“La huelga de Tereza” is a classical instrumental piece composed by a collective of musicians called Una Lengua Infinita. They are a collaborative effort to bring forth their art with a mission to deliver an experience of universal connection and authenticity. Apart from translating European literature into music, there’s a collaboration with the Ukrainian ensemble Infinito String Music for this specific version.
Also, this piece is actually a central part of a much larger, multi-layered
artistic project, and the story behind this piece is actually incredible.
This
piece is inspired by a novel called “The Bucharest Train” by Michel Rouan.
It’s set in Romania during the final, dark days of the Ceaușescu dictatorship.
There’s this character, Tereza, who works in a lingerie factory. Every single
day, she shows up at the train station just to watch the train leave for
Bucharest. It turns out, this is her silent strike.
In a place where you couldn’t speak out, her just being there became this huge, symbolic act of resistance. Eventually, the secret police, the Securitate, stepped in and labelled her crazy just to dismiss her. And from that moment onwards, this piece picks up the context for that quiet defiance and contained tension, which you can hear throughout the track in the piano and strings.
It’s all part of how the composer and performers bridge the gap between the written word and the musical notes.