Pomen II, for solo viola (2018)
- for viola solo
- WP by Paul Beckett, May 29, 2018, Purcell Room / Southbank Centre, London
Pomen II
Pomen is a threnody; a sigh; an evocation.
The word Pomen could be translated as mention as well as remembrance, but it also represents a very old Serbian custom dedicated to death, when various rituals used to be done and traditional songs devoted to the deceased were sung in a very special - extremely expressive and powerful, yet not pathetic, manner.
Every phrase is like a verse after which you lose your breath, like a micro cosmos with its own story (but, also a part of a bigger totality), like a sigh or, even better - a moan.
The piece was commissioned by the Hepner Foundation and it is dedicated to the memory of Leo Hepner.
When thinking of Leo, one could immediately picture his eyes: piercing, as if they could see through you and yet, at the same time, incredibly warm and loving. Or his exquisite sense of humour. Or thousand other things that made him so wonderfully unique. Still, to me, the first thing that speaks from my heart and the most personal memory of Leo is the fact that he was one of the very first people who had ears for my music and who believed in me, offering me what I needed to take off : a chance and support. And for that I will be always grateful.