Silver Age in Russian Music – from symbolism to acmeism
The collaboration of violinist Elena Revich and pianist Polina Osetinskaya is dedicated to one of the brightest periods of Russian musical culture. “It was a delightful evening filled with beautiful music,” a Mayak Radio reviewer raved about the concert program “Flowers and Fairy Tales.” Popular compositions along with revived musical rarities recreate the musical atmosphere of the Russian ‘Belle Époque’.
Arensky’s captivatingly pure lyricism, Taneyev’s stern imagination, the mysterious intellectualism of Medtner’s ‘fairy tales,’ the violin transcriptions of Rachmaninoff’s romances, and Stravinsky’s Russian Dance... “Flowers and Fairy Tales” is a profile of musical revelations of the Russian composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, “walks in silence, in the strange and bizarre gardens of music” (Elena Revich).
In Russian art, it was an amazing time on the verge of brilliant discoveries and the greatest shocks, disappointment in ideals and a persistent thirst for novelty. Poetry, music, painting – they strive away from the frightening reality into a wonderful world of fairy tales and dreams. “Exceptional beauty awaited us in each minuature. I passionately wanted to share the diamonds of this treasury, the ‘beautiful epoch’ of Russian art, with the public” (Polina Osetinskaya).
The performing art of Polina Osetinskaya attracts a wide audience. The pianist has performed at the world’s best concert venues. In 2019, she made her debut at the Salzburg Festival, and more recently, she played at Carnegie Hall.
This time Melodiya releases her joint program with violinist Elena Revich. For many years, Elena Revich, Honored Artist of Russia, was a soloist and accompanist of Yuri Bashmet’s Moscow Soloists, and now she combines concert activities with teaching at the Moscow Conservatory. Polina Osetinskaya and Elena Revich have been appearing in joint concert programs for fifteen years.
