If you asked him whether he considered himself a conductor or a composer, he would say that these were two aspects of the same thing, and that for him it merely meant “whether one is a musician or not”. In any case, he will admit that this dual role helped him a lot, the composer in him helped the conductor decipher the ideas of the composers whose scores were on the music stand in front of him more quickly and easily, whereas the conductor has taught the composer many technical skills that make his scores well and skilfully prepared, regardless of the instrument to which they are dedicated.
The works on this album, without explicit intent, are a cross section of Skender’s opus in the last ten years. Likewise, these are, by chance, though perhaps subconsciously conditioned, also the works that were created under the direct influence of the composer’s mental and physical state and the circumstances of his life. Though varied in terms of content, they are often linked by a very similar underlying story, namely the author’s need to express the circumstances and situations that occupy him every day. Everything he experiences in everyday life, good or bad, arresting or repulsive, everything that passes through his system and leaves a mark, it all becomes an echo and a reflection of the time in his music.
(Marija Saraga, from CD book; croatian/english)
Croatian Composers’ Society, Cantus Ltd, 2021
