Leningrad Harp & Concertos Valery Kikta (b. 1941): Frescoes of St. Sophia of Kiev (Harp Concerto), Op. 50 (1972) 1 Ornament I 2:41 2 The Beast Attacks the Horseman 1:50 3 Ornament II 0:58 4 Group Portrait oF Yaroslav the Wise’s Daughters 2:58 5 St. Michael’s Aisle 3:46 6 Mummers Wrestling 2:07 7 Musician. Wandering Clowns 8:46 8 Ornament III 0:59 Leningrad Chamber Orchestra • Eduard Serov, conductor 9 Fantasy on themes from Tchaikovsky’s opera The Queen of Spades (1982) 10:12 Alberto Ginastera (1916-83): Harp Concerto, Op. 25 10 Allegro 8:52 11 Molto moderato 6:14 12 Liberamento capriccioso 7:31 Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra • Eduard Serov, conductor Claude Debussy (1862-1918) 13. Danse Sacrée et Danse Profane for harp & strings (1904) 9:14 The Taneyev Quartet Ekaterina Walter-Kühne (1870-1930) 14 Fantasy on Tchaikovsky’s opera Eugene Onegin 6:51 Pyotr Tchaikovsky (1840-93) 15 On the Troika (From The Seasons), arr. Xenia Erdely 3:11 Tatiana Tower, harp Recordings oF the St. Petersburg (Leningrad) Recording Studio at the Leningrad Capella Concert Hall in 1978 (1-8, 13) and 1984 (9, 10-12, 14-15) Recording Engineer: Felix Gurdzhi • Text: Northern Flowers • English text: Sergey Suslov Design: Anastasia Yevmenova • Cover photo: Frescoes of St. Sophia of Kiev. Ornament This program is dedicated to the remarkable Russian harpist Tatiana Tower, who became a musical legend oF Leningrad. She was born in Moscow in 1945 and started playing harp at the age oF Four on the advice oF her aunt Sofia Tower, soloist oF the Bolshoi Theatre. She studied at the Gnessin College, and after that at the Moscow Conservatory with Xenia Erdely and Vera Dulova. In 1969 she won at the first International Harp Competition in HartFord, USA, and became a prize winner oF the international music Festival oF Latin America. In 1968, Tatiana Tower’s liFe took a momentous turn – she became soloist oF the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra headed by Evgeny Mravinsky, a great conductor oF the 20th century, and thus connected her artistic liFe to Leningrad. In 1973, Tatiana Tower started teaching at Leningrad Conservatory; she educated several generations oF proFessional musicians, among them Irina Tischenko-Donskaya. The harpist concertized much in and outside the USSR, was on the juries oF international competitions, gave master classes, and pursued intense teaching and recital activity. At the collapse oF the Soviet Union, Tatiana Tower, together with her husband Boris Kozlov, (double-bassist oF the Leningrad Philharmonic), left the country For Spain, and then the Netherlands. She died oF thyroid cancer in Hilversum, in 1994, at the age oF only 48. Presented here are records From diFFerent years made by Tatiana at the Leningrad Recording Studio (Leningrad branch oF the label Melodya) in collaboration with the Leningrad Philharmonic and the Leningrad Chamber Orchestras under the baton oF Edward Serov, and with another legendary ensemble oF the city upon the Neva, the Taneyev String Quartet. Valery Grigorievich Kikta is a “child” oF two Slav peoples, Ukrainian and Russian. He was born in a small village oF Vladimirovka, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. He entered the Moscow Choral College, and then the Moscow Conservatory, where he studied with Tikhon Khrennikov, the Famous head oF the Soviet composers Union. Upon graduation, he long (1967-93) worked as lead musical editor oF the Soviet Composer publishers, and then taught instrumentation and composition at the Conservatory. Since 2004 he has been Chairman oF the Russian Harp Society. Apart From many compositions, his writings include dozens oF art research papers. Valery Kikta has written 11 ballets (Dubrovsky, VLadimir the Baptist etc.), symphonic opuses (“Ukrainian CaroLs, YuLetide Songs, and Spring Songs”) oratorios and cantatas, instrumental concertos, choral and vocal works, pieces For organ and harp, music For children and youth, and multiple compositions For orchestra oF Russian Folk instruments. Frescoes of St. Sophia of Kiev was composed For the celebration oF the 1500th anniversary oF Kiev, inspired by the mural painting in the main Orthodox cathedral oF Ancient Rus, St. Sophia’s in Kiev. Frescoes is a unique epic instrumental composition, which the composer himselF presented as a “concerto symphony,” that is, an opus oF an intermediate musical Form having Features oF both an instrumental concerto and a symphony. One can also confidently indicate the suite-like Formation in a composition oF nine parts. Each section has its own title: “Ornament 1,” “The Beast Attack the Horseman,” “Ornament 2,” “Group Portrait oF Yaroslav the Wise’s Daughters,” “St. Michael’s Aisle,” “Mummers Wrestling,” “Musician,” “Wandering Clowns,” “Ornament 3.” The resulting cycle is a peculiar gallery oF musical images oF not just ecclesiastical but also common people’s liFe illustrated in lyrical, epic, and dancing miniatures and integrated into a whole by a musical theme titled “Ornament.” The point is that Sophia’s Cathedral has many windows and doorways decorated with exquisite ornaments oF flowers, stalks, and other floral elements. The author begins with just this composition, and later repeats it several times, Framing other sections. Frescoes opens with a transparent voice oF harp, resembling the sound oF an ancient psaltery. First comes a slightly mysterious choral motiF, to help plunge us into bygone historical times. Next, a theme that perhaps defines itselF main theme by its Function, is handed over to vibraphone, and then expressively taken up by the whole orchestra. As among the Frescoes oF St. Sophia’s one sees not only pictures on religious subjects, but also sketches oF everyday liFe, the next composition in the opus is the genre piece “The Beast Attack the Horseman.” This section, Full oF dramatic tension, has an important role in Frescoes, as it determines the Further dramatic development in the cycle. Using in it the cluster technique oF modern composition and ostinato variations oF texture and dynamics, the author impressively develops the eternal theme oF antagonism and continuous struggle in liFe. The third part oF Frescoes is “Ornament” again, but No. 2 this time. Unlike the first, here it sounds tenderly in another key, perFormed by flute solo against the background oF refined harp. “Group Portrait oF Yaroslav the Wise’s Daughters” is a genre sketch where the descending melodic line oF muted violins and the shimmering voice oF harp sound so elegant and reverent that the noble image oF Four beautiFul women is clearly conveyed. In “St. Michael’s Aisle” styled after a sacred hymn, the composer presented an image oF Archangel Michael, the patron saint oF the city oF Kiev. Its theme, first perFormed by flute and later also by oboe, is important and may be viewed as a secondary subject. “Mummers Wrestling” is another genre sketch oF common people’s liFe. In this episode, the Fast tempo, excited nature oF the music, striking replicas oF xylophone, and dramatic roulades oF harp illustrate the ancient Russian Christmas amusement – a mock fight. “Musician,” a composition oF dramatic essence, depicts a youth playing an ancient bowed strung instrument, which was called a “smyk” in those old times. The piece is based on two small motiFs, sad and dismal in their attitude and variedly developing. The composer gives preference here to the timbre oF viola solo. The vibrant “Wandering Clowns” have the Function oF a culmination finale. In the piece based on short dance melodic turns, one can clearly hear jingle bells ringing, balalaika strumming, reed pipe tunes, and oF course psaltery fingering. All this provides a sensation oF Festive joy. In the concerto’s coda, “Ornament” is repeated. Fantasy for harp solo on themes from the opera Queen of Spades was created by Valery Kikta ten years after the completion oF Frescoes of St. Sophia, and dedicated to Tatiana Tower. In the Fantasy, Kikta, with his proFound knowledge oF harp techniques, quite concisely and consistently states several important themes oF the opera: the final male requiem choral in the scene about Hermann’s death, the Countess’ song on the theme From Gretry’s opera Richard Coeur-de-Lion, Lisa’s aria “Why these tears,” the tune oF Hermann’s arioso “Forgive me heavenly creature,” the tune From the pastorale “Sincerity oF a Shepherdess,” and the main theme oF the whole opera From Tomsky’s ballad (“Three cards, three cards, three cards.”) In the coda oF this extremely subtle and interesting work, Kikta returns to the initial choral motiF, thus ruefully closing the circle oF Tchaikovsky’s genius images. Latin America, which was For a long time a backwater oF the musical world, has produced Few influential schools. The classical music oF that region is still represented by individual names, and one oF the most illustrious is Argentinean composer Alberto Evaristo Ginastera, author oF three operas, two ballets, and multiple instrumental opuses. He was born in Buenos Aires to a Catalonian Father and an Italian mother, finished the conservatory in Buenos Aires where he studied with Carlos Lopez Buchardo, and in the 1940s studied in the USA with none other than Aaron Copland. Owing to continuous conflict with Argentine governments he lived in Geneva From 1971 with his wiFe, cellist Aurora Ginastera. Outside academic circles, Ginastera is known For an arrangement oF the finale oF his piano concerto recorded by the band Emerson, Lake & PaLmer. In his music, Ginastera addresses the pre- Columbian layers oF Folklore (having a special predilection For Gaucho melodies). His manner oF handling Folk material resembled Bartok. Ginastera also gradually arrived at mediated realisations oF Folklore elements, and then to expressionism. Among the composers whose music he admired, Alban Berg should be mentioned. TheConcerto for Harp and Orchestra, one oF his most impressive and Frequently perFormed works, had a rather diFficult Fate.