Download UNDER THE TITLE OF 15 YEAR ANNIVERSARY Imperceptibly

UNDER THE TITLE OF 15 YEAR ANNIVERSARY
Imperceptibly passed two months of the IV International Music Festival "Kostroma symphonic."
December 16, 2014 in the hall of Regional Philharmonic It held its final concert. This year the music
forum was marked by the 15th anniversary of creative activity of the host of the festival - Kostroma
gubernski Symphony Orchestra under the conduction of Pavel Gershtein. Flowers, sold out concerts and
warm welcome by the listeners – came by no surprise, because in the festival program were listed the
names of the leading Russian musicians. The Public’s expectations were justified: at the height were not
only the choices of performed works, but also the brightness and intelligent decisions of the
organization of the performances. Indeed, the orchestra came to the anniversary in great shape.
The first concert of the music forum is dedicated to the anniversary of the national newspaper "Music
Review", which for many years creates a single musical information space in our country. Concert and
touring activity of the orchestra of Pavel Gershtein is also constantly covered in these pages: the orchestra
is one of the participants in the project “orchestral map of Russia”. On the initiative of "Musical Review" in
early October in our country was launched a campaign called "Opus 25", in which 56 cities across Russia
held more than 100 concerts, performances, conferences and other events. Kostroma gubernski Symphony
Orchestra was invited to participate in it, so in the evening's program are included works associated with
the number "25", the number of years that the newspaper has been working for in 2014. In the first part to
the listeners was offered the famous Piano Concerto of E. Grieg, performed beautifully by the laureate of
the international competitions Eduard Kunz. The second part of the concert the orchestra of Pavel
Gershtein - addressed to the masterpiece of the late domestic composer N. Myaskovsky - his Symphony
op.69 having a serial number "25". It is particularly pleasing to note that the gubernski Symphony
Orchestra became the only one from all of the orchestras of our country, to have performed the full
philosophically lyrical masterpiece within the project "Opus 25".
It's no secret that one of the established traditions of the festival "Kostroma symphonic" for a long time
was the performance of the most interesting works of contemporary composers. Relying on the
professionalism of the musicians of the orchestra and its artistic director and chief conductor Pavel
Gershtein, many foreign and domestic composers have trusted the ensemble the premieres of their newly
created opus. So, on October 11th - the day that is tacitly considered the birthday of the orchestra, was
held a "concert of new music ', the program which included works by Michael Bronner, Eugene Irshai,
Michel Rochat, and not so long ago departed Polish composer Henryk Górecki. The role of soloist on the
stage performed well-known artists: from Nizhny Novgorod Yuri Gurevich (accordion), Kristina Fish
(domra), Ruslan Razgulyaev (piano), and a native of Nizhny Novgorod, now living in France, Strasbourg
Philharmonic soloist Inga Kazantsev (piano). By the way, she came from far away, same as the longstanding partner of the orchestra, who came to congratulate the orchestra with an anniversary - clarinet
player from Switzerland Fredy Zaugg. They were the first soloists who performed in our city with the newly
created orchestra by Gershtein 15 years ago - in October 1999. They performed the compositions
dedicated to the Kostroma guberneki Symphony Orchestra - Conchertante for Clarinet and Piano by the
Swiss composer Michel Rochat. This world premiere was marked by the 200th anniversary of diplomatic
relations between Switzerland and Russia.
Festival "Kostroma symphonic" - multi-genre project, it is a place not only for symphonic, but also vocal
classics. A real discovery for Kostroma was the visit to our city by a wonderful singer, a coloratura soprano,
star of the State Academic Bolshoi Theatre of Russia Oksana Lesnichaya. She brilliantly performed Arias
from operas by G. Meyerbeer, C. Saint-Saens, G. Rossini, L. Delibes, songs from movies and music for plays
by I. Dunayevsky, T. Khrennikov, A. Khachaturian, the famous "Nightingale" by A. Alyabiev and the pearl of
the soprano repertoire, composition which only a few world-class singers can perform- Concerto for voice
and Orchestra, Op. 82 by R. Glier. Voice of rare beauty, charm and artistry, high culture of singing, bright
personality - that's what distinguishes performing style O. Lesnichaya.
November 7 in the hall CEC "Gubernski", took place the traditional concert "Happy Birthday, Maestro!" To
congratulate Pavel Gershtein that day came winners of international competitions: Honored Artist of
Russia Andrey Baturkin, soloists of the State Academic Bolshoi Theatre of Russia Oksana Lesnichaya and
Leonid Bomshteyn, State Academic Choir of A. Yurlova under the supervision of Honored Artist of Russia
Gennady Dmitryak. The evening began with a performance of the student of the Moscow Special Music
School (college) of Gnessinih, recipient of Vladimir Spivakov International Charity Foundation, Matvey
Sherling. The audience was offered a chance to hear a work written specifically for Matvey - First Concerto
for alto saxophone and orchestra by a pianist, composer, Honored Artist of the RSFSR Yury Sherling. One of
the highlights of the evening and the festival was the performance of the cantata "Carmina Burana" by
German composer Carl Orff composed in the twentieth century, which served as the basis for literary
poems and songs of wandering poets, musicians - so-called Vagant, goliards, and minnesingers of the XIII
century.
The guests of the fourth concert of the festival were winners of international competitions, musicians from
London: Olga Domnina (piano) and Simon Smith (violin), they presented to the public of Kostroma a
Concerto for Violin and Piano by F. Mendelssohn. One of the hallmarks of the music forum "Kostroma
symphonic" this year have been the training activities and master classes given by associate professor of
special piano in Nizhny Novgorod State Conservatory of M. I. Glinka's Ruslan Razgulyaevo and in the hall of
Regional College of Music and professor at the Conservatory of Birmingham Simon Smith during the
rehearsal of the orchestra in DC "Patriot" held for teachers in our region which anyone could attend. These
events have once again confirmed that the Kostroma gubernski Symphony Orchestra - is not only an
ensemble that leads an active concert life, but also the perfect base for educational programs.
The finale of the festival was the visit to our city by a laureate of international competitions, Honored
Artist of Russia, cellist Alexander Knyazev, always a very warm welcome was given by the Kostroma
audience and this time they were offered the last performance of Prokofiev's works - his SymphonyConcerto for Cello and Orchestra. In the second part the musicians turned to the opus, which requires
from the performers a high level of skill - Ninth Symphony ("From the New World") by A. Dvorak. The
audience enthusiastically fond of acute and dramatic portions of this piece, and the second and third drenched the scene in the free play of light and shade. In general, the whole range of compositions for
symphonic programs of the festival, whether "Petrushka" by I. Stravinsky or Serenade for String Orchestra
by P. Tchaikovsky, allowed the orchestra to demonstrate the precise coordination that every orchestral
group should strive to achieve, their wonderful execution of repertoire of any stylistic direction. The
festival, marked the anniversary of the orchestra, and became a time of bright meetings and new creative
discoveries!
Victoria Rogozhnikova, musicologist, Ph.D.