Angels of Sorrow

Giya Kancheli

“I am grateful to the fate, which has already given me the opportunity to witness the ninth premiere of my new piece being performed by Gidon Kremer. I am also infinitely happy that musicians who are dear to me and whom I admire will also participate in the performance. They are my very old friend, conductor Roman Kofman, cellist Giedre Dirvanauskaite, Kremerata Baltica, an orchestra I almost consider my own, and ‘Shchedryk’, a splendid girls' choir from Kiev.
‘Angels of Sorrow’ is dedicated to innocent victims. Contrary to my desire, events taking place in the world subconsciously influence the creative process. I cannot remain indifferent to the endless manifestations of ruthlessness and violence, which is perhaps why sadness and sorrow prevail in my music.
The innocent victims are the children murdered on the island of Utoya, the victims of endless terror attacks carried out by religious fanatics, the dissenting journalists who have been assassinated, the huge number of refugees driven out of their land for the sake of imperial ambitions, and the victims of prosecutions on trumped-up charges.
My attitude to the imprisonment of Mikhail Khodorkovsky began with basic human sympathy and gradually grew into an admiration for this outstanding personality and his strength of spirit. This also explains my sincere desire to dedicate my composition to a person who marked his 50th birthday behind bars.
Within my abilities, I tried to use the innocent voices of children and most simple melodic structures to express my attitude to the strength of human spirit – the unbending strength of spirit that elevates it above an immoral regime.” (Giya Kancheli)