Legend of the Walled-in Woman

Winner in 2006 the Young Composers category of the 53rd International Rostrum of Composers (IRC).

The work quotes an ancient Albanian folksong that tells of a legend from ancient times of three brothers that built a fortress to protect themselves from Roman and Hellene invaders. The brothers worked during the day, but, during the night, the fortress was mysteriously ruined. One night, their mother had a dream -- one of the brothers had to sacrifice his wife, and then the fortress would remain standing. None of the brothers wanted to sacrifice his beloved wife. They then agreed to let fate decide which of the wives would be chosen, and to not tell their wives anything about this dream. Every working day one of the wives came to them and brought food, and the brothers agreed to sacrifice the wife who brought food the next day. Only the youngest brother kept his promise -- the two other brothers told their wives not to come to the fortress the next day. According to the legend, the wife of the youngest brother was sacrificed by being walled into the foundation of the fortress.The music is based on unique colours of timbres that characterize southern Albanian folklore. At the beginning of the composition, they can be heard as direct quotations which later are transformed and dissolved into different musical images, compared and contrasted with the timeless and eternal.