Maximwinds

46RussianLifetheRussianNationalOrche-stra(RNO)returnstoRussiathisFebruaryfromitsUSconcerttour,itwillleavebehindthreeyoungplayersfromitswoodwindsection.
Theorchestraisnotabandoningthemusi-cianstothewhimsoffate,butinsteadlaunchingthemontheirfirstindepen-dentchambertour.
ThethreeRNOmusicianswillbejoinedbytwocol-leaguesfromMoscow.
Together,theycomprisetheRNOWindQuintet.
TheRNOisMoscow'sfinestorchestraandrivalsSt.
Petersburg'sMariinsky(Kirov)TheaterOrchestraandSt.
PetersburgPhilharmonicasthebestinallofRussia.
TheRNOhasaconsiderablefollowingintheUSthroughitsregulartoursoverthepastdecadeanditsmanyrecordings.
But,forthefledglingRNOWindQuintet,theFebruarytour,whichincludesvenuesontheEastCoastoftheUSandattheBermudaFestival,isanattempttocrackthedifficultnutthatistheNorthAmericanchambermusiccircuit.
"Thechambermusicsceneisbrim-mingwithgoodyoungtalent–mostlystringplayers,"saidMaryAnnAllin,whoisorganizingthequintet'stour.
"ButwhatsetstheRNOWindQuintetapartistheirflawlesstechnique,com-binedwithanenthusiasmforexperi-mentalmusicandnewcompositions,oftentheirown!
Immediatelytheyarecollaboratingwithjazzmusicians,choreographers,andmusicsettopoetryorwithnarration.
"TherearethousandsofchambermusicgroupsintheUSandcompeti-tionisstiff.
MargaretLioi,CEOofChamberMusicAmerica,aprofes-sionalassociationofchamberensem-bles,saidthatherorganizationalonehasover800ensemblesinallgenres.
"Therearesomanychambergroups,"Lioisaid,"itisimpossibletosayhowmanytherereallyare.
Theyaresofluid,exchangingandoverlappingmembers.
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AndthentherearegroupsWhenWindsfromByJayCootePhotographybyVincentBeginthatcomefrom[about900US]orchestras…Inthetimethatweareliving,musicaltrainingaroundtheworldisprobablyatthehighestlevelithaseverbeen.
Andeveryyearthou-sandsofgreatmusiciansaregraduat-ing…inshort,thelevelofcompeti-tionisveryhigh.
"Sowhatcansetachambergroupapart,givethemalegupinthemar-ketplaceforlivemusicFirst,Lioisaid,"itisaboutfindingopportunitieswhereveryouare,real-izingthatitisasimportantandvalu-abletoplayininterestinglocalvenuesasinthe'top'spotslikeCarnegieHall.
"Second,itisaboutdoingsomethingnewandinteresting,carvingoutauniqueniche.
"Ifyouaredoingsome-thingnewanddifferent,blendingdif-ferentartformsandreallypushingtheenvelope,"Lioisaid,"thatputsyouinadifferentcategory.
"Inthisrespect,theRNOWindQuintetshouldhavewhatittakes.
"TheWindQuintetbuildsontheextraordinarymusicaltraditionsoftheRNO,"saidRichardWalker,PresidentoftheRussianArtsFoundation,theUSnon-profitwhichsupportstheRNOinternationally.
"Yes,theyareworld-classmusicians.
Buttheyarealsothenewgeneration,andtheirpassionandcommitmenttotheirartisinfectious,perhapsevencontagious.
"TheRNOWindQuintettracesitsoriginstoanadhocensembleformedthreeyearsagobyatrioofrecentMoscowConservatorygraduates:flutistMaximRubtsov,clarinetistAndreyShutyandbassoonistAndreySnegirev,whowerelaterjoinedbyoboistAndreyRubtsov(norelationtoMaxim)andhornplayerAlexeySerov.
WhileShutyandSnegirevdonotplaywiththeRNO(bothfindworkwithanumberofotherMoscoworchestras),theorchestra'smanage-JANUARY/FEBRUARY200447theEastmentneverthelessdecidedtotaketheWindQuintetunderitswingandallowthegrouptobenefitfromtheRNO'snameandfinancialsupport.
SergeiMarkov,ChiefExecutiveoftheRNO,explainedwhytheorchestrawaseagertoextenditsbrandtotheyoungquintet:"Thisgroupimpressedmewithitsrarecombinationoffinemusician-shipandyouthfulenergy,ofanearnestcommitmenttomusicwithanopen-mindednessanddiversityofartisticandhumaninterests.
Theseyoungpeoplearegiftedinsomanyways:allareperfectinstrumentalists,but,asidefromthis,oneisacompos-er,twoothersareskilledinfolkdance,oneisaperfectcook.
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theyglowwithtalent,andonecanfeelit…andafterall,isn'tradiationoftalentandenergypartofwhatwecall'charisma'"TheWindQuintethasappearedwiththeRNOinMoscowasasoloensemble,per-formingmusicbyMozartandbycontemporaryRussiancomposerBorisTchaikovsky(joinedbyaharpist),andhaspresentednumerousconcerts,bothpublicandprivate,throughouttheRussiancapital.
SOMETHINGOLD,SOMETHINGNEWOneeveninginlateNovember,theQuintet'splayersmadetheirwaythroughMoscow'sfirstrealsnowfallofthewintertotheRNO'sOrchestrion,theconvertedmovietheaterinsouth-ernMoscowthattheorchestrausesasarehearsalhallandsometimesforconcerts.
There,thefivemusicianssetaboutrehearsingand,whenitcametimeforbreak,spokeabouttheirmusicandtheirupcomingtouroftheUSandBermuda.
Intherealmofchambermusic,awindquintetthatbringstogetherflute,Frenchhorn,clarinet,oboeandbassoonhasalonghistoryandcandrawfromanextremelyrichreper-toire,includingnumerousarrange-mentsofpieceswrittenforfullorchestraandfordifferentlyconfig-uredchamberensembles.
TheRNOWindQuintethasalreadyexploredalargepartofthestandardrepertoire,rangingfromMozartandBeethoventosuch20thcenturycom-posersasArnoldSchnberg,FrancoisPoulencandGeorgyLigeti.
Buttheyhavealsobrokenloosetofindmusicthatisdistinctlytheirown.
AnditisthatwhichfillsmostoftheprogramstheyhaveinstorefortheirFebruarytour.
"Wewanttoplaynewmusic,"saidbassoonistSnegirev,at31thequintet'soldestmember,"becausewethinkitwillattractrealinterestinwhatwearedoing.
"OneimportantnewdirectionsofarhasbeenthemusicofChrisBrubeck,trombonist,composer,andsonofjazzgreatDaveBrubeck.
DaveBrubeckhasalonghistoryofcollaboratingwiththeRNO,andbothBrubeckstouredwiththeRNOlastyearintheUnitedStates.
"That'swhenIgottoknowChris,"MaximRubtsovsaid,"andhesuggestedwetrysomeofhismusic.
"Lastyear,Rubtsovandhiscol-leaguesincludedChrisBrubeck'sCrescentCitySuite,scoredforwindquintetandpercussion,ontheirfirstrecording,whichissoontobereleasedonthePentaToneClassicslabel.
TheirpublicdebutoftheworkwilltakeplacewhenitisperformedontheirUStour.
SomeconcertsonthetourwillalsofeatureajointappearancewiththeBrubeckBrothersQuartet,withthetwoensemblesperformingtogetherBrubeck's,VignettesforNonet.
"It'sagreatfeelingtobeabletocommunicatehalfwayaroundtheworldinthismanner,"saidChrisBrubeckabouthiscollabo-rationwiththeWindQuintet.
"VignettesforNonetfeaturesjazzimprovisationwithTheBrubeckBrothersQuartet,togetherwiththeRNOWQ.
We'rebothveryexcitedaboutperformingthistogetherandmakingacollaborativeeffortonthesamepartoftheplanetatthesametime.
"Asecondnewdirectionforthequintetstemsfromthetalentsofitsresidentcomposer,oboistAndreyRubtsov.
Thoughonly21andstillastudentattheMoscowConservatory,Rubtsovhasalreadyproducedanimpressivearrayofmusic,includingaConcertoforOboeandOrchestra,whichwaspremieredlastspringbytheRNO.
"Igrewupinamusicalfami-ly,"Rubtsovsaid,"andI'mnotreallysurewhenIbegantocompose.
Mymusicistraditional,notavantgardeoratonal.
Ihavenowishtobreakaway48RussianLife"Theyglowwithtalent,andonecanfeelit.
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and,afterall,isn'tradiationoftalentandenergypartofwhatwecall'charisma'"fromthemainstreamRussianschoolofcomposition.
"Rubtsovhasalsoarrangedothercomposers'musicfortheWindQuintet,includingWolfTracks,anorchestralpiececommissionedbytheRussianNationalOrchestrafromtheFrenchcomposerJean-PascalBeintus.
WolfTrackssharesanewRNOCDwithProkofiev'sPeterandtheWolf.
NarratedbySophiaLoren,BillClintonandMikhailGorbachev,andconduct-edbyKentNagano,theorchestra'sCDhasjustbeennominatedforaGRAM-MY.
ThequintetwillperformbothwolfpiecesinBermuda,withnarrationbyDianaDouglas(motherofactorMichaelDouglas)andSeanDill.
WolfTracksisalsothecenterpieceofaspe-cialbenefitconcertplannedforVermont,toaidpreservationofwolfhabitatsinthenortheasternUS.
AnditwillbepresentedaspartofaspecialRNOeveninginWashington,DC,withFrenchpianistHélèneGrimaud,attheresidenceofRussianAmbassadorYuryUshakov.
"TheyouthanddynamismoftheWindQuintetjustseemstoattractexcitingnewcollaborations,"Allinsaid.
"AttheBermudaFestival,localchoreographerConchitaMingseizedtheopportunitytocreateadancefor"Frivolity,"thelastmovementofRubtsov'sThreeMoods.
AlongwiththeperformanceatWesleyan[inCT],wearebeginningacollaborationtosetpoetryofthelateJosephBrodskytomusic.
"Aswell,buildingontheRNO'sstrongtraditionofoutreachandedu-cation,thequintetwillofferavarietyofmasterclasses,seminars,demon-strationsandrehearsalswithstudentorchestrasandchamberensembles.
"Wedon'treallyknowwhattheyhaveplannedforus,"MaximRubtsovsaid.
"It'sallgoingtobeasurprise.
"OncebackhomeinMoscow,themusicianswillreturntotheirfullJANUARY/FEBRUARY200449ThemusiciansrehearseinMoscow.
Fromleft:AlexeySerov,AndreySnegirev,MaximRubtsov,AndreyRubtsovandAndreyShuty.
"It'sagreatfeelingtocommunicatehalfwayaroundtheworldinthismanner.
"scheduleoforchestralwork,andSerovandAndreyRubtsov,fortheirpart,willcontinuetheirstudiesattheMoscowConservatory.
Ofcourse,theywillalsoseekconcertsinthecapitalfortheWindQuintet.
ThechambermusicsceneinMoscowisnolesscompeti-tivethanintheUS,andthefiveyoungmusiciansaredeterminedtocarveoutanimportantplaceforthemselves,whilebreathingabitoftheirlifeintoit.
AsSnegirevsaid,theywill"trytoover-comethewidespreadnotionthatawindquintetisn'tpleasanttolistento.
"Sincetheearly1990s,Russiahassufferedenormouslossesofmusicaltalent,luredabroadbyhigherpayandbetterworkingconditions.
But,asnowappearsincreasinglythecasewithyoungermusicians,themembersoftheRNOWindQuintethavenodesiretomaketheirhomeanywherebutinRussia.
"Lastyear,"saidMaximRubtsov,"Iwasinvitedby[SanFranciscoSymphonyMusicDirector]MichaelTilsonThomastojoinhisorchestra,underaninternshipprogramwiththeRNO,forafestivalofRussianmusic.
WhileIwasintheStates,IthoughtImightaswelltryoutforanorchestrathere,andIdidgetaplacewithTilsonThomas'NewWorldSymphony,inFlorida.
ButthenIlearnedthatMikhailPletnevwascomingbacktoheadtheRNOagain.
Ihavetremen-dousrespectforPletnevasaconduc-tor,so,intheend,IdecidedthatIabsolutelyhadtoreturntotheRNO.
"Tojudgebywhatthisreporterheardatrehearsal,theRNOWindQuintet,despiteitsfairlybriefexistence,hasalreadymoldeditselfintoafirst-classchamberensemble.
BoththeRNOWindQuintet'splayingandimagina-tivechoiceofrepertoireshouldproveadelighttothoseluckyenoughtohearitonitsFebruarytour.
RL50RussianLifeRNOWindQuintetFebruary2004TourSchedule*February5Middletown,CTWesleyanUniversityFebruary7Guilford,CTShorelineArtsAllianceBranfordHighSchoolAuditorium(withTheBrubeckBrothersQuartet)February8VermontWolfTracksBenefitConcertFebruary11-12Hamilton,BermudaBermudaFestival*Subjecttochange.
Checkwww.
rno.
ruforlatestinformation.
"Wewilltrytoovercomethewidespreadnotionthatawindquintetisn'tpleasanttolistento.
"