stuppach was behind this, known in artistic circles of the time for his frequent practice of appropriating works commissioned from other artists. Mozart was fully aware of this, but he undertook the task due to his difficult financial situation. The Requiem was created in a fraught time. In November 1791, Mozart fell seriously ill, so much exhausted physically and mentally that he was unable to finish the work. The last notes he outlined before his death on December 5 were the opening bars of the Lacrimosa. The monumental composition was completed by one of his students, Franz Xaver Süssmayr, based on Mozart’s sketches.