GW Bush, Osama bin Laden, Abraham Lincoln, Amr Moussa, EE. Cummings, Walt Whitman, Koran and Bible in American Requiem I, which opens the ring of three American Requiems by Evgeni Kostitsyn.

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"The genre of 24 Preludes & Fugues has existed for about 300 years now. During this time, several cycles consisting of twenty-four Preludes and Fugues have been composed. My 23 Preludes & Fugues were composed in 2005 to mark the centenary of the birth of Dmitri Shostakovich".

Russian song folklore is a rich treasure - it houses the original culture of Russia. Professional interest in its preservation arose not more than a hundred years ago and has been developing more intensively with years. Composers began to turn to arrangements of Russian folk songs, often creating independent works in which the song appears enriched by the author.

Van Cliburn's performances were recorded live during the most memorable days of the pianist's career - his victory at the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, in 1958. It is amazing that the quality of the recording is comparable with studios - the Russian audience does not clap during pauses and it does not chew popcorn!

Critics in many countries called him "King of Violin", "King David." The 20th century will, by all rights, enter the history of the violin performing art as the epoch of David Oistrakh.

Thirty-Three Variations on the theme of a Waltz in C major by A. Diabelli, Op. 120 is one of Beethoven's most remarkable works, the culmination of a long evolution of structure in variation in his music.

Igor Zukov has played at all the major venues around the world drawing acclaim and recognition. His interpretation of Chopin's and Scriabin's preludes is notable for freshness and delicacy. Zhukov's performance embraces the best features of great Russian piano tradition.

"We came to the monastery near Linz where Anton Bruckner lived and worked. It was twilight time. A cold, gloomy baroque church was filled with mystery. Somewhere behind the wall a choir sang an evening mass - 'Missa Invisible'..."

Two remarkable chamber compositions by D. Shostakovich are presented in this album. Sonata for Viola and Piano is the composer's last work.

S. Richter and O. Kagan make up a most cohesive ensemble with the age discrepancy causing no discord in their joint appearances: Svyatoslav Richter amazes us with his unfading youth while Oleg Kagan impresses with a genuinely ripe mastery.

This album features top Russian artists: Mstislav Rostropovich, the Borodin String Quartet, Gennady Rozhdestvensky and the Leningrad Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra performing two of the most precious compositions of Russian classical repertoire: Variations on a Rococo Theme and Souvenir de Florence by Pyotr Tchaikovsky.

The musical language does not contain virtuoso effects to impress you by vanity of fast fingers and sparkling passages. Instead you may feel a breath of eternity. A spiritual world unfolds behind a natural flow of images. You may finally understand, that music is not what you can hear. Music is what you can feel.

Synchronous music is a new style which demonstrates a new method of organization of musical material. Your perception will bounce between different compositions sounding at the same time and this shifting will evoke remarkable emotions and experiences. Synchronous music is perfect to portray the versatile, polyphonic nature of the modern world.

Gentle lyricism - this is the main feature of L. Timofeyeva's readings. Soft, winsome sound, heartfelt emotion, love of romantic, expressive melody - these features of the pianist's gift have determined her interpretations of these works.

The Siberian Violinists Ensemble has, through virtuosi and a wealth of style and timbre, so enriched the expression of the violin that they have won the recognition of numerous listeners throughout Europe and the world. In their recording of "Seasons" by Tchaikovsky, the widely known piano interpretation of the cycle gains a new instrumental sound.

The Ballet "Sacre du Printemps" consists of two parts. The first presents the scene of nature's awakening in spring. The second depicts the somber scene of a human sacrifice. The plot of "Jeu de Cartes" is a game of poker during which the nimble and smart Joker often unexpectedly destroys the natural course of the game.

Through these songs the most important theme of Atlantov's art emerges in all its beauty and grandeur - love declaration, love - talent, a test of fortitude and depth of feeling, love defying and sentimentality.

Being already an accomplished pianist Richter never passed the exam to enter the Moscow Conservatory as a student. He was enrolled without examination. Can we imagine the same happening at our state music schools which charge 100$ only for applying and where composers and performers are evaluated by accountants according to form-filling instead of personal inspiration and experience? Indeed, real diplomas are issued in Heaven.

Regarding his fourth Symphony, Tchaikovsky wrote: "Never yet has any of my orchestral works cost me so much labor, but I've never yet felt such love for any of my things. ...Perhaps I'm mistaken, but it seems to me that this Symphony is better than anything I've done so far".

The second Symphony of Peter Tchaikovsky is partly an example of a popular trend of the time: to include in serious concert works characteristics of indigenous folk music. The folk melodies utilized in this symphony are of Ukrainian origin.

Armenian sacred music is the most ancient among Christian musical cultures. It is distinctive not only in its melodies, but also in structure, which differs from the Western forms.

A pianist of genius, a composer, and a conductor - Sergei Rachmaninov was related in all essences to Russian culture. Only a few bars of his music are enough for the listener to trace back its pedigree.

Constantly addressing works of different epochs, styles, and national schools, Evgeni Svetlanov attaches great importance to performing Russian classics.

In 1888, N. Rimsky-Korsakov created his largest and most well-known symphonic work - the "Scheherazade" suite. Sultan Shakhriar pledged to execute each of his wives, but Scheherazade managed to save her life by entertaining the Sultan with tales that she narrated for 1001 nights.

The role of Mikhail Glinka (1804-57) in Russian music is comparable to the role of Shakespeare in English literature. Glinka established the Russian national music school. Tchaikovsky wrote that "all Russian music was contained in Glinka's "Kamarinskaya" like a majestic oak in a tiny acorn".

Inspired by his trip to Leipzig, the place where J. S. Bach died 200 years before, Shostakovich created 24 masterpieces that can be compared to Bach's cycle.

The novelty of the interpretation and high level of digital recording enable the listener to hear for the first time and appreciate the original symphonic opus of young Shostakovich.

Constantly addressing works of different epochs, styles, and national schools Evgeni Svetlanov attaches great importance to performing Russian classics.

"Vespers" maintains origins in traditional church music, bears the mark of the composer's unbounded imagination and is imbued with the poetry of antiquity and the enchantment of Russian folk art.

Georgian Chorales are an outstanding monument of Georgian music. Graphically, Georgian neumees differed from Greek and Latin ones. Their system of notation remained undeciphered until recently.

"Snow Maiden", the third opera by Rimsky-Korsakov, is a spring fairy-tale after the play by A. Ostrovsky. Through the work, the composer created for the first time images of nature and the life of Russian people in the remote, heathen past.

Symphony No. 8 was composed in 1943 during the siege of Leningrad. Hundreds of thousands of defenders of the former Russian capital were killed by German Nazis, or died from starvation. In Shostako- vich's symphony, war's stern events are imprinted with colossal, tragically generalized force. Fedoseyev lived in Leningrad during the siege.

By his deep, beautiful voice, which pours down powerfully and with great inspiration, and through his outstanding artistic intuition and technique, Paata Burchuladze creates vivid vocal images. He is in perfect command of the principles of the Russian vocal school, with emotional artisism and an ability for transformation.

In spite of Rachmaninov's completion of the opera Aleko at the age of 19, the music clearly reveals his style and has evoked the interest of many opera theatres during the last hundred years.

Vyacheslav Artyomov has dedicated his Requiem to "Martyrs of Long Suffering Russia" and, on a scale commensurate to the immensity of the tragedy, has created a gigantic sound epic, a majestic monument with meticulously elaborate details, fine treatment of each feature and all- immense.

Russian Orthodox Church singing occupies a special place in old Russia's vast and varied spiritual heritage. Its fate was such that for a long time even the fact of its existence was denied.

Liszt's commitment 'to translate literature into music' resulted in the creation of new aesthetics known as program symphonism. Many of Liszt's disciples turned his idea into an absurdity of primitive musical illustration of literary origins.

As time passes, Pletnev's treatments again and again puzzle many of his listeners with their innovative character. Often this novelty results from his own analysis of the work's content which reflects the author's vision of the world.

The majority of J. S. Bach's cantatas (approximately 200) were written on sacred texts. Cantata "Jesu, der du meine Seele" was based on a sacred song by Johan Rist written in 1641 and then rearranged by an unknown author. Cantata "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme" was written to be performed on the 27th Sunday after Easter.

The Mighty Five collected and used in their compositions much more foreign folklore than any other national music school. A desire to become a voice of their own people and to talk to the world on their behalf encouraged many composers to learn different musical cultures.

Symphony No. 2 is characterized by richness of melody, striking with the breadth of symphonic forms. The symphony's color is vividly national, originally combining the epic style of A. Borodin and the lyrical style of P. Tchaikovsky.

Pyotr Tchaikovsky's symphonic fantasy on William Shakespeare's "The Tempest" begins with a picture of the calm sea. But Ariel, by order of Prospero, raises the tempest, trying to sink the ship. The violence of the element is skillfully reflected in the music, where the breathing of the sea seems to be heard.

In Symphony #1, the special traits of musical language typical of the composer are vividly revealed. "Vocalise", is one of Rachmaninov's most popular works. Artistic perfection, extraordinary plasticity of a melancholic melody, and lucidity rate the work among the best samples of the world's vocal literature.

The program of this album contains compositions which were not originally written for orchestra. Ravel and Shostakovich devoted their efforts to orchestrate the pieces.

Haydn was the author of over a hundred symphonies. Such a prolific output is a key to the understanding of his creative work as a life-time development of the same symphonic model. This album introduces conductor Mark Ermler's recordings of the first symphonies by Haydn made in 1987 and 1988 with the USSR Bolshoi Theatre Chamber Music Ensemble.

The history of performing art knows many artists who enjoy great popularity among their contemporaries, the musicians that made valuable contributions to the development of performance technique. There are just a few artists whose creative activity brought a new aesthetic horizon in musical culture in general. David Oistrakh was that kind of musician.

Concerto Grosso No. 1 (1977) is one of the most significant works of Alfred Schnittke. The basis of it is integration of different musical periods ranging from the epoch of Gregorian chorale and Renaissance to modern time. They create a peculiar type of integrity which the composer himself called "polystylistics".

Natalia Gutman, Oleg Kagan, Yuri Bashmet and Alfred Schnittle worked in close cooperation for a long time. The collaboration resulted in the creation of Concerto Grosso 2 and Viola Concerto.

Vladimir Krainev (b. 1944) is one of the most brilliant representatives of the Russian piano school.

Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is the earliest sacred composition by Tchaikovsky. The performance, the acoustics of the Smolensk Cathedral and the quality of the recording are outstanding.

The images of the beloved Motherland, reminiscences and thoughts about it make up the content of the third symphony, deeply imbued with Russian national color. "Isle of the Dead" is one of Rachmaninov's most important program works. The poem was created under the influence of the canvas of painter A. Bocklin.

Polyphonic Notebook evokes the analogy with J. S. Bach's inventions where the composer uses almost all the possible devices and stratagem of counter-point technique. It's remarkable that the author suggests conventional titles for the preludes, doing it at the end of each miniature, as if trying not to distract the listener's attention from music, fearing to dictate, advocate his own image.

What warmth and passion in Grieg's melodic phrases, what teeming vitality in his harmony, what originality and beauty in the turn of his piquant and ingenious modulations and rhythms... add to all this that rarest of qualities, a perfect simplicity. This album embraces piano miniatures written in different periods of Grieg's life performed by one of the greatest Russian pianists of our time - Mikhail Pletnev.

Scriabin was a composer-philosopher who "like Bach and Beethoven erected churches and temples on the heights". His Symphony #1 opened the new era of Russian symphonism. It reveals to us the new pheno- menon in the Russian music known today as Scriabin.

Chesnokov left a vast musical heritage. The most essential and important part of his legacy is sacred music. This album features one of his the most significant creations - Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.

Poetical images created a large fresco later transformed into music by Sviridov. Music enhances Esenin's poetry creating a song, not in a genre form, but as an inherent creative pulse.

The Ossipov Russian Folk Orchestra is one of the leading musical companies in Russia. In 2024, the orchestra celebrated its 105th anniversary. Years of cooperation with Russia's most prominent musicians have brought outstanding results.

In the 1730s, Bach became the leader of the Leipzig Student Musical Society "Collegium Musicum". He conducted the orchestra sitting at the clavicembalo. Concertos for one, two, three and four claviers with orchestra were very popular.

Prokofiev's works have been categorized as barbaric, eclectic, ironic, romantic, post-romantic and anti-romantic, neoclassical, sarcastic, cosmopolitan, cold, industrial, lyrical, full of adrenaline, epic, schizophrenic... It looks like he cannot perfectly match any box our musicologists have been attempting to put him into.

The musicians performing here are widely known as the leading soloists of the world-famous "Moscow Virtuosi" Chamber Orchestra.

The musicians performing here are widely known as the leading soloists of the world-famous "Moscow Virtuosi" Chamber Orchestra.

"Bells" is one of the most outstanding compositions of the 20th century. It consists of four movements dedicated to four periods of human life: serene, hilarious green years; happy, bursting with love youth; mature years filled with fight and suffering and the tragic finale - death. Bells change their character gaining new meaning in the upcoming movements.

Three pianists featured on this album are among the most prominent musicians of our time. They form a very remarkable ensemble performing Mozart concertos for two and three pianos.

Mily Balakirev is an outstanding representative of Russian national symphonism. He remains a true adherent of Glinka's traditions.

Georgy Sviridov is one of the most prominent Russian contemporary composers. A deep devotion to his native culture continues Russian musical tradition and is expressed by laconic language rooted in folk-music.