Having studied a couple of years to become a constructional engineer, Silvestrov enroled in courses taught by Lyatochinski and Revoutski at the Kiev Conservatory in 1958. When he graduated six years later, he already had various compositions to his credit that are remarkable for their originality, a Piano Quintet and a Quartetto piccolo of nearly Webernian concision, a Trio for flute, trumpet and celesta (1962), a First Symphony (1963), Mysterium for alto flute and six groups of percussion. The careful observer will distinguish three periods in Silvestrov’s compositional endeavours, the years of exploration and adherence to post-serial modernism. The three compositions recorded on this CD will most certainly testify to that effect.