THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE RUSSIAN GUITAR. Volume II
1. Ovchinnikov: Piano's Melancholy
Sound
2. Kushenov-Dmitrievsky: Cosaque
3. Sychra: Divertissement sur des Airs
Russes
4. Cavos-Sychra: "My Dear Friend"
(aria from the opera-ballet
The National Guard, or Love to the Fatherland)
5. Gornostaev: Caprice Militaire
6. Ladyzhensky: Grande Fantaisie
7. Ladyzhensky: Valse
8. Vetrov: Elegy
9. Vetrov: You Won't Believe
10. Liakhov: I'll Go Scythe the
Grass
Oleg Timofeyev (Russian seven
string guitar)
DORIAN
DOR-93203
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Very soon after my interest in the classical guitar I became aware of the
existence of the seven string guitar which seems to have been favoured mainly,
though not exclusively, by Russian guitarists as we see them sat in groups
in mid to late 19th century photographs. I was not privileged
enough to hear Oleg Timofeyev's first volume of "The Golden Age of the Russian
Guitar" so I must say this is my first experience of the sound of the instrument
and its music
It seems strange, for we guitar enthusiasts familiar with those western European
guitar composers of the late 18th and 19th century's
such as Fernando Sor (1786-1838) of Spain and the Italian Mauro Giuliani
(1781-1829), that there existed a parallel tradition of guitar playing complete
with its own composers and rich repertoire of music that many of us have
never heard.
So this being the case, all the items in this programme are new to me, as
are the composers. According to Oleg Timofeyev, Andrei Osipovich Sychra
(1775-1850) was the most prolific of the composers featured here, and seems
to have most in common with Fernando Sor. Sychra ,whose two contributions
on this disc, the "Divertissement sur des Airs Russes", and a transcription
of the aria from the opera-ballet Opolchenie, ili Liubov' k
otechestvu ("The National Guard, or Love to the Fatherland") by Catterino
Cavos (1776-1840) is in keeping with the forms that Sor would have used.
On the whole this recorded programme is made up of the genres that we would
recognise from the Classical guitar repertoire that we are accustomed to,
Elegy, Valse, Caprice a Fantaisie and the opening work by Ovchinnikov "Piano's
Melancholy Sound" a theme and variations, the variations consisting of a
Marche, Polonaise and Trio, etc. yet all of them played with a distinctive
character of their own. Also included are two arrangements of popular Russian
folk songs, one by Vetrov "You Won't Believe" and the other by Liakhov "I'll
Go Scythe the Grass"
On his original Russian Seven-String Guitar, ca. 1860, Oleg Timofeyev is
not the cleanest of guitarists, but the extraneous string noises does not,
for me at least, detract from the enjoyment of the music. He performs with
the spirited spontaneity of playing for the moment, which is rather refreshing,
(his execution of harmonics is stunning) at times a little reminiscent of
early Andres Segovia recordings. The overall effect being a little old fashioned,
but at the same time aptly in keeping with the repertoire.
The unorthodox (to many modern guitarists) tuning of D G B d g b d that is
employed for this instrument creates unusual harmonic overtones and a dark
but pleasing sonority from which the music seems to benefit.
I can recommend this disc whole heartily to those wishing to explore new
avenues of classical guitar music.
Reviewer
Andy Daly
