One must always take risks in composition,” asserts Keiko Devaux, a Canadian composer born in 1982, whose work is being presented by the ORT. For her—who also studied with Salvatore Sciarrino at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena—eliciting emotion is not taboo, as it has been for many composers of the late 20th century. Her pieces aim for clarity of expression, unapologetically reveal their vulnerability, and seek to develop musical gestures and experiences that leave the audience suspended, floating in the time and space of listening.
In the program led by our principal conductor Diego Ceretta, Devaux’s new work is placed alongside two compositions that could not be more different: Serenata op.46bis for string orchestra by Alfredo Casella, a true rarity, and the Symphony No. 4 by Pëtr Il’ič Čajkovskij, a cornerstone of the late Romantic symphonic repertoire beloved by audiences. A torrent of emotions, the symphony was written by Čajkovskij between 1876 and 1878, one of the darkest periods in the composer’s life, during which, in a misguided attempt to overcome his homosexuality, he made the reckless decision to marry a student—a marriage that lasted only a few hours. The composer described the hidden meaning of the symphony as pessimistic, portraying Fate as “the inescapable force that prevents our hopes for happiness from being fulfilled; that lurks, jealously, to prevent our well-being and peace from becoming full and unclouded: a force that, like the sword of Damocles, perpetually hangs over our heads and continually poisons our souls.”
