Program Notes by Anton Kuerti:

The book "Whales: A Celebration" incorporates artistic contributions from famous writers, artists and composers from all over the world; royalties from the book's sale went to the Greenpeace "Save the Whales" campaign. I accepted the invitation to solicit short musical contributions from famous composers, and sent out letters accordingly. Although I was much disappointed not to receive replies from some very distinguished composers whom I was personally acquainted with, I was hapy to be able to collect 11 fine contributions, and was particularly gratified that the greatest living composers of the two nations whose slaughter of cetaceans was the most scandalous, Shchedrin from Russia and Takemitsu from Japan, did participate.

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Morawetz's is the most substantial of these short works, and I feel he captures exquisitely the submerged, dark majesty of the whale in the ocean deep, using contrasting registers, solemn progressions, and rippling rhythms and trills.

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