an adagio (2022)

"Glacial ostinato layers open an adagio, culminating in the roar of the timpa i and the majestic brass. The music progresses in slow waves towards new horizons, sometimes erupting into glowing sound fields, then subsiding into icy-clear harmonies. In the middle stages of the piece, a contemplative harp solo is heard, leading the music towards more hazy orchestral landscapes, with congas and vibraphone twinkling like stars in the sky. Through a grand orchestral climax, we end up in a Sibelian silence.

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Zinoviev's brilliant opening number received an expressive performance from the orchestra and the chief conductor, whose subtle tonality and instrumental expressiveness captured the listener. Although An Adagio is relatively short, Zinoviev builds its form with continuous organic changes, maintaining the constant fascination of the work's form from the beginning to the final bars.