Background of Shadow of the Swan
A few years ago I had the extraordinary opportunity to meet the exceptional Russian pianist Halida Dinova. She had just finished recording the piano works of Scriabin and asked me if I would help her decide the order in which they would appear on her soon to be released CD. After spending eight intense hours working together, I came away from that eventful meeting overwhelmed. Halida's powerful interpretation of Scriabin's work, the depth of feeling she was able to evoke and the profound sensitivity she expressed by her playing had planted a seed in my mind. As I began to follow her career and hear her perform more often she increasingly impressed me by her ability to summon the deepest emotions from the music she performed, bringing it to life in a way that I had never heard. I was also strongly drawn to her as a creative artist who shared my musical values and aesthetic sensibilities. I began to think about writing a piece for her - one that would exploit her very special qualities and make a forceful impact. I decided upon a piano concerto.
I was working on the second movement when I heard the news that the Russian submarine Kursk had experienced some kind of accident and that it and its crew were stranded at the bottom of the Barents Sea. The early but fading hope of rescue, the heroic international efforts exerted to save the men and the ultimate human tragedy brought about by the death of one hundred eighteen sailors made this incident intensely poignant. I was at once terribly moved and inspired. It became obvious to me that the meaning of this work was fatally bound to this tragedy. I decided immediately to dedicate the piano concerto to the memory of those men who perished in August 2000.
Story
