Concerts

Machinery

The Machinery project looks into the image of the machine and its transformation from the factory tool to a computer chip in comparison with the Russian avant-garde music of the 1920s and the works of our contemporaries. The machine of the twentieth century is a mind-striking mechanism of the imagination; the machine of the 21st century is miniature and silent. The first type inspired the birth of Iron Foundry by Alexander Mossolov, Le Pas d'Acier by Sergei Prokofiev, Rails by Vladimir Deshevov or Elektrifikat by Leonid Polovinkin. The second type of the machine provides new technologies for composing. The program of the Machinery concert consists of compositions that were born with the help of machines from different eras. It contains premieres of works by Vladimir Rannev, Alexander Khubeev, Nikolai Popov and Alexander Chernyshkov, that were written specifically for the project, as well as new electro-acoustic versions of the immortal works by Alexander Mossolov, Vladimir Deshevov and Dmitri Shostakovich.

PROGRAM:

Vladimir Rannev (*1970) - Touch II for ensemble, interactive audio and video
Alexander Mossolov (1900-1973) - Iron Foundry, electro-acoustic version
Nikolai Popov (*1986) - Interferometer for ensemble, electronics, light and video
Vladimjir Deshevov (1889-1955) - Rails, electro-acoustic version
Alexander Khubeev (*1986) - Luce, multimedia composition
Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) - Factory from ballet Le Pas d'Acier, electro-acoustic version
Alexander Chernyshkov (*1983) - rather for two stepper motor, two high voltage relays and ensemble

Performers:

Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble
Ivan Bushuev - flute
Oleg Tantsov - clarinet
Mikhail Dubov - piano, keyboard
Dmitri Vlasik - percussion
Vladislav Pesin - violin
Ilia Rubinshtein - cello
Nikolai Popov - electronics, video

CONCERT DATES:

10.12.2016 - Alexandrinsky Theater New Stage, Saint Petersburg (RU)
13.12.2016 - Eltsin-Center, Yekaterinburg (RU)
14.12.2016 - Meyerhold Theater, Moscow (RU)
15.09.2017 - Gergev Festival, Rotterdam (NL)
25.10.2017 - Exposition of New Music, Brno, (CZ)
5.11.2019 - MC2 Grenoble (FR)

Pro et Contra

The Pro et Contra project presents works of the composers of hostile "parties" battling on "the musical front" of the Soviet Russia. One was for purity of "proletarian music", rejecting classics and new experiments of "formalists". Others supported "the broadest acquaintance with the newest musical works of all directions, both as the USSR, and foreign". One was called “RAPM” (Russian Association of Proletarian Musicians), second was called ACM (Association for Contemporary Music).

RAPM consisted of the composers, whom mainly worked in the genres of song and the Soviet poster (“Plakat”). Among them were Alexander Davidenko, Victor Belyi, Marian Koval, Boris Shekhter. Later (in the 30s) the ideas of RAPM have defined the direction in the Soviet art – “socialist realism” with its bright representatives Aram Khatchaturian, Dmitri Kabalevsky, etc.

ASM included the talented leading Russian composers; among them were Nicolai Roslavets, Alexander Mossolov, Dmitri Polovinkin, Vladimir Deshevov, young Dmitri Shostakovich. Their creativity of the 20s became the real example of innovation of that time.

Unfortunately, the fight of parties was won by RAPM and by 30s ASM has ceased to exist. However, thanks to ASM in Russia in 60s and later there were such names as Edison Denisov, Sofia Gubaidulina and Alfred Schnittke, and later the whole galaxy of interesting contemporary composers.

PROGRAM:

RAPM
Alexander Davidenko (1899-1934) - Poster Lenin, Songs: Song of homeless, And around all overcoats
Victor Belyi (1904-1983) - Vocal cycle The War
Aram Khatchaturian (1903-1978) - Trio for clarinet, violin and piano
ASM
Gavriil Popov (1904-1972) - Piano pieces
Nicolai Roslavets (1881-1944) - Nocturne in version for 5 musicians
Alexander Mossolov (1900-1973) - Four Newspaper Advertisements for voice and piano
Dmitri Schostakovich (1906-1975) - Aphorisms in version for 5 musicians

Performers:

Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble
Andrei Kaplanov - bas

CONCERT DATES:
30.11.2016 - Sviatoslav Richter Museum, Moscow (RU)