Love and self-sacrifice, war and death, the meaning of art—these are universal themes that seem more relevant than ever in light of recent political events in Eastern Europe. Ukrainian conductor Oksana Lyniv, who first appeared at the Pierre Boulez Saal in 2019 with the Staatskapelle Berlin, makes her Boulez Ensemble debut leading a program that explores connections between ancient mythology and an all-too-real present. At its center are the world premieres of two mono operas by Russian-born composer Vladimir Genin, who has lived in Germany for many years, based on texts by Rainer Maria Rilke. Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber’s musical depiction of a battle, written in 1673, and Thea Musgrave’s Orpheus meditation of 1975 serve as instrumental preludes.