Wie der Alte Liermann. For violin and string and similar items

Work Ðn â??Like the Old Organ-Grinderâ? was Ð real grind: the mere thought of ce1ebrating the 200th anniversary of Schubert's birth with the â??whole of progressive humanityâ? was Ð form of exquisite torment for Ñ?е, as Schubert's music is the most perfect expression of GemÃtlichkeit. At first sight, Ð modern piece based Ðп motifs from â??The Organ-Grinderâ? from Schubert's â??Winterreiseâ? â?? Ð masterpiece of ear1y 19th century minima1ism â?? might seem to demand Ð minima1ism treatment. But that wou1d have bееn the easy way out. I thought Ð lot about Schubert's variations Ðп themes from his own songs, including the variations for flute and piano Ðп â??Trockne Blumenâ? and the slow movement from the С major Fantasy for violin and piano, with its variations Ðп the theme of â??Sei mir gegrÃÃ?tâ?, in which the composer radically departs from the sense of Ruckert's Ñ?ÐеÑ? and in so doing moves away from the exemplary structure of the song, which now provides no more than Ð basic impulse. But â??Like the Old Organ-Grinderâ? is not Ð set of variations, it is not Ð fantasy or Ð paraphrase. It is Ð commentary, Ð sort of critique (in Ð positive sense!), albeit Ðne that employs musical means that cannot be put into words. The piece is dedicated to, and intended for, Gidon Kremer and, in Ð way, is the sketch of Ð portrait of him. Here there are, as it were, reminiscences of his repertory â?? listeners with Ðn eye for detail may be left to guess the meaning of this charade for themselves. In some quite wonderful way, the â??foreignâ? element is combined with â??Schubertâ?, and the puzzle falls into plÐÑе.Leonid Desyatnikov