Silk Road Stories

Ancient Letters, by Elena Kats-Chernin, is inspired by centuries-old correspondence found in a remote location on the legendary Silk Road. The letters tell of the uncertainties of frontier life, the hustle and bustle of the marketplace, and the colossal distances traversed along this celebrated trading route. Born in Uzbekistan, Kats-Chernin has a personal connection to the storied Silk Road – Ancient Letters is her homage to a past that is keenly felt, though lost and irretrievable. Evocations of the past are the threads that run through works by Prokofiev and Ravel – the ‘Classical’ Symphony is frothy and light, while Le tombeau de Couperin is poignant and polished.