VALENTIN SILVESTROV (b.1937): 4 Postludes for Piano and Orchestra*, Hymn 2001 for Piano and Orchestra*, GIYA KANCHELI (b.1935): Sio for String Orchestra, Piano and Percussion*, GALINA USTVOLSKAYA (1919-2006): Concerto for Piano, String Orchestra and Timpani. * - First Recordings.

Description: While Ustvolskaya's early concerto expresses a vision of beauty and suffering in a tonal language quite unlike her later works, Silvestrov’s Postludes of 2004 convey the inpression of a world completely devoid of any emotion save a permanent spiritual calm and resignation; like his Hymn, the tempo is slow, the music eventually fading into silence. Kancheli's Sio or "breeze" (1998) is also notable for its striking use of silence but also offers us modal tunes and bass drones derived from Georgian folk music and his trademark wide dynamic extremes. Elizaveta Blumina (piano), Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra; Thomas Sanderling.