Alexander Raskatov - Xenia (1992)

Raskatov’s haunting, beautiful Xenia. Easily one of my favorite pieces from the 90s. (Took me a lot of time to find a live performance of this piece; too much cough in this one, though) Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks Michael Gielen January 17, 2003, live broadcast, Herkulessaal der Münchner Residenz Musica Viva 2002/03 Picture: “Balloon Girl“ (2002), mural by graffiti artist Banksy. Edit 10/2018: I hope this piece doesn’t get Indications: Lontano - Molto tranquillo - Quasi senza tempo - Senza metro. Dolcissimo - Lontano, tranquillo. (the reprise with the toy piano is a great moment) “In 1990s Raskatov’s music went through new changes. As the composer describes himself, he started to be interested in ‘weaker or relaxed musical forms’. He sees a form as ‘a static non-action’, a ‘pleasant doing nothing’. As he said, ‘stylistically, modern world’s sound environment reminds him of childhood illusions and requires some escape from the limits of serious academic music making’. One of his works of 1991 even bears the title ‘Dolce Far Niente’ (‘Sweet doing nothing’) for cello and piano. This is why in many of his compositions performers have to whistle, blow into a shell, play unusual instruments such as vargan ( Asian type of jew’s Harp) , siren, bamboo tubes and so on. There are a number of Raskatov works in which the avant-garde language is used in an anti-avant-garde way, becoming rather a symbol of the naïve world of a child. Some avant-garde elements of instrumental technique change their meaning in a new context of Raskatov’s music. They look and sound like toys, like recollections of a childhood. Typical examples of this new ‘naïve’ palette can already be found in Raskatov’s earlier and slightly absurdist piece Gra-ka-kha-ta for tenor, violin and four percussionists (1988) on texts of the Russian futurist poet Velimir Khlebnikov (1885-1922). Raskatov has developed this style in one of his central works, Xenia, for chamber orchestra (1992), which includes rather unusual instruments such as a toy piano, Javanese gongs as well as the orchestra players’ singing. Xenia, inspired by the poems of one of Russia’s most original and least known poets Xenia Nekrasova (1912-1958), once again presents an innocent, pure, child-like world. In order to create this atmosphere the composer uses here only high-register instruments.“ ©Alexander Ivashkin, 2010. [Schott-Music Notes: The work was inspired by the work of the Russian poet Xenia Nekrassova, who, after achieving some success in the 1950s, died forgotten and in complete poverty. The “childish and naïve character of her poetry“ prompted Raskatov to the develop the musical language of the piece and suggested the title “Xenia“. He also alludes to the mythological significance of this name. Instrumentation: 2(2. Auch Altfl.)0.2(2. Auch Bassklar.).0 - - S. (2 Spieler: Tempelgong · Trgl. · Sonagli · Chimes · Vargan · Tamt. Profondo · Crot. · Vibr. · Gl. · javan. Gongs) - Cel. · Klav./Spielzeugklav. · Hfe. - Str.]