Have your CD reviewed by Tania
Lukic-Marx
Tania Lukic-Marx now
gives the CD reviews a rating system. This system includes a number of
stars at the completion of the review, for example 5 stars (*****) means
the CD was "brilliant" or "excellent", 4 stars = impressive, 3 stars =
good, 2 stars = satisfactory and 1 star = didn't impress.
Title: |
Slavik
(double CD)
|
Artist: |
Stevan R
Knezevich |
Supplied
by: |
Stevan R
Knezevich |
Review
date: |
July 19th
2002 |
Tracks: |
Volume 1
1. Welcome Dance Arr. by S.R. Knezevich, Country: Ukraine
2. Variations on " Hey Thou Winter, Pleasant Time" Arr.
by N. Rizol, Country: Russia
3. Romanian Spring Dance Arr. by N. Rizol, Country: Romania
4. Kalinka Arr. by S.R. Knezevich, Country: Russia
5. Central Ukrainian Duet Arr. by Kulyk, Country: Ukraine
6. Saratov Selections Arr. by Tihonov and Kuznetsov, Country:
Russia
7. Slavik Medley Arr. by S.R. Knezevich
8. Little Dawn Arr. by Kuznetsov, Country: Russia
9. Moldovan Gypsy Dance Adapted for accordion by S.R. Knezevich,
Country: Moldova
10. Slavik Trio Arr. by S.R. Knezevich
11. Board Dance Arr. by S.R. Knezevich, Country: Russia
12. Vesnyanka and Maryna Arr. by S.R. Knezevich, Kulyk,
Country: Ukraine
13. Joyful Wedding Arr. by Basiol, Country: Moldova
14. Grechaniki Arr by N. Rizol, Country: Ukraine
15. Russian Quadrille Arr. by S.R. Knezevich, Country:
Russia
16. Bayan Horse Arr by S.R. Knezevich, Country: Ukraine
17. Hutzul Dance Arr. by Paliok, Country: Ukraine
18. Bukovinian Kozak Arr. by Blazuka, Country: Ukraine
19. Uzhanski Wedding Dance Arr. by Paliok, Country: Ukraine
20. Arkan Arr. by S.R. Knezevich, Country: Ukraine
Volume 2
1. Fair and Round Faced Accordion orchestration: S.R. Knezevich,
Country: Russia
2. Bukovinian Fantasy Arr. by S.R. Knezevich
3. Boikiv Celebration Accordion Orchestration by: S.R.
Knezevich, Country: Ukraine
4. Moldovan Rhapsody Arr. by Kulyk, Accordion duet arrangement
by: S.R. Knezevich, Country: Moldova
5. Verhoveno Arr. by Kulyk, Country: Ukraine
6. Topotuha Arr. by S.R. Knezevich, Country: Russia
7. Hora Arr by Gribkov, Country: Moldova
8. Virsky's Hopak Accordion arr. by S.R. Knezevich, Country:
Ukraine
9. Spring Dance Arr. by Kuznetsov, Country: Russia
10. Western Ukrainian Suite Arr. by S.R. Knezevich, Country:
Ukraine
11. Chiviyashko Dance Arr. for Accordion and Bass by S.R.
Knezevich and R.T. Rogers
12. Guilder Rose Bush Arr. by S.R. Knezevich, Country:
Ukraine
13. Barynya Arr for Bayan by Shalaev, Adapted for Accordion
and modified by S.R. Knezevich
14. Ukrainian Tambourine Dance Arr. by S.R. Knezevich,
Country: Ukraine
15. Why Nightingale? Arr. by Salin, Country: Ukraine
16. Bukovinian Dance Adapted for Accordion by S.R. Knezevich
17. Little Guilder Rose Bush Arr. by Kulyk, Country: Ukraine
18. Sweetheart Arr. by N. Lozovsky-Burns, Country: Russia
19. Birch Tree Arr. by Lozovsky-Burns, Country Russia
20. Bottle Dance from "A Fiddler on the Roof" Accordion
orchestration by S.R. Knezevich
|
Stevan
Knezevich
Born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, Stevan Knezevich
has been playing the accordion since the age of 5. At approximately
the same age, he also enrolled in piano lessons, later completing
the Royal Conservatory of Toronto's Performer's Associateship.
At the age of 12, Stevan was employed by the Dovbush Ukrainian
Dance Ensemble as their sole dance accompanist. This led to numerous
exposures to various professional dance instructors and bayanists
from the Ukraine and Russia. His most memorable bayanists were
Bohdan Parumba and Viatcheslav
Semionov. These and many other bayanists from Ukraine and
Russia led Stevan to continue his interests in and develop his
own unique style of playing his own accordion. In addition, Stevan
toured both Canada and the US with this dance group and Russian
dance group "Yablochko" where he had the opportunity to meet many
other musicians. By the end of high school, Stevan gained a strong
reputation as one of the finest folk dance accordionists in Vancouver
and was playing for 7 different groups at the time. These included
both of the groups mentioned above in addition to the St. Sava
Serbian Dance Group (junior and senior groups), Cheremshyna Ukrainian
Dancers (now known as the Trepak Ensemble), Druzhba (the junior
Ukrainian group associated with the Dovbush Dancers) and eventually
a Greek ensemble that was just beginning to form.
In addition to his employment as
outlined above, Stevan was also a member of a Jewish quartet called
"Tum Balalaika" for two years from 1997 to 1999. They produced
and recorded a CD entitled "Tum Balalaika, A Shared Heritage"
that took advantage of Stevan's repertoire and expertise in rare
Russian and Ukrainian music. Moreover, the CD displayed the many
overlapping themes and melodies that Russian, Ukrainian and Jewish
music share in common.
Recently, Stevan produced and recorded
his first solo album entitled "Slavik". The content of these CDs
includes material that Stevan compiled during the last 15 years
as an accompanist for the several different ethnic dance ensembles
mentioned above, as well as from his numerous endeavours with
dance instructors and musicians from the Ukraine and Russia. The
majority of the pieces on these CDs are rare solo works that were
either arranged by Stevan for the accordion or that have been
previously arranged by others. In addition, there are a number
of pieces that he personally arranged for 2 to 6 six accordions
and an original composition that has an eastern European flavour.
Music from the CD "Slavik", has been played on CBC's "Fresh Air"
with Jeff Goodes and CBC's "The Global Village".
Aside from his music, Stevan obtained
a B.Sc. in Biochemistry and a Ph.D. in Pathology and Laboratory
Medicine from the University of British Columbia. He then went
on to work as a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the British Columbia Cancer
Agency where he did molecular genetic research on lymphomas. Currently,
he is entering his third year of medical school at the University
of Toronto, Canada.
Stevan's double album covers a wide
range of the folk music and dances from various Slavic countries
such as Belarus, Czech Republic, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Serbia
and Ukraine. Stevan plays on the acoustic accordion, no electric
devices. This recording was produced, recorded, engineered, mastered
and graphics by Stevan.
The first thing I noticed about
this recording is that it was all done professionally: packaging,
CD covers and its quality, explanations, track names were done
both in English and Russian/Ukrainian, table of countries and
corresponding tracks - very impressive! I was equally impressed
with Stevan's playing style. Technically, it is confident and
secure, crisp clear and light. But there is also that enthusiasm
in his playing, that love for the music he performs and that clearly
comes through to the listener. That is what touched me in Stevan's
performance: his enthusiasm and musicality.
This is no doubt an impressive project
in the area of Slavic folk music and dances.****
|
Home
| Weekly News | Yellow
Pages | Sites Hosted |
Services | Search
AWW | Contact
to comment on these
pages, e-mail the webmaster
|