Description

On the 3rd of July in 1940, Joseph Stalin's Soviet Union (USSR) occupied the Romanian region of Bessarabia, which is now known as Moldova. On the same day, the Bessarabian Orchestra was returning home from a tour abroad. When they reached the railway station, the invaders had already taken over Bessarabia. The USSR soldiers forced the musicians to trucks and transported them to a town called Valea Morii. There, they were executed without trial. This opus is a reminder of this historic episode, being a memorial dedicated to those musicians who become victims of invaders on that day.

Instrumentation

1110 0000 01 1, pno, str [afl, ehn, bcl]

Category

Works for Orchestra or Large Ensemble

Opus no.

Op. 17

Premiere

Helsinki City Hall, March 17, 2013.

Commisioned by / dedications

Commissioned by Jani Lehtonen.

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Archive number

MF22484

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