The album "Nature animé" was conceived by two Russian musicians who play historical instruments: multi-instrumentalist Dmitry Cherevko and harpsichordist Anna Nedospasova.
The album's title refers to the well-known art history term "still life," which comes from the French "nature morte" (dead nature). Dmitry Cherevko explains the idea as follows: "In contrast to the still life genre (nature morte — dead nature), music is animated nature (nature animé), which is why works created over 500 years ago 'come to life' in the interpretations of contemporary performers."
Early music — compositions, the manner of their performance, and even period instruments — often ends up as "dead nature" today, which can be revived. Cherevko and Nedospasova are enthusiasts who bring rare pieces back into the melomaniac and concert repertoire. In the album "Nature animé," they have assembled a map of musical Europe from the Renaissance era: composers from Spain, Italy, France, Flanders, and England. Antonio de Cabezón, Antonio Valente, Grégoire Brayssing, Tielman Susato, and Orazio Vecchi are well-known to lovers of this period, but in Russia, they are rarely performed. The album introduces rare pieces, and those that exist in different versions, such as "My Lady Carey's Dompe," are presented in versions for historical instruments. All the arrangements were created by Dmitry Cherevko himself.
Dmitry Cherevko is equally known as a performer and a researcher. He plays plucked instruments, including revived historical ones. Among them, the vihuela, a Spanish subtype of the guitar played with both a bow and plucked, holds a special place. Cherevko actively records early pieces and promotes their performance on authentic instruments, participates in masterclasses, and gives concert lectures on Renaissance compositions, composers, and instruments.
Anna Nedospasova plays the harpsichord and studies medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque European instrumental music, as well as Russian music from the second half of the 17th to the 18th centuries. Nedospasova is a member of the Early Music Ensemble Insula Magica. She has performed with harpsichordist Alexei Lyubimov, guitarist Dmitry Illarionov, and harpist and early music researcher Andrew Lawrence-King.
Cherevko and Nedospasova frequently present joint concert programs and participate in educational projects related to early music. Melodiya is releasing their joint work for the first time.
