Digital score and parts. Duration 5:30

Night of the Poets by Sarah Bassingthwaighte

Program Notes

This piece is inspired by an event known as Night of the Murdered Poets, which occurred on August 12, 1952. Stalin ordered the execution of 13 poets, writers, and scientists who had been the principal members of the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee. The only survivor was a female scientist, Lina Stern; she was spared because of her pioneering work with the blood-brain barrier. For the text of this piece, I am using thelast poem written by one of the poets, Leo Kvitko, written while he was imprisoned. In the 2017 version of this piece, I included archival recordings of the voices of some of these poets reading their own poetry; other voices are of others talking about thesepoets. This version doesn’t include these recordings.

Leo Kvitko: Prison Romance, 1952

No, my dear friend,

We are not destined to meet -

The cold has gripped my door’s corners

And it is difficult to break free, believe me, believe me...

And you -- do not appear today, my friend!

Silence and oblivion visit me,

And in my heart, bitter premonitions frighten me.

We will meet tomorrow...or perhaps later,

When the dew sparkles on the leaves,

When the tranquil day shines in the window,

And the sun peeks in the eye.

You will come and dispel heavy thoughts,

And the door will burst open into an awakened garden

And my voice will be joyous and young,

And my glance will radiate tenderness.

No, my dear friend,

Do not appear right now -

A fierce cold has chained the door...