Sergei Zhukov had in his mind not only Eleonora Bekova’s skills as a soloist but also her psychological profile. ‘Eleonora is able to be in deep meditation at the same time as she is performing at the piano. She can simultaneously express sound and silence’. The theme of the concerto is that special relationship between sound and silence. ‘Silentium’ stems from the 1910 poem by the Jewish poet, Osip Mandelstam.
The Angel’s Day Concerto was designed to fit the character of violinist Elvira Bekova, using her remarkable capacity to perform exactly according to the composer’s intention. It also reflects the theatrical style of the composer. The concerto, in many ways eccentric, even carnival-like, also has pure moments of lyricism. This reflects Zhukov’s portrait of both the Angel and the performer. ‘Angel’s Day’ is presented in four parts, recalling the classical symphony: morning, noon, evening and night.
Sergei Zhukov is an eclectic composer having produced a large catalogue of chamber, choral, orchestral and theatrical works. He has placed particular emphasis on the genre of the concerto. He has composed three concertos for piano, violin and cello, which he dedicated to each of the Khazak Nakipbekova sisters (The Bekova Trio). This series of concertos earned him the award of ‘Composer of the Year’ made by Musical Review in 2002.