I started writing Velesslavitsa in November 2008, after choosing the four soloists for the premiere. The title of this concerto translates as ‘Glory to Veles', who is the Slavic god of music. Thus it is amongst other things an ode to music, to the glory of the process of music-making. Velesslavitsa is a synthesis of pagan and Christian cultural and musical traditions, and so much of the drama of the piece comes from the conflict of these two contrasting worlds. This is a particularly common idea in Russian music, as even today pagan rituals and beliefs live side by side with Christian ones. The concerto has a recurring theme, which acts as a lnk between all the movements: a variant on a fifteenth-century chant from the Valaam Monastery in Karelia (North Russia), ‘Glory be to God’. 

Velesslavitsa was conceived to reflect both my inner world and also the personalities of the soloists. The piano part is lyrical and playful, bold and valiant   and more often than not with a touch of humour. Violin 1 is sensitive, poetic, highly expressive, yet often very gentle, at other times running into a vigorous swirl of energy and power, and always kind and loving. Violin 2 is a very neat and precise part, technically harder as she is a player with more of a focus on technique, but also much cooler than Violin 1. The cello part is both expressive and rational, often creating polyphonic contrast with the orchestra.

The concerto starts with a Maestoso introduction, from which many of the themes of the work will be derived. It opens with the recurring chant theme in the brass   cold, proud, harsh, majestic   interspersed with highly emotional and dramatic responses from the soloists. After the introduction culminates in a chorale version of the chant theme, the sonata allegro begins. It is in traditional sonata form. The main theme is dance-like   already a pagan side to the music. The secondary theme is lyrical yet somewhat playful. The development section starts with a fugato, which is contrasted by a harsh solo from violin 1, and from here the music begins to acquire dramatic tension. As elsewhere, the soloists seek to resolve, to come to a climax, but the climaxes they attain are always very short and abrupt. The material develops and reaches its first true, major climax. It is followed by a deeply felt duet from the two violins, who play in dialogue. The material is taken over by the piano, then the cello. The piano enters with a kind of insane waltz, and then after a short response from the orchestra in the same waltz mode, violin 1 washes all the drama away, with material very similar to the first theme. Then the second theme comes back almost in its original form, predicting the condensed recapitulation that, after a short cadenza from violin 2, soon follows, with a short stretto coda.

The second movement, Grave, was inspired to a trip to Lake Ilmen, south of St Petersburg, in late autumn 2008. The movement, which is in mirror form, opens with dark, harsh unison and fifths in the low register, and only when violin 1 comes in does this icy music begin to melt. As all the soloists gradually enter, the music becomes more and more expressive, more and more human. The cello plays the second material   a long flowing theme, accompanied by a murmuring orchestra. It wants to break into a climax, but the piano brings it back to the icy mood of the beginning. The middle section starts to gain speed and energy, until the chant theme breaks into the music, this time in the entire orchestra. Then the mirror begins, and gradually we return to the icy flavour with which it started, although before that material that was previously not allowed to climax does so.

The third movement, Presto, is in rondo form. After the main material is played by both the orchestra and the soloists, it gradually modulates to the second theme. But very quickly the main material returns in a grander form. The piano plays a third theme, slightly sarcastic and humorous. All the soloists take it up, but the orchestra intrudes and overpowers them. It repeats its solemn theme. The soloists seem to imitate it, but very soon they are into a folk-dance type of motive, very much Finno-Ugrian in its character, which leads back to the main material. The orchestra has a powerful and ecstatic climax. The cello complies with this mood, but the piano calls for another dance. This time it’s a Russian dance, a comical chastushka. The string soloists play pizzicato, imitating folk instruments. The orchestra tries to intervene several times, and eventually gets its way. Now all come together for a powerful coda, where the main theme of the movement and the recurring chant theme coincide to create a powerful, uplifting, glorifying ending.

Alexander Prior © 2009