2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25
The Russian National Orchestra, despite its youth and many difficulties, is the most popular and frequently visited academic musical group. It is included in the top twenty of the best symphony concerts in the world!
Everyone is amazed at the virtuosity and skill with which the soloists perform their parts, with what feeling and inspiration the wind instruments sound, what scale and scope the leaders are trying to achieve.
Who founded this team? What makes it remarkable and attractive to a global audience? Who is in the orchestra and what tasks does the team set for itself? Let's find out.
How it all began
Although the history of the Russian National Orchestra is very simple and short, at the same time it is particularly bright and unique.
The team was founded in 1990, just at the turn of the Soviet era, during the years of perestroika and cardinal reforms. It was a difficult time for the country as a whole, and for the art of music in particular.
Economic crisis, political instability… It would seem that now is not the time to create something. Who will go to symphony concerts? Who will agree to play for money? What will happen to the team in a year or two? These questions could not have 100% yes answers.
However, this state of affairs did not affect the decision of the founder of the orchestra. Mikhail Vasilyevich Pletnev performed a miracle - he created the Russian National Symphony Orchestra, an oasis of classical exemplary music.
The team was based on overseas donations (mostly from the US), so it was not funded by the state budget. The management of income, expenses and proceeds was entrusted to reliable enthusiastic specialists who are members of the RNSO Board of Trustees.
Orchestra feature
The first and main work performed by the novice orchestra was “Slavic March”, written by the inimitable, talented composer P. I. Tchaikovsky.
The work in its original (complete and undistorted) form was performed by the Russian National Symphony Orchestra at the very first performance. Since then, the “Slavic March” has been given an unspoken name. This is the calling card of M. Pletnev's orchestra. In the performance of this work, the RNO musicians achieved unprecedented skill and virtuosity.
Early tours
The first tour of the orchestra was mainly abroad. These were Israel and the Vatican. The Pope is said to have given Russian musicians a standing ovation.
World famousthe team was impressive. Less than six years after its formation, the Russian National Orchestra was invited to the opening of the Economic Forum (Davos) and the Summer Olympic Games (Atlanta), as well as the Air Force Festival (London).
The touring activities of the symphony group did not bypass their native open spaces. At a time when other metropolitan orchestras almost ceased their traveling concert activities in the provinces, the RNO decided to conduct the so-called “Volga Tours” through the outback of the Volga region, delighting the ears of the residents of Samara, Kazan, Volgograd, Yaroslavl, Saratov…
All this was possible only thanks to the active initiative of the head of the team - Mikhail Vasilyevich Pletnev, a man with a bright original talent and skill, madly in love with music and his brainchild.
Briefly about the main things
At the time of the creation of the orchestra, Mikhail Pletnev was thirty-three years old. A young pianist, musician and composer, endowed with unprecedented artistry and professionalism, he was a highly intellectual and energetic person.
Despite his rather young age, Mikhail Pletnev already had great popularity and recognition. Eight years before that, he was awarded the State Prize, and just one year before the events described, he received the honorary title of People's Artist of the RSFSR.
The musician was born in Arkhangelsk. From childhood, he showed an attraction to musical art, so he studied at the Kazan Music School, andlater graduated from the Moscow Conservatory.
At first, Mikhail Vasilievich declared himself to the whole world as a talented pianist, masterfully performing the technically difficult, emotionally rich works of Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Grieg, Chopin and others. His performances (both solo and together with the orchestra) took place in the best theaters in London, Berlin, Israel, Munich and the Czech Republic.
At the age of twenty-three, Mikhail Pletnev made his debut as a conductor, coherently and harmoniously directing the performance of the polysyllabic works of Beethoven, Rachmaninov, Shostakovich, Tchaikovsky.
Pletnev's own compositions are amazingly deep and expressively expressive, delighting the ears of connoisseurs of classical music to this day. This is the Piano Quintet, and the Concerto for viola and orchestra, and the Adagio for five double basses, and the Capriccio for piano and orchestra.
As you can see, Mikhail Vasilyevich Pletnev is a bright and talented person. The founder and founder of a new wonderful orchestra should have been just such a person.
Vladimir Spivakov
However, in 1999, Mikhail Vasilyevich, who at that time lived in Switzerland, decided to devote himself to individual concert activity. Therefore, a difficult question arose: who should be appointed to the post of chief conductor of the orchestra?
The new leader is Vladimir Spivakov, a gifted conductor, violinist and music teacher. Behind Vladimir Teodorovich lay vast experience in orchestral activity: he worked as a soloist of the Moscow Philharmonic, taught as a professor at the Musical andPedagogical Institute, was the artistic director of the Music Festival (Colmar, France), regularly participated as a jury in well-known international competitions.
Spivakov's invaluable experience and unprecedented skill had a positive impact on the repertoire and performances of the Russian National Orchestra.
Change of leadership
However, in the winter of 2003, the position of the group's chief conductor was abolished. Since then, the orchestra has been led by a board of conductors, which at various times included such talented and famous conductors as Kent Nagano (American conductor of Japanese origin), Paavo Berglund (Finnish conductor), Alexander Vedernikov (Soviet and Russian conductor) and Vladimir Yurovsky (Russian conductor).
By the way, Mikhail Pletnev re-entered the board of artistic directors of the orchestra, standing up for his brainchild with all his heart.
Modern Activities
Despite the fact that the Russian National Orchestra was created as a private enterprise, in 2008 it received a grant from the government of the Russian Federation, and a year later it was given state status.
Concerts of the Russian National Orchestra gather many thousands of halls of grateful listeners, they fascinate and inspire at the same time.
The musical group leads a very active social life - gives charity concerts, holds various cultural performances, makes sound recordings of symphonies, receives domestic andinternational awards.
Let's find out more about this.
Charity
RNO has been running an annual project to perform concerts for disadvantaged children for twenty-one years. The performances are attended by young listeners from orphanages, hospitals and boarding schools, who are given the opportunity to experience the healing power of music.
Children can not only listen to wonderful classical music, but also learn interesting facts about musical instruments and performers, as well as watch an exciting and unusual interpretation of Prokofiev's fairy tale “Peter and the Wolf”.
Community activities
Also, the Russian National Orchestra is actively involved in the public life of the country. For example, in 2007 the band held a memorial concert in Beslan.
In 2010, in the spring, as part of an international project with an unusual name "Three Romes", initiated by the Orthodox and Catholic churches, the musical group took part in a concert of Russian music.
In 2014, RNO performed two concerts at the Stowe English School (as part of the UK-Russia Cross Year of Culture).
It is also necessary to mention that the orchestra gives annual concerts in memory of those killed at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
As you can see, the Russian national orchestra is popular and in demand not only at domestic events, but also at foreign ones, which indicates its incredible popularity, skill andsophistication.
Orchestra members
The team performs under the strict guidance of the talented Mikhail Pletnev, as well as with other equally virtuoso guest conductors such as Semyon Bychkov, Paavo Järvi, Klaus Peter Flohr, Ingo Metzmacher and many others.
All musicians of the Russian National Orchestra are gifted and experienced people who are able to enchant and captivate even the most distant people from symphonic music with their skill. Under the hands of musicians, magnificent, saturated with power and fire, classical works of famous authors come to life, which have a huge impact on the soul and mind, heal and heal, make you think and change., music teacher), Pachkaev Vyacheslav Pavlovich (bass trombonist, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, teacher), Lavrik Vladislav Mikhailovich (trumpeter, conductor and teacher), Raev Alexander Vladimirovich (horn player, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, teacher) and many others who decorated with their performances of domestic and foreign concerts.
For twenty-seven years of its existence, the Russian National Orchestra has collaborated with such talented, world-renowned performers as LucianoPavarotti, Montserrat Caballe, Jose Carreras, Vadim Repin, Dmitry Hvorostovsky, Bella Davidovich and many others.
2017 Big Festival
Traditionally, the Grand Festival performed by RNO will open the 2017-2018 concert season and will be held at the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall from September 11 to October 2, 2017. The festival will include six concerts, which will be attended by famous performers and conductors, as well as rising music stars.
The first concert will be marked by a symphonic program composed of works by French composers Bizet and Ravel. Also, the majestic and unsurpassed poem by Alexander Scriabin "Prometheus" will be presented to the attention of the public.
At the last concert Alexander Dargomyzhsky's opera "Mermaid" will be performed.
During the festival, the audience will be delighted with the performance of symphonic music by such talented and outstanding classics as Boris Lyatoshinsky, Sergei Prokofiev and Ludwig van Beethoven. Mikhail Pletnev himself will sit at the instrument. One of the evenings will be devoted to an experimental project that combines music and artistic expression - “The Last Night of the Last Tsar”.
So don't miss it!
Recommended:
"Nautilus Pompilius": the composition of the group, soloist, history of creation, changes in the composition and photos of musicians
Not so long ago, namely 36 years ago, the legendary group "Nautilus Pompilius" was created. Each of us at least once in our lives sang their songs. In our article you will learn about the composition of the group, about the soloist, as well as the history of the creation of this musical group
Which is the most famous Russian singer? The most famous Russian singers
The article contains information about which of the modern domestic performers has gained the greatest fame, as well as about the brightest and most famous Russian singers of the 20th century
National Gallery in London (National Gallery). National Gallery of London - paintings
This article tells about the history of the creation of the National Gallery of London, as well as about the works of which artists can be seen within the walls of this museum
Vivaldi: a list of works, the most famous compositions and the history of their creation
Vivaldi - everyone knows the name of this composer. It is hard not to recognize his virtuoso violin works, they accompany us everywhere. This is because each of them is incredibly beautiful, unique, but at the same time recognizable due to the composer's unified style. The list of Vivaldi's works is extensive and varied. These are operas, concertos, sonatas and small pieces, some of which have not survived to this day
"Red on black" - the visiting card of the group "Alisa"
"Red on black" - what is this song about, which made the hearts of an entire generation beat faster? Everyone will hear in it something of their own, close and understandable only to him. The energy of this song is enough to raise you to the barricades, but what did the author ultimately want to say?
