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• CD Title: The Very Best of Russia
• Artist(s): Various Artists
• CD Code: EUCD2031
• Tracks: 16
• Playing Time: 53:01 min
• Booklet Info in: English, German, French
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A colourful kaleidoscope of Russian songs and instrumentals, from balalaika ensembles, fiery and passionate gypsy violins and accordions, and soulful gypsy romances to achingly beautiful a cappella male choir singing.
Artists on this CD include:
The St. Petersburg Ensemble of Russian Folk Instruments "Carousel"
The ensemble was founded in the autumn of 1994. The name of the ensemble derives from the image of a carousel with its constantly changing colours, scenes and images - the ensemble aims to show the variety of styles and expressions, colours and timbres Russian folk instruments are capable of. The instrumentation is quite traditional: balalaika, domra, accordion, balalaika, double bass.
Using an accordion instead of the bayan (the classical instrument of Russian folk ensembles) allows the group to perform different styles and directions, such as Russian folk, classical music of Russian and foreign composers, as well as jazz compositions and tango. The ensemble collaborates with well-known singers such as the 'Honoured Artist of Russia' Anatoly Tukish and the soloist of the "St. Petersburg Music Hall" theatre Vitaly Psarev. This creative union opened up a whole new repertoire of Russian music.
The Stars of Saint Petersburg
The Stars of Saint Petersburg stand out from most other instrumental groups on account of their continual search for authenticity. This collection offers you the most popular Russian tunes played with unusual sensitivity. The magic balalaika of Mikhail Danilov is accompanied by the traditional instruments of Russian folklore: bayan (accordion), guitar, bass balalaika, gousli (zither), lojki (wooden spoons), rojok (wooden trumpet) and jaleika (horn trumpet). The "Stars" perform regularly in Russia and in Western Europe, and frequently appear on television.
Oleg Ponomarev
master of the Russian Gypsy violin - composer, producer, sound / recording engineer, musician (violin, viola, guitar, double bass, bass guitar, keyboards) was born in 1964 in Khabarovsk, Russia, into a large Gypsy family, all of whom were musicians.
He attended Central Music School and the Gnesinka Music College in Moscow. After a few years of touring Russia with "Djang", a Russian Gypsy orchestra, he joined Valentina Ponomareva's Theatre. From 1990 until 2000, he toured extensively with the Russian Gypsy band "Loyko". Since then he has played with "Koshka", a Gypsy world music group, and the "Hot Club of Dublin" as well as the "French Chanson meets Gypsy Music" project, with Caroline Moreau.
The "Optina Pustyn" Male Choir, St. Petersburg (Artistic Director: Alexander Semyonov)
The male choir of the Optina Pustyn Monastery Department in St. Petersburg was established in 1996 with the blessing of its Father Superior, Hieromonach (Senior Presbyter) Rostislav. The choir consists between six and nine professional singers, who are all graduates of the St. Petersburg conservatoire.
The main goal for the formation of the choir was the cultivation of the heritage of the old Russian Church singing, its sources and different styles, such as: Znamenny, Bulgarian, Greek, Byzantine chants, and the study of the different types of the early Russian polyphony and to introduce them into modern Church practices. In order to achieve authenticity in transcribing the various types of ancient Russian scriptures the choir members are in contact with scientists researching medieval patterns of Russian singing. The repertoire of the choir however reaches beyond the purely ancient repertoire and represents the great riches and variety of the Russian clerical as well as secular choral art.
1. St. Petersburg Instrumental Ensemble 'Carousel': Tsiganochka - Gipsy Dance (instr.) - 4:13
2. Talisman: Moonlight (trad.) - 4:27
3. Balalaika Ensemble "Wolga": Gobak (trad.) - 2:23
4. Valentina Ponomareva: Ochi chiornye (trad., arr. V. Ponomareva) - 3:47
5. The Stars of St. Petersburg: Svetit Mesiat (trad.) - 2:07
6. St. Petersburg Instrumental Ensemble 'Carousel': Korobeiniki - Pedlars (Muravyov) - 3:12
7. Oleg Ponomarev: Hora (trad., arr. O. Ponomarev) - 4:16
8. The Optina Pustyn Male Choir, St. Petersburg: The Volga Boat Men (trad., arr. A. Sveshnikov) - 3:11
9. Balalaika Ensemble "Wolga": Come on, Gipsy (I. Nesterow, N. Malinow, M. Taschenkow) - 3:16
10. Vitaly Romanov: Stenka Razin (trad.) - 4:17
11. The Stars of St. Petersburg: Barinya (trad.) - 2:51
12. Valentina Ponomareva: Shatritsa (trad., arr. V. Ponomareva) - 3:19
13. The Russian Folk Ensemble Balalaika: Tonkaya ryabina - The Slender Rowan Tree (trad., arr. Y. Ivanov) - 2:18
14. Vitaly Romanov: The Cloth Merchant (Karobushka) - 2:43
15. The Russian Folk Ensemble Balalaika: Valenki - Felt boots (trad.) - 3:01
16. The Optina Pustyn Male Choir, St. Petersburg: The Little Bell (trad., arr. A. Semyonov) - 3:40
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