Composer

:

Galina Ustvolskaya

Genre

:

Chamber

Style

:

Chamber Music

Compose Date

:

1974 - 1975

Average_duration

:

7:38

Galina Ustvolskaya's Composition III, Benedictus qui venit is a powerful and intense work for piano, percussion, and voice. It was composed in 1972 and premiered in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) in the same year. The work is divided into three movements, each of which is characterized by its stark, uncompromising sound world. The first movement, marked "Allegro," begins with a series of pounding chords in the piano and percussion, which are soon joined by the voice. The text, taken from the Catholic Mass, is repeated over and over again: "Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini" ("Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord"). The music is relentless and unyielding, with the voice and instruments locked in a fierce battle for dominance. The second movement, marked "Largo," is a stark contrast to the first. The piano and percussion are silent, and the voice sings a mournful melody over a sustained drone in the strings. The text is again from the Mass, this time the "Agnus Dei" ("Lamb of God"). The music is haunting and otherworldly, with a sense of profound sadness and loss. The final movement, marked "Allegro," returns to the pounding chords of the first. The voice sings the same text as before, but this time with a sense of triumph and exultation. The music builds to a frenzied climax, with the piano and percussion driving the voice to ever greater heights of intensity. The work ends with a final, thunderous chord. Composition III, Benedictus qui venit is a work of great power and intensity, with a sound world that is both uncompromising and deeply spiritual. Ustvolskaya's use of repetition and stark contrasts creates a sense of ritual and ceremony, while the relentless pounding of the piano and percussion gives the music a sense of physicality and urgency. The work is a testament to Ustvolskaya's unique voice as a composer, and to her uncompromising vision of what music can be.

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