Tribute Concert to Lev Knipper Held at Gnesinka

The Concert Hall of the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music hosted a performance of works by the outstanding Soviet composer, Honored Artist of the RSFSR, and two-time Stalin Prize laureate Lev Knipper. Gnesin ensembles and soloists presented symphonic works, concert pieces for solo instruments, as well as excerpts from theatrical scores and vocal miniatures.

«My happiness lies in my art» — a line from a letter dated January 7, 1924, written by the young composer. These words became the creative credo of the author of one of the symbols of 20th century Russian art — the song «Polyushko-pole». Lev Knipper's musical journey began with his acquaintance with Elena Fabianovna Gnesina, who was his piano and free composition teacher.

«It was she who introduced him to the people with whom Lev Knipper continued his musical education. Today's monographic concert is a tribute to one of Gnesinka's alumni», said Svyatoslav Golubenko, First Vice-Rector of the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music.

The concert featured representatives of Moscow's musical community, students, alumni, and teachers of the Gnesin musical family: Evgeny Alimov, Daria Borisova, Nikolay Bormotov, Evgeny Varavko, Artem Varosyan, Elizaveta Gorbacheva, Elizaveta Ekavyan, Daria Kaminskaya, Valeria Korovkina, Alexey Konoplyannikov, Oleg Makarishin, Roman Martynov, Vladislav Mikhailov, Firgat Musin, Ivan Porshnev, Roman Sosnin, Ernest Suleymanov, Tatyana Taysaeva, Yury Tkanov, Nadezhda Titarenko, Zhargal Tsyrendagbaeva, Evgenia Shpiller, as well as the Gnesin Ensemble of Modern Choral Music «Altro Coro» under the direction of Alexander Ryzhinskii (choirmasters — Denis Morozov and Maximilian Chikhachev).

The musicians performed «Tales of the Plaster Buddha», Prelude in Memory of Sergei Yesenin, Nonet, Sonatina for Harp, Concert Scherzo for Violin, Clarinet Concerto, Concert Suite for Oboe, excerpts from theatrical scores, and vocal miniatures set to poems by Alexander Kovalenkov, Mikhail Svetlov, and Robert Rozhdestvensky.

Concluding the musical evening, Alexander Ryzhinskii, Rector of the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music, remarked: «This concert is history. Lev Knipper's music is a living, sounding history of our country. When we speak of Lev Knipper, any musician immediately hears his signature song "Polyushko-pole" in their mind, along with his wonderful children's songs and his multifaceted, diverse compositions. We are rich people, a rich nation. To be honest, we don't know this music very well, but when you become acquainted with it, you realize how many undiscovered depths our people possess in all forms of art, especially in music».

A recording of the concert broadcast is available via the link.

Photos by Press Center of the Gnesin Russian Academy of Music