Osvaldo Golijov with Silkroad musicians at a workshop for Falling Out of Time in 2018. Photo by Stephanie Berger
“Osvaldo Golijov was one of the most celebrated stars in classical music. Then came a long, unexpected drought,” writes Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim in Thursday’s (11/5) New York Times. “In 2011, the Israeli novelist David Grossman published ‘Falling Out of Time,’ a haunting fable about a grief-stricken father who sets out on a journey to connect with his dead child…. The book found its way into the hands of Golijov, a composer who … over the past 10 years … has been all but silent. Mr. Grossman’s ‘Falling Out of Time,’ though, became the seed of his creative regeneration. Last month the Silkroad Ensemble released a recording of Mr. Golijov’s 80-minute song cycle based on the text… ‘I was really depressed,’ Mr. Golijov, 59, said … recently, of his creative drought. ‘That is the shortest answer.’ … ‘Falling Out of Time’ dealt with tragedy, survival and the mystery of existence. ‘I had been looking for the perfect story to ask all these questions,’ Mr. Golijov said…. His score makes use of the wide palette of instrumental sounds offered by the Silkroad Ensemble…. Since the pandemic hit earlier this year, he said, he has been writing ‘like crazy.’ ”
