Introspection

Introspection, composed in 1996, is a chamber duet for flute and harpsichord written during Alexander Shchetinsky’s mature period. Lasting approximately 11 minutes, the work exemplifies the composer’s imaginative exploration of sonority through unusual instrumental pairings. The combination of modern concert flute and the Baroque harpsichord reflects a deliberate juxtaposition of expressive continuity and percussive articulation, lending the piece a distinct timbral identity.

Though the precise details of its premiere remain undocumented, Introspection was likely first performed in Ukraine in the late 1990s, possibly in Kharkiv or Kyiv during a festival or contemporary recital. The score was published by 2000 under the New Consonant Music imprint of Alain Van Kerckhoven, contributing to the international dissemination of Shchetinsky’s chamber works.

As its title implies, Introspection is contemplative and inward-looking in tone. The piece is structured as a single, continuous movement, unfolding in an unbroken span that resembles a fantasy or rhapsody more than a formally demarcated composition. Without distinct sections or traditional movements, the work flows through successive phases of texture and mood, each evolving organically from the last.

The flute frequently carries the principal melodic material, projecting long, lyrical phrases that emerge over delicate harpsichord accompaniment. Rather than providing contrapuntal interaction, the two instruments engage in a complementary partnership—sometimes one sustains while the other introduces new material, maintaining a spacious and reflective quality.

Composed during a period of aesthetic synthesis, Introspection illustrates Shchetinsky’s late-20th-century style, which merges aspects of modernism with a sensuous minimalism. By 1996, his musical language had coalesced around principles of “formal and structural flexibility,” coupled with an attention to the inner life of sound. The piece explores not only pitch and rhythm, but also the decay of tones, the resonance of harmonies, and the silence between gestures.

The meditative restraint of Introspection bears comparison to the Eastern European “sacred minimalism” associated with composers like Arvo Pärt or Valentin Silvestrov. However, Shchetinsky’s work avoids overt spirituality, remaining secular and abstract while sharing the same concern for transparency, stillness, and resonance.

Technically, the piece is demanding not in speed but in control. The flutist must sustain extended lines with refined dynamic shading and timbral variation, sometimes incorporating extended techniques such as harmonics or delicate multiphonics. The harpsichordist, meanwhile, is tasked with timing and articulation subtle enough to match the expressive demands of the flute, despite the instrument’s plucked mechanism.

Reception and Performance
Though its instrumentation is niche, Introspection has been appreciated in contemporary music circles for its evocative textures and poetic restraint. Ukrainian music scholars have noted it as representative of the chamber music innovations of the 1990s—particularly in its synthesis of early music instrumentation with modern aesthetic sensibilities.

The piece stands apart from the more abrasive avant-garde trends of the era, offering instead a sound world characterized by introspection, nuance, and understated beauty. Some commentators have compared its affective quality to that of “sacred minimalism,” though without its explicitly religious framework.

Performers have found Introspection rewarding for its subtle demands on ensemble cohesion and expressive precision. It has been occasionally programmed in recitals of new music, particularly by performers interested in the intersection of historical and contemporary timbres. One notable performance took place in 2001 in Paris, featuring Ukrainian flutist Iryna Nakonechna and French harpsichordist Bertrand Le Texier, marking the piece’s entry into broader European repertoire.

Introspection is a refined and poetic work that exemplifies Alexander Shchetinsky’s mature style at the close of the 20th century. Its synthesis of modern technique, modal lyricism, and timbral sensitivity offers performers and listeners a quietly powerful chamber experience. As part of the small but growing body of Ukrainian flute–harpsichord repertoire, the piece continues to hold a modest yet enduring place in contemporary music programming, embodying the contemplative elegance that characterizes much of Shchetinsky’s output.