As Europe emerged from the horrors of World War II, Eastern European composers Górecki and Pärt were children, and Vasks and Pelēcis, of the new generation of music creators to follow. were soon to be born. All four grew up in Soviet-dominated Eastern Europe, and their music looks back to the trials of the preceding years and speaks with hope of the future, all the while responding to the frost-shrouded landscapes in which it came to life. These composers grappled with cultures in which music was simultaneously highly prized, but bound by strict social and political constraints. From the rare genius of these four men, this set of conditions produced music of astonishing and distinctive beauty, characterised by profound simplicity and a true valuing of the silent.

Into Silence a new album from Australian pianist Tamara-Anna Cislowska explores the works of these composers, interweaving the intimacy of solo piano with concertos and orchestral works, recorded with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra under Johannes Fritzsch – himself brought up behind the Iron Curtain. The album reveals a unique and beautiful serenity within this music, from simple repeated gestures and patterns on a lone piano, to vast orchestral landscapes - quite remarkable given the tense political climate from which these works emerged.

The album was recorded in Hobart Tasmania, and Sydney NSW in early 2017. It was released on Friday 8 September 2017 and is Album of the Week on ABC Classic FM from Monday 11 September.

For more, visit: https://www.abcmusic.com.au/discography/silence.