Brought together by a shared spirit of innovation, the UNLTD Collective — made up of alumni from the Verbier Festival Academy — develops and presents original and forward-thinking artistic projects.
pastoral 21
Inspired by Beethoven, who himself drew on the Viennese countryside to compose his Pastoral Symphony, Gabriel Prokofiev recorded natural sounds in the Swiss Alps to create a contemporary response to this iconic work. He reflected on what nature meant to Beethoven — and on what kind of ‘pastoral’ a composer might write today in light of the challenges facing our planet. The resulting piece, Pastoral Reflections, commissioned by UNLTD, became the foundation for a one-hour sound and music project titled Pastoral 21. This work places Beethoven’s symphony, in an arrangement for string sextet by M. G. Fischer, alongside Gabriel’s Breaking Screens project — an exploration of consumerism, digital life, and an approaching crisis.
Pastoral 21 was premiered at the Verbier Festival in 2021 by Gabriel Prokofiev and the UNLTD Collective. The project was later performed in Glasgow during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) that same year, and across Switzerland the following spring to coincide with Earth Day celebrations. This recording of Pastoral 21 was made following the project’s London premiere in October 2022 and released on 2 February 2023. It received a four-star review from The Times (London).
“Given the state of things and the condition of nature, I expected more anger in Prokofiev’s music. But sadness can be just as revealing — especially when conveyed through the excellent playing of the UNLTD Collective.” — Geoff Brown, The Times
Gabriel Prokofiev & UNLTD Collective: Pastoral 21 – Breaking Screens – ChangeTia
Photos © François Vasseur | From top left to bottom right : Gabriel Prokofiev; Songha Choi, Alfredo Ferre; Çiğdem Tuncelli, Songha Choi; Kinga Wojdalska, Martin Moriarty; Antonin Musset, Songha Choi; Songha Choi; Kinga Wojdalska; Alfredo Ferre; Martin Moriarty
“Today, the concept of the ‘pastoral’ carries a bittersweet quality. While we can still marvel at the splendour of nature, the traces of human and industrial impact remain ever-present, and the shadow of an ever-worsening climate crisis looms on the horizon.” — Gabriel Prokofiev