Each of these three works has a sense of cultural identity and belonging to a physical location. Douglas Lilburn translates into music the sentiments of seven NZ poets, each expressing the pioneering experiences of European settlers in the colony. George Enescu portrays the plight of the Lautari of Romania and their endless search for stability in their adopted homeland. Ukranian born Boris Pigovat emigrated to Israel in 1990, and while this sonata doesn’t make specific reference to the Jewish homeland, its musical language leaves the listener in no doubt about the composer’s Russian origins and Jewish heritage. The pieces are performed by Donald Maurice (viola) and Richard Mapp (piano).
Douglas Lilburn:
Salutes to Seven Poets
Tribute to A. R. D. Fairburn
Tribute to Keith Sinclair
Tribute to Allen Curnow
Tribute to Michael K. Joseph
Tribute to James K. Baxter
Tribute to Kendrick Smithyman
Tribute to R. A. K. Mason
Epilogue
George Enescu:
Sonata in the Romanian Folk Character
Moderato malinconico
Andante sostenuto e misterioso
Allegro con brio, ma non troppo mosso
Boris Pigovat:
Sonata for Viola and Piano
Calmo chiaro ("Botticelli's Magnificat")
Con ira, allegro molto
Misterioso