The name of the Ukrainian bayanist Vladimir Murza is well known to professional academic circles thanks to his numerous concerts in prestigious concert halls of Ukraine, Russia, Germany, Canada, Yugoslavia, Finland, Lithuania and also due to radio and TV broadcasts. Vladimir Murza studied bayan at the Odessa Conservatorium of Music (Ukraine) and in 1988 become the Laureate of the Klingenthal competition. Currently teaching accordion at the Odessa State Conservatorium of Music, Murza combines his teaching with active involvement in many International Festivals and Conferences, as an adjudicator, tutor or as a performer. Vladimir Murza presents a wide repertoire in this CD, beginning with baroque and classical pieces and ending with modern compositions originally written for the accordion. The performing style of this brilliant instrumentalist possesses, among others, one great quality - there is a beautiful freshness in his playing. From the very first note that quality of beautiful freshness just strikes you in a way that, in his performance, baroque and classical pieces are not performed as just dry academic exercises (as they are so often performed). Altogether Murza's playing has enormous personality, and his performance of the classical pieces especially, is characterised by a special romantic and poetic quality. One more side of Murza's performing skill is his undoubted technical mastery. He has total technical freedom and plays with an amazing ease, which is especially noticeable in "Voices of Spring", (arranged for the accordion by Yashkevich) - a piece which is technically very demanding. Overall, Murza is a musician and accordionist of a very high calibre, able to perform different musical styles equally impressively. I was delighted to have the opportunity to hear this recording! I have to, however, make a remark on the CD quality packaging wise: it perhaps is not up to Western standards (CD cover and general packaging), but the performance standard surely makes up for it. |
