M.P. Belaieff

Mansurjan's String Quartet No. 1 (1983-84) takes us 'on the long road of simplicity, on a wonderful journey during which the question whether this music is new or old can be answered very soon: It is...

The Violin Concerto op. 82 is one of Glazunov's best-known works. Since the first performance in 1905 conducted by the composer, when Leopold Auer was the soloist, virtually all the great violinists h...

In the seclusion of the Covid lockdown, Silvestrov, still living in Kiev at that time, composed a large number of smaller works and cycles for various ensembles, which he then combined into larger cyc...

Victor Kissine's 'Caprice' was performed at the Brussels concert hall of Flagey in May 2012 by 24 semifinalists at the Belgian Queen Elisabeth Music Competition. 'Although commissioned by and composed...

This fantasia is based on the most popular and beautiful melodies from the opera 'Prince Igor' by Borodin, containing both virtuoso passages and expressive cantilenas. Since the setting is quite easy...

Vladimir Pogoyev's transcriptions for violin and piano of two episodes from Alexander Glasunov's ballet 'Raymonda' are among the most famous 'Raymonda' arrangements. The composer Pogoyev (1872-1941) b...

Glazunov's Organ Works, which include intricate fugues and double fugues, show that during his lifetime he was the only important Russian composer to write for the organ. His numerous works combine th...

Alexander Glasunov's famous Saxophone Quartet Op. 109 (1932) is one of his last works and, at the same time, one of the earliest quartets for this instrumentation at all. The work is virtually a littl...

The piano works of the Russian composer, conductor and pianist Felix Blumenfeld (1863-1931) have unjustly received little attention in recent decades. By publishing a new edition of the studies, the p...

The work was composed in 1999 when a close member of composer's family fell seriously ill. The ode of lamentation is assigned to the two instruments in such a way that they play singly in swift succes...

The work Path (1987) unfolds so to say from top to bottom. The descending line is metonymic with the path through life - from birth to grave. The beginning flageolets of the cellos and the simple moti...

Grechaninov (1864-1956), mostly known for his piano pieces, songs and operas for children, had his first successes within the circle of the St. Petersburg publisher and patron M. P. Belaieff who award...

Mansurian studied Beethoven's 6 Bagatelles Op. 126 and coupled them with thoughts by Proust and T. S. Eliot: The smallest things in life, the little, seemingly useless facts of everyday life are given...

This composition is both a milestone and an interface in Silvestrov's work: it is the end of his 'avant-garde period' and the beginning of what he later calls 'metamusic'. The structure of the work is...

Prince André Volkonsky (1933-2008) was a rather charismatic figure in the Russian post-war music scene. His role as a 'pioneer' in the field of twelve-note music in Russia cannot be overemphasized. Hi...

The String Trio by the Armenian composer Tigran Mansurian has been premiered in 2009 at Dilijan Chamber Music Series, Glendale, California. 'Mansurian's new trio is in three short movements. In the fi...

The String Trio by the Armenian composer Tigran Mansurian has been premiered in 2009 at Dilijan Chamber Music Series, Glendale, California. 'Mansurian's new trio is in three short movements. In the fi...

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincerest gratitude to Eamonn Quinn, Artistic Director of Louth Contemporary Music Society in Ireland, for his deep empathy, appreciation and great...

Written for the Kronos String Quartet, this piece contains Irish accents and some simple ideas that both convey the composer's enthusiasm for Ireland, the historical fate of which reminds him of his n...