Three
Major Accordion Events in Rostov-on-Don, Russia
| Written
by: |
| Alexander
Poeluev and translator Galina Shishkina |
|
UNDER CONTRUCTION
- MORE PHOTOS SHORTLY
|
| Date
written: |
| August 2006 |
Three events, influencing
the music life of Russia, occurred during the last months at the
big hall of the Philharmonic Society in Rostov-on-Don.
First - it's the arrival in our country of the legend of world
jazz, Art Van Damme. For the whole time of his remarkably creative
career, this was the first visit of the master to Russia, and
therefore, it became in truth, a sensational moment for all jazz
fans. Art Van Damme gave only two concerts, one in Moscow and
one in Rostov-on-Don.
Art Van-Damme surrounded by welcoming fans
at the Rostov Airport
Irene Pilipenko, Alexander Poeluev and Art
Van-Damme enjoying some sightseeing.
The performance in Moscow was organized by one of the greatest
Russian musicians, Professor of The Gnessins' Russian Academy
of Music, Friedrich Lips,
and took place on December 17, 2005 within the format of the festival
"Bayan and Bayan Players". The concert was a huge success.
The performance in the city of Rostov-on-Don, occurred two days
later, and was organized by the laureate of International Competitions
and two time Coupe Mondiale winner Alexander
Poeluev who won both the Senior Coupe Mondiale and Coupe Mondiale
Piano Accordion categories.
The concert in Rostov-on-Don has collected a record number of
audience, the greatest amount in recent years. The applause was
so tremendous, that it made the designers of the philharmonic
hall think about strengthening the building!!!. Only one performance,
but what a performance!!!
Art Van-Damme in concert quartet under the
leadership of Aram Rustamiants
The first several minutes of music sincerely delighted the Rostov
residents, when Art Van Damme appeared on the stage and began.
That said nearly everything about the music of this great musician
- more than all the words of congratulation later.
Not a single person in the hall was left without tears, smiles,
great joy in their heart. Art Van Damme played gorgeously! After
the concert he highly valued the splendid playing of the quartet
under the leadership of Aram Rustamiants with whom he performed
that evening.
Art Van Damme performed the best of his arrangements and compositions.
He spent more than one hour on the stage, and for more than one
hour, the people knew and were assured, that untill the present
time, Art Van Damme is the best, the only and the greatest…
The last melodies, words, steps on the pavement, where Art Van
Damme was walking, ceased resounding, his incredibly light and
joyful "OK!", uplifted hand and smile fixed on the cameras,
applause sounded in his honour even in Rostov International Airport,
but like nothing vanishing in the universe, his playing remains
a hope from the very depth of the heart…
The second event which became an unforgettable musical feast -
was the Jubilee Concert of the composer, whose name for already
40 years, has been on the posters of the biggest concert halls,
master of bayan music of the XXI century Anatoli Kusiakov. His
music exerted great influence on the musical thinking of whole
generation of performers worldwide. Today he is, perhaps, the
greatest composer alongside S. Gubaidulina and E. Denisov, who
wrote the most serious compositions for bayan. His contribution
to the modern music is lyricism and depth. It penetrates to the
secret parts of the soul making the listeners experience the most
wonderful feelings.
 In
bayan music Anatoli Kusiakov (picture left with Friedrich
Lips) firstly declared himself a giant of composition more
than 30 years ago when he wrote Sonata No. 1. At once, it became
a bestseller, like all his following pieces. The demand for his
music today is still extraordinary! Kusiakov cooperates with the
most prominent performers, the first among them - Viatcheslav
Semionov.
The 60 Year Jubilee concert in honor of Anatoli Kusiakov on April
8, 2006 was opened by a performance of his suite "Spring
Pictures" performed by the trio of Yuri Shishkin, Artem Priveden
and Andrei Sochilkin.  This
piece was written originally for bayan solo, and it has acquired
a true orchestral sound with striking effects in this new version.
(Picture left is Kusiakov and Semionov.) Then the Symphony No.
2 "Autumn Nocturne" with its greatness, rich palette
of mood and long musical lines sounded, performed by the Rostov
Academic Symphonic Orchestra under the leadership of Peter Gribanov.
Photo above of some famous performers: Semionov, Dranga, Kusiakov
and Vostrelov.
Yuri Shishkin then performed Sonata No. 6 for bayan and the Concert
for bayan, stringed, keyboard and percussion instruments - Shishkin
is clearly one of the top creative performers of bayan and Kusiakov's
works - and his performance became a culmination of the whole
concert. The evening ended with "Festive Overture" of
the Maestro Kusiakov in honour of his 60 Years Jubilee.
 Only
5 days later - on April 13 - in the same hall was a triumphant
concert by one of the greatest bayan players of all time, the
Professor of the Gnessins' Academy of Music in Moscow, Viatcheslav
Semionov, who celebrates his 60 Year Jubilee in 2006.
This event had been anticipated with great impatience and the
hall of Rostov Philharmonic Society was overcrowded. The name
of Viatcheslav Semionov is so closely linked with Rostov-on-Don,
that one cannot simply imagine musical culture of the Don without
it! For almost 20 years, Semionov administered the chair in Rostov
Conservatory, having composed here, some of the most famous accordion
compositions in the whole world: "Kalina Krasnaya",
"Bulgarian Suite", "Sonata No. 1", as well
as having brought-up a whole galaxy of prominent pupils.
And here on the stage - were many stars of the musical world.
Musicians whose names are added with gold letters into the world
history of accordion: Yuri Shishkin, Anatoliy Zaikin, Gennadiy
Galitskiy, Mikhail Zatcepin, Alexander Poeluev, Alexander Selivanov,
Danil Stadnyuk and the master, Viatcheslav
Semionov himself.
And here on the stage - were many stars of musical world, musicians,
whose names are added with gold letters to the world history of
accordion: Yuri Shishkin, Anatoliy Zaikin, Gennadiy Galitskiy,
Mikhail Zatcepin, Alexander Poeluev, Alexander Selivanov, Danil
Stadnyuk and the master, Viatcheslav Semionov himself. The wonderful
evening featuring only the compositions of Semionov sounded forth
and Rostov listeners expressed their love and affection with never-ending
applause and greetings.
The celebrator
Semionov, who played the Concert for Bayan and Stringed Orchestra
titled "Freski", opened the celebrity starred concert.
Then a true musical feast began - his pupils came out to the stage!
Each played not only a solo, but the piece with orchestra exploding
the hall with the fireworks of emotions, and then all eight performed
twice on encore the well-known "Don-Rhapsody Final"
with the orchestra of folk instruments under the leadership of
Krikor Khurdayan. A wonderful evening.
For the whole year a series of jubilee concerts of Viatcheslav
Semionov is being planed in big cities of Russia.
|
| Back
to Articles Index |
|
