for flute, clarinet, bassoon, horn, bass trombone, percussion, 2 violins, viola, and cello
The Man in the Yellow Shirt is inspired by Kazimir Malevich’s painting Complex Presentiment (Torso in a Yellow Shirt) and represents a kind of prehistory to the painting.
Duration: 10′
Program notes
Malevich considered it important to leave the following words on the back of the canvas: “The composition emerged from elements of a feeling of emptiness, loneliness, and the hopelessness of life.” Together with the overall atmosphere of the painting, these words led the composer to explore the conflict between the individual and an aggressively hostile society.
The chamber ballet The Man in the Yellow Shirt consists of four movements. The first and fourth are instrumental and are intended to create an atmosphere corresponding to the colors and mood of the canvas: exhaustion, scorching sunlight, and the tense anticipation of tragic events.
The second movement characterizes the protagonist, creating a striking contrast with the ballet’s overall atmosphere through the spirited and carefree image of a Russian youth.
The third movement is the most eventful. Here, the protagonist confronts an opposing force in an unequal struggle that ends in his “spiritual” death.