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Bitov quintet “Hours of sad ils…”

 

For many years Bitov was interested in Pushkin’s rough copies but he could find the way to describe the peculiarity he felt. An idea occurred and was incorporated in music. Energy and rhythm of Pushkin’s rough copies inspired Tarasov, Alexandrov, Volkov and Parfenov to improvise, Bitov’s voice sounded as an organic and full musical part.

 

The first performance of a new group “Bitov quintet” took place in “Cami Hall”, New York on May, 10. Bitov read rough copies of the well-known Pushkin’s poems, line by line with all the repetitions, versions and changes, thus, listeners felt the atmosphere of creative workshop of the classic. “It is not occasional that Bitov’s performance was so successful in the US, birthplace of Gertrude Stine who opened the literary technique of slow change of a phrase. Bitov’s reading was accompanied by the star quartet including two jazzmen: Vladimir Tarasov (percussion) from Vilnius and Alexander Alexandrov (fagot from the first “Aquarium”) from St. Petersburg. Now the fagot lives in Munich, he has already accompanied to Bitov’s prose and therefore is a nominal head of the group which also includes Vladimir Volkov (double bass) and Yuri Parfenov, now living in Moscow but born in Middle Asia. St. Petersburg majority makes the music as straight as Rossi street, as harmonic as all the appearance of the second capital” (D. Ukhov). The English-speaking audience liked the “music”, the Russian was impressed by unusual sound of “unknown” Pushkin.

 

The first success was followed by performances of the group in prestigious stages of Moscow and St. Petersburg. On May, 27 1998, on St. Petersburg birthday “Bitov quintet” played rough copies of introduction to the poem “Bronze horseman”, in December it performed in Rikhter’s nights at the Museum of visual arts named after A.S.Pushkin, on the stage of the Big hall which is provided only to the world known musicians!

 

Since 1999 “Bitov quintet” had numerous tours in Russia, America and Western Europe.

 

 On October, 4, in the year of the poet commemoration (170 years after A.S.Pushkin’s death) “Bitov quintet” played in St. Petersburg.

 

 

Pushkin’s rough copies:

 

“Verses created at night during insomnia”,

“I visited once again”,

“From Pindemonti”,

“Oh, no, I’m not sick and tired of life”,

“I think the heart has forgotten”,

“Demons”.

 

Literary composition: Andrei Bitov

Musical composition: Alexander Alexandrov

 

 

“Bitov quintet”:

 

 

 

 

Participants of “Bitov quintet”:

Andrei Bitov

Bitov opened Pushkin’s line in his world known novel “Pushkin’s house” (1971, published in 1978 in the USA) which made Bitov a classic of Russian literature. It was followed by essays, poem, rough copy, marginal drawing and letter analysis. Pondering on Pushkin resulted in the books “Subtraction of a hare” (1993); “Continuing to live. 1836” (1999); “Memories about Pushkin” (2005). In 2007, the year of the poet commemoration (170 years after A.S. Pushkin’s death) the book “Praying of the cup. The last Pushkin” was published, it included three parts: “Continuing to live. 1836”, “Mess of Kamenny island”, “Mercy to the fallen (Praying of the cup)”.

 

Alexander Alexandrov

Alexander Alexandrov was born in 1957 in Leningrad. He graduated from Leningrad Conservatory. Alexandrov’s concert activities range from classical to modern music: the Orchestra of Old and Modern Music, group “Aquarium”, Trio of Modern Jazz together with A.Vampirov and S. Kurekhin, Ensemble of Intuitive Music “TRI-O”… He had tours in Europe and America, worked as cinema and theatre composer. By the way, Alexander Alexandrov is the composer for “Lady of Spades” staging in the Theatre named after S.V.Obraztsov.

 

Vladimir Tarasov

Vladimir Tarasov was born in 1947 in Arkhangelsk. He recieved classical musical education and is the composer, soloist, artist. Vladimir Tarasov was the soloist of the legendary ensemble “Ganelin-Tarasov-Chekasin”, he is an author of numerous sound installations: joint project with Ilia Kabakov of Russian pavilion in Venice Biennale in1993, head of Lithuanian Art Orchestra, professor of Columbia University N. Y. Vladimir Tarasov has joint projects with Russian and American jazz musicians.

 

Vladimir Volkov

Vladimir Volkov was born in 1960 in Leningrad. He graduated from Leningrad Conservatory. Since 1980 Vladimir Volkov played in duet with trumpet Vyacheslav Gayvoronsky. Besides concerts of old and European music in the ensemble “Collegium Europae” he plays together with Russian jazz musicians in festivals in Europe, America and Japan. He is the leader of the group “Volkov trio”. Vladimir Volkov worked in the theatres “Derevo”, “Scapino” Ballet Rotterdam, plays in the groups “Vershki da Koreshki”, “Inter-jazz Band” and participates in other international projects.

 

Yuri Parfenov

Yuri Parfenov was born in 1946 in Bahkiria. He graduated from Tashkent Conservatory. Until 1979 he was a soloist of the Orchestra of Uzbek radio, since 1984 – a soloist of Oleg Lundstrem’s Big-Band. Together with Oleg Lundstrem, the jazz ensemble “Bumerang”, group “TRI-O”, Orchestra of Moscow Composers etc. he participated in international festivals in Europe and America. Yuri Parfenov won several awards including 1991 Commemoration Duke Ellington Festival award in Washington. He is the Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation.

 

Photos:

 

   



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