Works by sanctioned composers played at Sochi Arts Festival

Matsuev and Bashmet answered for Tchaikovsky

The past year, counted from the end of February, has radically changed the world. One of the signs of the time of change was the abolition of Russian culture in Europe. More than others went to Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich, whose works were pointedly refused to be performed in many Western countries. Domestic musicians took a different path – they did not cross out foreign classics, but they stood up for their own. It is no coincidence that the gala concert of the 16th Sochi Arts Festival opened with Shostakovich’s Festive Overture and ended with Tchaikovsky’s compositions. The evening, whose main characters were maestro Yuri Bashmet, pianist Denis Matsuev, Chinese musicians and a Russian youth orchestra, turned into a kind of manifesto, the program of which spoke for itself.

Sochi met a new reality a year ago just during the music festival, which had been successfully gathering foreign stars in the “southern capital” for 15 years in a row. Then many of them urgently began to leave the city, others stayed until the end, but canceled the concerts. The first shock has passed, we have lived through a turbulent year, and now the festival of arts is being held in Sochi again, as always, at the end of February. According to its program, one can read those changes in culture and self-consciousness that have occurred in the past. There are almost no Western stars, but this almost does not mean at all, which is important in the current circumstances. For example, the Belgian Patrick de Klerk, a composer and teacher, the Cuban singer Zule Guerra, the theater company of the famous Indian dancer Aditi Mangaldas, several musicians from Serbia, Japan and China arrived. In general, the festival retained its international status, but adjusted for time and circumstances. However, classics originally from the West – neither Bach and Mozart, nor less hackneyed composers like the Dutchman Ad Vammes (born in 1953) or the Latvian Georg Pelecis (born in 1947) did not hesitate to perform. They did not cancel anyone, but they did not chase after those who canceled Russian culture.

And yet the emphasis was placed on our domestic. Tchaikovsky sounded more often than others at the festival. Opera singer Ildar Abdrazakov began his concert with him. Svetlana Zakharova danced to Tchaikovsky’s California Poppy. Teodor Currentzis completely dedicated the new program to Tchaikovsky, making him almost unrecognizable and extremely dramatic. The soloists of the Currentzis orchestra the next day piercingly played Shostakovich in the Sochi organ hall. And two whole evenings were given at the festival to Pushkin, who six months ago in the West was suddenly recorded in the French. Yevgeny Mironov and Elizaveta Boyarskaya read “Eugene Onegin” to the music of Sviridov, and the Maly Theater brought “Snowstorm”. In general, ours are offended for their own, so who better than us to read Russian classics, to find relevant meanings and resonant nuances in it. And they were.

The final accents were placed by the gala concert. The evening, which brought together the entire city, opened with fanfare from the “Festive Overture” by Dmitry Shostakovich. After the solemn introduction of the maestro, Yuri Bashmet ceded the conductor’s stand to the young ones. First, the All-Russian Youth Orchestra (and this is one hundred young musicians!) Played a new work by Elsana Gabaraeva (born in 1988) – “Autumn of my spring”. The lyrical piece with an original solo – button accordion and drum – by the young composer was a success and received warm applause. Next, the Chinese appeared on the stage – Kwok Chun Hei with dizi (Chinese transverse flute) and Leung Ka Lok with pipa (ancient national lute), who performed a piece by Zhiyi Wang (Bashmet has been collaborating with this young Chinese composer since 2019). And in the finale of the first part, a charming variation on Tchaikovsky’s rococo theme sounded – the soloist was the young cellist Alexander Ramm.

In the second part, “heavy artillery” was used – Denis Matsuev appeared on the stage together with Yuri Bashmet. The pianist has performed in Sochi more than once – he is known and loved here, and every time they expect something incredible in anticipation. And now Matsuev did not disappoint. Tchaikovsky’s first concerto began softly, gradually inflaming and going into a rage, conveying all the acuteness of the dramatic conflicts of the composition. And then he masterfully played Romeo and Juliet. Spectators who heard Currentzis’ version noted that Matsuev performed this work classically, but no less dynamically and energetically. The piano almost danced under the powerful onslaught of the pianist. After this, the audience showered the musicians with bouquets of mimosa, which had already blossomed in Sochi, and Matsuev and Bashmet, of course, could not leave the stage so easily.