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Promenade

The Gnome

RUSSIAN BELLS

The cycle for piano "Pictures of an Exhibition" was written by the famous Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky in 1874, as a reaction to the death of his close friend V. Hartmann. Mussorgsky created this brilliant œuvre for piano because he was highly impressed by Hartmann's drawings, which he happened to see at an exhibition after the artist's death. Many famous pianists have included this cycle in their repertoire. There are also some adaptions for symphonic orchestras, and among all those Maurice Ravel's version was the one to become most popular. With great imagination the composer musically describes a series of sketches by the artist, remarkably expanding and enriching their contents. As introduction, the "Promenade" is heading ten parts. We also find it, slightly varied, between these parts, and thus it contributes itself to a certain unity in the œuvre's form.

The famous Russian composer Aleksandr Cholminov has written a series of operas, symphonies and oeuvres for choirs. His "Suite" in 4 movements, created in 1951, pointed the way for Bayan players. After half a century the composer gets back to the Bayan - now rather modern in structure - and writes a symphonic concerto for Bayan Solo. lt is a colossal fresco which makes the audience experience a part of life, from pianissimo to fortissimo, as the composer does not see the Bayan as solo - instrument, but as orchestra. He realises the symphonic idea with the help of the variety of the Bayan concerning artistic means of expression. The continuous development of the epic symphony is based on the depth of the Russian soul and mentality in which bells play an important role. This symphonic concerto is dedicated to Friedrich Lips (who did the first performance of this work) in the occasion of his 50th birthday.

In the long course of Russian history chiming church bells were of immense importance for the people and helped to foster the pride in their nation. Besides the fact that the bells told the time, they were also symbols that announced festive days as well as sad events. They were ringing when there were fires or wars, inviting the people to fight against enemies and natural catastrophes.
On this CD the festive chiming of the bells is to be heard in Mussorgsky's last œuvre "The great gate (in the capital of Kiev)". In Cholminov's symphony bells also play an important, uniting part in the dramatic development of the œuvre.

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