When thinking of Russian music, one immediately thinks of great names like Tsjaikovski and Rachmaninov. The names that come to mind are generally those of composers from the Romantic period or the 20th century. Russian music only broke through internationally during the second half of the 19th century. Composers from before this period therefore rarely receive attention in the West. The cd Evolution by guitarist Aynur Begutov aims to change this and makes use of a typically Russian concert instrument for this purpose: the semistrunka (a 7-string Russian guitar).
Imported art
Russia developed its own musical tradition only late. One of the reasons for this is the ban on secular music by the Orthodox-Slavic Church. Under the rule of Ivan IV (1547 to 1584), this changed for the first time. He was the first tsar to invite Western composers and musicians to fill the musical void. By the time tsar Peter I the Great (1682 to 1725) came to power, Western European artists were part of the Russian court. Although he was not a great art fan himself, Peter I did recognize the importance of culture and had a whole series of Westernizations carried out in his realm. Throughout almost the entire 18th century, Russia was dominated by tsarinas who had a pronounced preference for Italian opera.
The first work on the cd dates from this period and is an example of this Italian preference. Andreï Ossipovitch Sikhra (1773–1850) composed a series of variations on the theme of the cavatina from Rossini's La gazza ladra (1817). Typical of this set of variations is the use of the campanella technique (in which the melody notes are distributed across all strings) on open strings. The works of his contemporary Mikhail Timofeïévitch Vysotsky (1791–1837) are also sets of variations on well-known Western melodies. Most composers from this period were self-taught musicians who wrote down their variation sets. The instruments were preferably keyboard instruments, harp or the new instrument the semistrunka. Sikhra introduced this innovation but soon both professionals and amateurs discovered the appeal of the instrument, which led to its growing popularity.
Developing an own style
The next generation, to which Michail Glinka (1804–1857) and Nikolaï Ivanovitch Aleksandrov (1818–1884) belong, began to break away more from the Western tradition. They sought their own sound and composed mainly on Russian folk melodies. Glinka is the most important Russian composer from this generation but none of his compositions are found on this cd, though works by a contemporary are. The three selected works by Aleksandrov are typical of this period as they are all ballroom or salon dances. With the choice of dances, the link with the West remains visible: a virtuosic waltz, a Czech polka and a Polish mazurka. The latter dance is the only one that is still somewhat danceable. It possesses the typical mazurka characteristics such as a ternary time signature, hop figures and the accent lies on the 2nd beat of the measure. Furthermore, it contains many of the typical ornamentation techniques of this period such as hammer-on and pull-off. After Aleksandrov's generation, the mazurka would develop throughout the rest of the century into a beloved genre among Russian composers.
(Post)-Soviet
The so-called second wave of Russian composers, to which Tsjaikovski and the Mighty Five belong, is skipped on this cd. The motivation for this is unclear: is there no quality repertoire for the instrument? Or does this generation of composers already receive sufficient attention? The choice is not clarified in the accompanying booklet and so it remains a matter of speculation. Since a period is missing, the work Valse "Les flocons de neige" by Matveï Stepanovitch Pavlov-Azancheev (1888–1963) serves as a kind of stylistic bridge between the first three and the last four composers on the cd. This waltz is part of a series of ballet arrangements that Pavlov-Azancheev made during the 1950s. The tessitura and playing techniques (such as harmonics and light slides) of the waltz are comparable to those of Spanish composers like Francisco Tárrega (1852–1909) but the harmony and texture are fuller than those of Spanish counterparts.
The works of Alekseï Aleksandrovitch Agibalov (1940–2019) and Sergueï Dmitrievitch Orekhov (1935–1998) follow the dominant lyrical style that characterizes the 20th-century guitar repertoire. "Guitar clichés" such as tremolo and arpeggios are no longer the basis of the composition but are carefully chosen to give certain passages greater emotional depth. There is also more freedom in rhythm and meter, which allows more room for the guitarist's musical interpretation. From the 1980s onwards, emerging influences (such as folk, jazz, rock and film music) also found their way into Russia's classical repertoire. For example, Orekhov integrates Russian Gypsy elements into his Danse gitaren "Mare Diandia".
Tone color
The 20th-century aesthetics of lyricism and stylistic blending are also carried into the 21st century by Konstantin Guermanovitch Vassiliev (°1970) and Sergueï Ivanovitch Rudnev (°1955). Much attention is paid to tonal color. Additionally, the programmatic character of music is gaining increasing importance in the guitar repertoire. This evolution is also addressed on this cd. The five works by Vassiliev each have their own theme, ranging from traditional oil paintings to Russian porcelain figurines and small clay toys. The booklet accompanying the cd describes Vassiliev's compositional style as a blend of experimentalism and classicism. However, the selection of works on this cd does not showcase his experimental side. Khokhloma demonstrates rhythmic diversity but only uses traditional playing techniques.
The cd aims to introduce unknown Russian composers to a broader audience on a typically Russian concert instrument that is virtually unknown outside the country's borders. It succeeds in presenting 18th and 19th century composers but falls short in conveying the plurality of influences after 1980 and completely overlooks the more "experimental" repertoire, such as that of Nikita Kosjkin (°1956), who wrote atonal and percussion works for guitar alongside tonal works. But choosing means losing, and not everything fits on just one cd of 62 minutes. This selection of compositions for semistrunka thus nicely complements the cd Russian Fantasy (2012) that Begutov released earlier.
- WHO: Aynur Begutov [semistrunka]
- WHAT: Evolution
- RELEASE: Vision Fugitive
- PHOTOS: © Official site of Aynur Begutov
- Spotify: Evolution
- Order: JPC
