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From classical to contemporary music

On 14 March, the Chamber Hall of the Theater will host a unique event: for the first time in the 10-year history of the string quintet ‘Serenada’, the musicians will present a purely instrumental concert to the audience of the Bolshoi. And, what is more, the opera soloist Tatyana Tretiak will take the seat at the piano. Yes, this evening only instrumental music will reign in the Larisa Aleksandrovskaya Chamber Hall.

“The fans of ‘Serenada’ are used to listening to our musicians, as a rule, in ensemble with singers. However, the concert work of the string quintet includes venues at various exhibitions, presentations and other events, leaving no doubt that the artists are able to perform solo on their own and, most importantly, making it a fascinating event! We decided to fill this gap in the biography of our quintet and allowed the audience to enjoy a purely instrumental concert,” said the author of the idea, Tatyana Tretiak, the recipient of the Francysk Skaryna Medal. “The evening will also feature the musicians that are true gems: Valery Kardailsky (drums), a great artist who is familiar to the audience from many concert programmes at the Chamber Hall; Denis Porechin, who will skillfully play not only the clarinet, but also the saxophone; and Dmitry Osipenko, who will give the joy of hearing the bass trombone. One should agree, this is an unusual combination for a string quintet, which is not often heard in one performance.

We named the concert ‘From classical to contemporary music’, and, indeed, the audience will hear a variety of pieces at the concert from a wide timeframe: from the beloved Barcarolle from The Tales of Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach, wonderful works of Edward Elgar and Eugène Bozza to French Quintet by Stepan Shakaryan (where modern jazz meets classical one), Melodies of the White Night by Isaac Schwartz, Caravan by Duke Ellington, and even from the repertoire of Bee Gees. By the way, Denis Porechin will present a piece of his own composition.

Well, I wanted to remember my first job; after all, I started working at the Bolshoi Theatre as a concertmaster of the opera. Therefore, on 14 March, I will take my place at the piano. Hopefully, this evening will be full of pleasant discoveries.”