The Deceitful Face of Hope and of Dispair

The title is taken from the poem Ash Wednesday by T.S. Eliot, but in principle has nothing to do with it.

In this work for flute and large symphony orchestra Gubaidulina plays with intervals and sound waves. She uses the entire register of the solo instrument(s) and orchestra, from the depths of the bass flute and the breadth of the alto flute, up to the shining heights of the concert flute. The music seems to be a continuation of the heavier symphonic works of her influencing predecessors Dmitri Shostakovich and Alfred Schnittke.

The work was commissioned by Sharon Bezaly and Robert von Bahr at BIS Records. The first performance was given by Bezaly with the Göteborg Symphony Orchestra conducted by Mario Venzago on May 26, 2005.