10 CULTURE The Minsk Times Friday, January 6, 2012 Distinguishing Troitsa ethno-trio plays oneself among sharp even on a rainstick competition Young Belarusian pianists win Unique group boasts over 200 instruments international contest in Italy Four pupils from Minsk’s musi- cal school #17 have brought home victory from the 23rd Citta di Mon- calieri European Music Competi- tion, winning in the ‘Piano’ nomi- nation. Young pianist Anastasia Makkglinchi was awarded fi rst place while Yana Bagryantseva and Savva Strelkovsky shared honorary sec- ond place in the same age category, ahead of those from Russia, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia and elsewhere. Boris Strelkovsky came second in the next age category. It is not the fi rst victory for pupils from the musical school, as pupils of Veronica Sakharova won prizes in 2008 and 2010. Aft er the awards ceremony, the jury invited the Belarusian entrants and their teacher to take part in Eu- ropean concert programmes. In total, the 23rd Citta di Mon- calieri European Music Competi- tion brought together performers in four major nominations: piano and piano ensemble, string instru- ments, wind instruments and cham- ber orchestra. Over 300 musicians took part — hailing from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Italy, Germany, Slovenia, Slovakia, Croatia, Bosnia, Korea and Switzerland. BELTA Troitsa Belarusian folk-trio touring across Europe By Andrey Vasyanin ent sound, with live energy rather than tute of Arts, Ethnography and Folk- Where do you keep your ar- 3B Format synthesised. We use various forest bird lore. Fellow student Yuri Dmitriev chive? Ivan Kirchuk is always at the sounds on our ‘Sun’ song — from our and I began our musical experiments Ivan KIRCHUK: It’s packed exhibition front of the stage, in a lavishly deco- ‘Zhuravy’ (Cranes) album; we create in those early years. into bags and is in Warsaw, where rated cap, with a gusli on his knee or all these ourselves, as our forefathers What do you aim to achieve in we were writing our latest album. I’ve By Tatiana Pastushenko ocarina in his hands. His beard and did. adjusting a folk song? spent many years recording songs and powerful bass voice remind you of Your CDs feature not only the Ivan KIRCHUK: We have no gathering folk instruments, rushniks, Thematic exhibition opens at an ancient shaman. Yuri Pavlovsky is Belarusian zhaleika or smyk, but particular goal. We take an original covers and ancient clothes from vil- Belarusian Foreign Ministry on the drums to the left while Yuri the Turkish darbuka drum and, melody and lyrics and interchange lages. Several times, we’ve brought our Th e unusual name of the exhibi- Dmitriev has his guitar, as ever, on even, a rainstick, as the cover of one some lines or invent our own refrains, collection to festivals and it has ‘per- tion is derived from the author’s sur- the right. Troitsa folk-trio performs of your CDs explains… while reinforcing other parts with in- formed’ with us. Once, in Holland, we names: sculptor Sergey Bondarenko ancient Belarusian songs, singing in Yuri PAVLOVSKY: Th is is an struments and our voices. were given a house for ten days to host and landscape artists Yelena and Igor a lively manner. Th ey can adjust their African instrument — made from a Maybe such freedom gives your the collection. We all were demon- Barkhatkovy. Th ey are united not performance to suit any audience: dried cactus. Inside, dried seeds fall, songs greater power… strating performances of our Batleika only by the fi rst letter of their names from Malaysia to Portugal. recreating the sound of rain. We like to Ivan KIRCHUK: Th is is what Puppet Th eatre. but by their style, as Belarus’ Foreign Our MT correspondent inter- experiment. We’re interested in every we inherit from the chants. Every part It seems that Troitsa is more fa- Minister, Sergei Martynov, noted viewed Troitsa’s soloist and leader, sound and the timbre of instruments of those songs had a purpose. When mous in Europe than in its home- at the opening ceremony. “Th eir Ivan Kirchuk, and drummer Yuri from around the globe, so we try to use we told our Dutch producer that each land or in Russia. creativity and love for their native Pavlovsky. them all. song is linked to a particular custom Yuri PAVLOVSKY: We’ve gath- country unite Sergey Bondarenko Something always hangs on Ivan KIRCHUK: Once, in Hol- or ritual he was very surprised; Eu- ered thousands at Minsk halls but and Yelena and Igor Barkhatkovy. the microphone stand during your land, we were presented with a Ger- rope lacks this. At Kupalie — a sum- have now moved away from such Meanwhile, their works are making concerts. Is it just for fun or is that man cither. We didn’t have any idea mer solstice holiday — certain songs concerts. It’s interesting to liaise with Belarus more famous abroad,” he your talisman? how to play it but our guitar player, are performed and circle dances are audiences in smaller venues. added, stressing that their sculptures Ivan KIRCHUK: Nothing on the Yuri Dmitriev, adjusted it. We then performed; these have a direct link to Does your musical work really and pictorial art are oft en displayed stage is ‘just for fun’. I hang various used it on our ‘Zhuravy’ album. Yuri nature and are hundreds of years old. pay dividends? abroad, as a result of liaisons with bells, goat hooves and shells on my began to pluck the strings with a beat- Th e lyrics can sometimes date their Ivan KIRCHUK: Certainly… it embassies. microphone — everything I need to er in one of the songs and the cither creation to 300-400 years ago. It’s al- has strong roots and its own energy. Belarus’ Culture Minister, Pav- produce the necessary sound. sounded like a bell. We liked it and ad- most impossible to do this with music, el Latushko, thanked the Foreign You seem to have 40-50 instru- justed several songs to incorporate it. since many songs pre-date Christian Th e MT reference: Ministry for its support. National ments on stage during each per- Did you listen to folk music times. Troitsa folk-trio was founded in pavilions have been organised at formance. from childhood? Where do you fi nd these songs? 1995. Since 1999, its members have the Cannes Film Festival and at the Yuri PAVLOVSKY: We bring Ivan KIRCHUK: I used to listen During expeditions? been Ivan Kirchuk (vocal, domra, Venice Biennale with help from our only a small part of our ‘instrumental to a diverse selection of music. In the Ivan KIRCHUK: Not only dur- smyk, gusli, pipes, zhaleikas, mouth embassies abroad, alongside the arsenal’ to each concert. In total, we 1970s, I played in a group and I liked ing expeditions. We also use the ar- harmonica, lyre, ocarinas and rain- Days of Belarus. use about 250 instruments, but many ‘Deep Purple’ and ‘Led Zeppelin’. I chives of the Republican radio and stick) — an Associated Professor Mr. Latushko gave sculptor are only heard on our CDs; it’s impos- come from Lida, but many of my rela- phono-laboratory at the Institute of of the Maxim Tank University and Sergey Bondarenko the highest sible to take everything with us. tives live in villages. In my childhood, Arts and Ethnography. It takes some known for recording folk customs for award of the ministry. Th e Ambas- Why do you need so many? I oft en attended rural weddings and time, as there are hundreds and thou- educational programmes, Yuri Pav- sador Extraordinary and Plenipo- Electronic technology can repro- christenings, hearing how powerfully sands of songs. I have 100 tapes in my lovsky (percussion) — who played in tentiary of the Czech Republic to duce any sound. my family sings. Aft er musical train- personal archives, and dozens of CDs. Knyaz Myshkin band and is a tech- Belarus, H.E. Mr. Jiři Karas, admit- Yuri PAVLOVSKY: We like to ing school, I happened to hear the It’s very diffi cult to select 15 songs for nology teacher, and Yuri Dmitriev ted his great admiration for Belaru- be diff erent. From the very beginning, ‘Valachanki’ Student Choir in Minsk. an album from such abundance. Sev- (string instruments) — who is a gui- sian pictorial art. “Looking at these we refrained from using electronic Th is inspired my studies and my de- eral years ago, we were on a trip where tar teacher. Troitsa has released six works, you feel the soul of the Be- music or electric guitars. Th e call of cision to recreate folk customs. I also we met a 92 year old woman, in the CDs, recorded sound tracks for fi lms larusian man. No Czech or French the cuckoo is played by Ivan using a fi nished my postgraduate course at the Logoisk District’s Mikhalkovichi. She and has performed at dozens of folk master could create such a work,” he pipe or ocarina; it’s a completely diff er- National Academy of Sciences’ Insti- sang to us for an hour. festivals abroad. emphasised.