165TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF PYOTR TCHAIKOVSKY
May 7 marked the 165th anniversary of the famous Russian composer Pyotr
Tchaikovsy, who remains one of the world’s most performed classics, his 
symphonies
gracing the repertory of all renowned conductors and his 1st concerto for
piano and orchestra still regarded by many as a yardstick for measuring
performers’ talent. It’s hard to find a musical theater that hasn’t put
Tchaikovsky’s ballets “The Nutcracker” and “The Swan Lake” and operas “Evgeny
Onegin” and “The Queen of Spades.”
His piano cycle “Album for Children” has been a musical ABC-book
for generations of young pianists.
The Moscow Conservatory, the Perm Opera Theater, the symphony orchestra
directed by Vladimir Fedoseyev, a city in the Urals, streets in many Russian
cities and towns, a number of prestigious music competitions and museums
bear the great composer’s name.
Reflecting on peculiarities of Tchaikovsky’s music, his outstanding colleague
Igor Stravinsky defined them in terms of simplicity and spontaneity: “He
was never afraid of being free and frank, although many were high-brow
aristocrats shocked at the sincerity of his music.”
One reason for Tchaikovsky’s unfading popularity is his rare gift
for “creating melodies.” Researchers of his original scores note that a
theme came to him in a flash of inspiration and revealed deep emotional
excitement as he tried to sketch it and arrange it into a whole. His best
melodies – the themes of love – sound like idyll and apotheosis of lyricism,
as, for example, the famous “love song” from Tchaikovsky’s ballet “Romeo
and Juliet.”
The hypnotizing effect of his music is most apparent in his later
opuses – “The Queen of Spades” and the 5th and 6th symphonies, in which
he focuses on human psychology and reflects about life and death. One critic
described Tchaikovsky’s 6th symphony as a “a fascinating drama of emotions
next to none in the intensity of expression…”
Thaikovsky is one of the few classics who gained wide recognition
during his lifetime. As a conductor of his own pieces, he toured Europe
and America. One of the highest music authorities of his time, an idol
of Moscow conservatory students, he was bestowed honorary membership of
Cambridge University in Britain and the Fine Arts Academy in France.
Tchaikovsky died at the age of 53 leaving behind 11 operas, 3 ballets,
19 orchestral pieces, dozens of instrumental and choral pieces, several
liturgies, scores of romances, 80 articles about music, librettos, poems
and a huge epistolary legacy.
Remarkably, one of his earliest pieces is a cantata on a theme from
Schiller’s “Ode to Joy” used by Beethoven as a finale for his 9th symphony.
“Embrace, Millions!” and “All People Are Brothers” - this is the message
the 25-year-old graduate of the St. Petersburg Conservatory wanted to convey
to listeners.
OLEG TABAKOV: IN THE MIRROR OF STAGE
Five years have passed since the well-known Russian actor Oleg Tabakov
took over as the artistic director of the more than a century-old Moscow
Art 
Theater (MKhT)
founded by the reformist directors Konstantin Stanislavsky and Vladimir
Nemirovich-Danchenko.
MKhT’s history zigzagged from unheard-of popularity in the first
half of the 20th century to crisis and stagnation in the 50s and 60s and
then again to a peak of fame under the talented director Oleg Yefremov.
In the 90s, Tabakov, a close friend of Yefremov’s, set up a theater-studio
known as “tabakerka” and firmly steered it along the path of success. So
by the time he had been invited by the MKhT staff to replace the deceased
Yefremov, Tabakov had considerable organizing experience.
This is how he defined his tasks as MKhT’s artistic director: “To
restore the theater to its former glory, one needs a strong, full-fledged
troupe fit for any play - antique, classic or modern. Also, I want to invite
talented directors of all generations with different conceptual approaches,
striking individualities who will give the theater a new, interesting repertory.
In my opinion, success has nothing to do with cheap, commercial popularity.
Rather, it means that a theater is viable, capable for work and every night
being filled with grateful spectators recognizing themselves and their
country in the mirror of stage.”
Over the past 5 years MKhT has premiered 50 new plays by Russian
and foreign classics. It is open to creative search, is not afraid of experiments
and cooperates with a motley mix of old and young masters, among them directors
Adolf Shapiro, Sergei Zhenovach, Yuri Yeremin, Kirill Serebrennikov, Nina
Chusova and Mindaugas Karbauskis. The latter’s adaptation of Chekhov’s
“Uncle Vanya” won a prestigious Golden Mask national theater award.
MKhT’s guest directors include such celebs as Peter Stein, Jurgen
Gosch and Tadashi Suzuki.
The theater has toured China, Ukraine, Latvia, Greece, the Czech
Repubic, Germany, Austria and Japan, all within 5 years.
In May it is planning to release a new premiere – Kirill Serebrennikov’s
innovative production based on Mikhail Saltykov-Schedrin’s novel “The Golovlyovs”.
Director Alexander Butusov from St. Petersburg is currently rehearsing
“Hamlet”, while Peter Stein will soon embark on another of Shakespeare’s
tragedies – “Richard III”.
THE MYSTERIES OF MOSCOW MANEZH
Manezh, one of Moscow’s “don’t miss” attractions, solemnly reopened on
International Monument Day in mid-April, a year after the devastating fire 
completely
destroyed the historical building’s interior. Teams of construction workers,
architects and historians worked hard to give Manezh a second life. Parallel
archeological excavations shed light on some mysteries Manezh has been
hiding for nearly two centuries.
Built in 1817 to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the 1812 victory
against Napoleon, Manezh was first intended for troop parades and could
easily house over 2,000 soldiers. Engineer Augustin Betancours designed
a unique full-width pillarless roof consisting of semi-arch wooden rafters.
Russia’s most spacious edifice of its time, it hosted equestrian shows,
fairs, symphony concerts, exhibitions and art salons.
The first excavations on Manezh square were conducted in 1993. Archeologists
were surprised to find well-preserved streets and lanes under the cobbled
pavement. The most amazing find was the 16th-century Resurrection Bridge,
which was restored and declared museum property in 1997.
Excavations following the March 2004 fire revealed a whole system
of cultural layers going back to the 11th century. The 3-meter upper layer
contained numerous household items and gold and silver coins spanning a
vast period from Russia’s Emperor Peter I to Manezh’s founder Emperor Alexander
I. One of the coins bears a portrait of Peter I wearing a suit of armor
and crowned with a laurel wreath, while the reverse side displays the image
of St. Andrew the First Called. The coin is worth 2 rubles, quite a sum
in those times, and is the first ever 2-ruble coin released by Peter I
to be found to-date. Apparently, the 2-ruble coin had a fairly short life
and quite was soon replaced by coins of a different value.
Other archeological treasures unearthed near Manezh include log cellars,
fragments of the cobbled Tver roads, and lots of artifacts and jewelry.
Of special interest is a one-meter steel sword dating from the late
14th century, which was supposedly hidden by its owner during a surprise
raid on Moscow by the Tatar khan Totkhamysh in 1382.
The lowest layer at a depth of 6-7 meters contained items dated 11th-13th
century, traces of an early Moscow settlement and a burial site with more
than 40 tombs, which suggests that there might have been an Orthodox church
at this place before the 1237 Tatar invasion, of which no written evidence
has survived.
The mysterious underworld of Manezh is showcased at a exhibition
in the White Chambers on Prechistenka historical and cultural complex.
A permanent archeological exposition spanning the centuries-old history
of downtown Moscow will be organized on the subsurface level of Manezh.
CD NOVELTIES FROM RUSSIAN ROCK GROUPS
Lots of new CDs by various Russian rock groups were released this spring,
among them Svetlana Surganova’s “Chopin’s Beloved”. A former vocalist with
the Night Snipers group, she embarked on a solo career, emerging as a bright
and emotional rock signer and the author of several hits.
Yuri Naumov, one of Russia’s best blues guitarists, released a new
album called “Born to Play” featuring his new songs and instrumental pieces.
Several years ago Naumov moved to New York but comes to Russia every spring
to give concerts and present new CDs.
The popular rock group ChaiF from Yekaterinburg commemorated its
20th birthday with the “Emerald Hits” album recorded together with the
Emerald folk group, which gives it a certain ethnic flair.
The recently founded City-312 group released its debut CD focusing
on burning themes of contemporary life.
Boris Grebenschikov, dubbed the “guru” of the Russian rock and his
Aquarium group, premiered the Zoom, Zoom, Zoom album inspired by Grebenschikov’s
autumn trip to Tibet and consisting of 13 compositions, all recorded within
a few weeks.
The Melnitsa (Mill) neo-folk-group came up with its new album “Pereval”
(Passage) drawing on ancient myths and religious rites of various nationalities.
The veteran group Machina Vremeni (Time Machine) treated its fans
with a new CD called “Mashinalno” (Mechanically). Both veteran and young
rock lovers will find it equally enjoyable.
05/26/2005
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