Długosz / NUSO Kharkiv Orchestra / Dybał

Originally, for chamber orchestra, and at the instigation of Grzegorz Fitelberg – for symphonic orchestra. An unconventional, albeit transparent, stylisation of Polish folklore. Witold Lutosławski’s Little Suite impresses with its vitality, spontaneity, but also lyricism. The composer’s talent and technique allowed him to create a work that was not only graceful to listen to, but also a masterpiece of its kind. 

Krzysztof Penderecki dedicated his 1992 Concerto for Flute and Orchestra to Jean-Pierre Rampal, who premiered the work in Lausanne. Extremely virtuoso solo part combined with clear structure. Interestingly, one of the composer’s inspirations, marked at the end of the score, was a solar eclipse.  

Written in response to the dramatic events of the Kyiv Maidan, Prayer for Ukraine by Valentin Silvestrov is a kind of manifesto against cruelty and war.

Mikhail Kalachevsky’s Ukrainian Symphony is the composer’s most important work, which was also his diploma thesis at the Leipzig Conservatory. Filled with Ukrainian folk themes, full of romantic spirit, it is an interesting example of 19^th-century Ukrainian music.