Silent Prayer

This work by Gija Kantscheli was premiered at the Kronberg Cello Festival in October 2007, which is inextricably linked with the person of cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, who died in April 2007. In memory of his long-time friend and performer, Kantscheli dedicated his “Silent Prayer” for violin, cello, vibraphone, bass guitar, string orchestra and tape to Rostropowitsch as well as to Gidon Kremer. “In my personal opinion,” said Kantscheli, “there was always a balance between Rostropowitsch's musical, humanitarian and social activities. Anyone who knew Rostropovich well had no doubt that he acted just as sincerely and selflessly in his daily life as he did on stage.”

“Giya Kancheli’s works often centre round the relationship between opposing or complementary terms: God and man, creative and destructive impulses, the responsibility of the individual and of society, exile and homecoming. His atmospheric, often ethereally beautiful musical language opens up feelings of infinity and expansiveness in space, but time and again abruptly returns the listener to reality, with which he must then come to terms. Nostalgia and a profound spirituality are the characteristics of the music of a composer whose life story is inseparable from the political upheavals experienced by the twentieth century.
‘Silent Prayer’ was composed on the occasion of the 80 th birthday of Mstislav Rostropovich and the 60th birthday of Gidon Kremer in 2007 and is dedicated to these two great musicians, both among Kancheli’s closest friends. After Rostropovich died shortly after his birthday, the composer entitled the just-finished work ‘Silent Prayer.’ The world premiere took place on 7 October 2007 at the Kronberg Cello Festival which was dedicated to the memory of the late virtuoso. The soloists were Gidon Kremer and Marie-Elisabeth Hecker with the Kremerata Baltica.” (Hans-Ulrich Duffek)