Boris Pigovat – Page 3 – Boris Pigovat

Feb, 2014: "Lux Aeterna" from the Holocaust Requiem, Pittsburgh, USA

February 28, 2014in Holocaust Requiem0by Boris Pigovat

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Feb, 2014: "Lux Aeterna" from the Holocaust Requiem, Pittsburgh, USA

Lux Aeterna, the fourth part of Holocaust Requiem for Viola and Symphony Orchestra, merited another great performance, this time in the USA, performed by Tatjana Mead Chamis and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Manfred Honeck.

Mark Kanny, a classical music critic at Trib Total Media, wrote how this performance was conceived:

Honeck first became aware of Pigovat’s music when the symphony’s associate principal violist Tatjana Mead Chamis told him about the composer’s Requiem — The Holocaust. Honeck came to love the piece and led the symphony in a performance of its Lux Aeterna movement with Chamis as soloist at a Music for the Spirit concert in 2014 at East Liberty Presbyterian Church.

Sep, 2023: the US premiere of the Holocaust Requiem

Jun, 2015: NAXOS Records launched “Holocaust Requiem & Poem of Dawn” CD

Feb, 2014: “Lux Aeterna” from the Holocaust Requiem, Pittsburgh, USA

Sept, 2012: “Requiem” CD received Pizzicato’s Supersonic Award

Oct, 2011: Holocaust Requiem at the International Viola Congress, Wurzburg, Germany

Nov, 2010: Launch of “Requiem” CD by Atoll, New Zealand

Nov, 2008: Concert of Remembrance of 70th Anniversary of Kristallnacht, Wellington, New Zealand

Oct, 2001: Memorial evening dedicated to the Babi Yar tragedy, Kiev, Ukraine

Holocaust Requiem for Viola and Symphony Orchestra (1994-1995)

Below is the recording from YouTube.

Nov, 2013: "Poem of Dawn" for Viola and Symphony Orchestra at Il Settembre dell’Accademia

November 30, 2013in Poem of Dawn0by Boris Pigovat

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Nov, 2013: "Poem of Dawn" for Viola and Symphony Orchestra at Il Settembre dell’Accademia

I composed Poem of Dawn in 2010 for violist Anna Serova, to whom it is also dedicated.
The piece was inspired by Nikolaj Kun’s Legends and Myths of Ancient Greece (1914):

The morning is near… There is a faint light in the East. Aeos and Pyrios, the morning stars and harbingers of Dawn, shine brightly in the East. There is a gentle breeze. The light in the East glows brighter and brighter… In vivid colours, on rosy wings, Dawn is soaring into the illuminated sky, drenched in rosy light. Dawn pours dew from her golden urn onto the Earth, and the dew sprinkles the grass and flowers with glistening, diamond-like drops. All is fragrant, all around. The waking Earth happily greets the Sun – Helios.

Sept, 2017: Amazing performance of “Poem of Dawn” at 44th International Viola Congress, Wellington, New Zealand

Jun, 2015: NAXOS Records launched “Holocaust Requiem & Poem of Dawn” CD

I wrote Poem of Dawn using the style and compositional methods of the Russian Romantic school, which I believed to be particularly well-suited to the warm, expressive sound of Serova’s viola playing.

The premiere took place at the Il Settembre dell’Accademia 2013, Teatro Filarmonico di Verona (Italy), performed by Anna Serova and the Symphony Orchestra of Croatian Radio and TV, conducted by Nicola Guerini.
Poem of Dawn was recorded, together with Holocaust Requiem, for the Naxos label. In June 2015, the CD was released by Naxos, received the Supersonic Award from Pizzicato Magazine, and was nominated for the 2016 International Classical Music Awards (ICMA).

In September 2017, Anna performed Poem of Dawn in the 44^th International Viola Congress, in Wellington New Zealand. I obtained a special approval to share the video of that amazing performance with my followers.
Click here to visit the event page where the video is available.

Below are some samples of the premiere and some photos from the event.

Samples from Naxos CD
Anna Serova, Viola
Nicola Guerini, Conductor
Symphony Orchestra of Croatian Radio and TV

SAMPLES

Poem of Dawn from Naxos CD, sample 1

Poem of Dawn from Naxos CD, sample 2

Poem of Dawn from Naxos CD, sample 3

The Poem of Dawn, composed for the distinguished violist and soloist on this disc, Anna Serova, is a warm natured tone poem in the Romantic tradition, its message one of love a beauty.
READ MORE

David Danton

David's Review Corner

June, 2015

This is a beautifully textured, lyrical work. Its main interest lies in the viola solo and in Serova's lyrical and beautiful performance on her instrument.
READ MORE

Robin Friedman

Amazon Top Reviews

July 18, 2015

I am referring to Pigovat's rapturous "Poem of Dawn," which knocked my soaring soul out of its body and had me (still has me!) playing it repeatedly. If you love the music of Claude Debussy and have found yourself swooning over Ernest Chausson's "Poeme de l'amour et de la mer," you're sure to fall irretrievably in love with this work.
READ MORE

Joel Kovacik

Amazon Top Reviews

August 19, 2015

2013: Sonata for Viola and Piano - International Viola Congress at Krakow and "home is where..." CD

April 27, 2013in Sonata for Viola and Piano0by Boris Pigovat

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2013: Sonata for Viola and Piano - International Viola Congress at Krakow and "home is where..." CD

I composed Sonata for Viola and Piano in 2012 for violist Donald Maurice, after his great performance of the Holocaust Requeim at the Concert of Remembrance of 70th Anniversary of Kristallnacht in Wellington, New Zealand, in 2008.

Sept, 2017: Amazing performance of “Poem of Dawn” at 44th International Viola Congress, Wellington, New Zealand

Oct, 2011: Holocaust Requiem at the International Viola Congress, Wurzburg, Germany

The piece was conceived for the Home is where… CD launched by Atoll (New Zealand), and starring Donald Maurice and Richard Mapp.

Donald premiered this piece in 2013 at the International Viola Congress, in Krakow, Poland, with pianist Wioletta Fluda.
The Atoll CD was released that same year.

Later, in February and March 2015, the piece was performed at three concerts in the United States:
The American premiere was in Baltimore, featuring soloists Peter Minkler (viola) and Lura Johnson (piano).
Eight days later, in Houston featuring Lawrence Wheeler (viola) and Tali Morgulis (piano).
In March 2015, in Walden, Colorado, featuring Barbara Sudweeks (viola) and Jo Boatright (piano).

The first movement of Sonata was influenced by the strong emotional impact of two paintings: Sandro Botticelli’s Madonna del Magnificat (1483-1485) and и Madonna della Melagrana (Virgin with a Pomegranate) (1487).

While working on Sonata, I had an idea that it could also be performed as standalone piece; I named this piece Botticelli’s Magnificat.

I shared my idea with Donald and received his support. Donald premiered Botticelli’s Magnificat before the premiere of Sonata.

In 2013, this piece was performed by the young Israeli violist Matan Noussimovich (you can listen to the recording, below).

Below are some samples from the Home is where… CD and recordings from the U.S. premiere, and of Botticelli’s Magnificat.

Samples from the Atoll CD, featuring Donald Maurice (viola) and Richard Mapp (piano)

MOVEMENT 1 SAMPLES

Sonata for Viola and Piano 1 Movement Sample 1

Sonata for Viola and Piano 1 Movement Sample 2

MOVEMENT 2 SAMPLES

Sonata for Viola and Piano 2 Movement Sample 1

Sonata for Viola and Piano 2 Movement Sample 2

Sonata for Viola and Piano 2 Movement Sample 3

MOVEMENT 3 SAMPLES

Sonata for Viola and Piano 3 Movement Sample 1

Sonata for Viola and Piano 3 Movement Sample 2

Recording from the U.S. premiere in Baltimore, featuring Peter Minkler (viola) and Lura Johnson (piano)

Recording from the performance of Botticelli's Magnificat, featuring Matan Noussimovich (viola) and Pazit Gal (piano)

Sept, 2012: "Requiem" CD received Pizzicato's Supersonic Award

September 20, 2012in Holocaust Requiem, Prayer0by Boris Pigovat

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Sept, 2012: "Requiem" CD received Pizzicato's Supersonic Award

In 2010, Atoll released the “Requiem” CD, which includes the live recording from the performance of Requiem in the Concert of Remembrance for Kristallnacht 1938, and three of my other pieces, all starred by Donald Maurice (viola), an excellent performer and a dear friend of mine.
In 2012 the “Requiem” CD was awarded the Supersonic Award by the Luxembourg classical music magazine, Pizzicato.

Sep, 2023: the US premiere of the Holocaust Requiem

Jun, 2015: NAXOS Records launched “Holocaust Requiem & Poem of Dawn” CD

Feb, 2014: “Lux Aeterna” from the Holocaust Requiem, Pittsburgh, USA

Oct, 2011: Holocaust Requiem at the International Viola Congress, Wurzburg, Germany

Nov, 2010: Launch of “Requiem” CD by Atoll, New Zealand

Nov, 2008: Concert of Remembrance of 70th Anniversary of Kristallnacht, Wellington, New Zealand

Oct, 2001: Memorial evening dedicated to the Babi Yar tragedy, Kiev, Ukraine

Holocaust Requiem for Viola and Symphony Orchestra (1994-1995)

Below are some samples from the CD.

Live recording of "Requiem" (samples)

Donald Maurice, Viola
Mark Taddei, Conductor
Vector Wellington Orchestra

PART 1: "REQUEIM AETERNAM"

Requiem Aeternam, sample 1

Requiem Aeternam, sample 2

Requiem Aeternam, sample 3

Requiem Aeternam, sample 4

PART 2: "DIES IRAE"

PART 3: "LACRIMOSA"

PART 4: "LUX AETERNA"

Part 4 “Lux Aeterna” published by Atoll in YouTube

Prayer for Viola and Piano (samples)

Donald Maurice, Viola
Richard Mapp, Piano

2 SAMPLES

Prayer for Viola and Piano, Atoll CD, sample 1

Prayer for Viola and Piano, Atoll CD, sample 2

Silent Music for Viola and Harp

Donald Maurice, Viola
Carolyn Mills, Harp

WHOLE PIECE

Nigun for String Quartet (samples)

Dominion String Quartet

2 SAMPLES

NIGUN for String Quartet, Dominion String Quartet, sample 1

NIGUN for String Quartet, Dominion String Quartet, sample 2

December 26, 2011in Music of Sorrow and Hope0by Boris Pigovat

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Music Of Sorrow And Hope (2011)

Music of Sorrow and Hope was commissioned and premiered by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (conducted by Zubin Mehta) at their 75th Anniversary Festival in December 2011.

The theme of this work is explained in the concert’s program notes:

Sorrow, pain, suffering, anger, struggle, hope and light – it is our way and our destiny.

In 2013, Maestro Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra performed this
work again in two concerts of their subscription series.

Below are an audio recording and a YouTube video from the live recording of the premiere.

IPO’s 75th Anniversary Festival, Tel-Aviv, December 2011

Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
Zubin Mehta, Conductor

WHOLE RECORDING

SAMPLES

Music of Sorrow and Hope, sample 1

Music of Sorrow and Hope, sample 2

Music of Sorrow and Hope, sample 3

Music of Sorrow and Hope, sample 4

Music of Sorrow and Hope, sample 5

Music of Sorrow and Hope, sample 6

December 20, 2011in Other0by Boris Pigovat

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Light from the Yellow Star (2011)

For Symphonic Wind Band

In 2010, Matthew J. George, a conductor of the University of St. Thomas Symphonic Wind Ensemble, proposed that I write a composition based on books and paintings by the Holocaust survivor Dr. Robert O. Fisch.

Inspired by Dr. Fisch works, I wrote a suite of five parts:

        I. Introduction
        II. When the Stones weep
        III. 1956
        IV. Silent Music
        V. Song of Love and Hope

The premiere took place in Minneapolis, in 2011, with the participation of Dr. Fisch himself; he read fragments from his books before each part of the suite and at the end of the composition. His paintings were demonstrated on a large screen during the performance. Dr. George even brought a dance ensemble for the performance!

It was extraordinary event with a big emotional impact on the audience. I invite you to view it (below are eleven clips from the premiere):

Later Matthew J. George and the University of St. Thomas Symphonic Wind Ensemble recorded Light from the Yellow Star, which was released in 2016 by the Innova label, as part of their album Persistence.