Russian Spirit (2011)

"Nobody knows when these songs have been composed, but everybody has a feeling that they have always been existing in Russia. With these songs our auditory apprehended genetic essence of Russian man, his character and his soul. There is inexpressible width and immensity in folk songs, as in Russia itself, a lot of sorrow, as in Russian history, but joy is here also boundless. Besides Russian folk songs you will hear works of two outstanding Russian composers – Georgiy Sviridov and Valeriy Gavrilov, set to folk texts. Music of the first composer creates authentic picturesof folk life and keeps the melody unique: Gavrilin's music represents scenes of village life and phantasmagoria of Russian fairy-tales (Vladimir Minin)".


Russian folk songs & songs of Russian composers

1. Moon Is Shining Brightly
2. Hey, the Garden
3. Kamarinskaya
4. There Was No Wind
Soloist – Svetlana Nikolayeva (mezzo-soprano)
5. A Bell Rattles Monotone
Soloist – Borislav molchanov (tenor)

Valery Gavrilin. Two fragments from choral symphony "Chimes"

6. Sit-round Gathering
Soloist – Svetlana Nikolaeva (mezzo-soprano)
7. Awful Woman
8. Steppe is All Around
Soloist – Andrey Borisenko (bass)
9. S. Rachmaninov. Belilitsi, Rumjanitsy
Soloist – Svetlana Nikolaeva (mezzo-soprano), Elena Ilyina (piano)
10. Ukrainian folk song Oh, There is Someone’s Horse Standing
Soloists: Sergey Godin (tenor), Vitaly Serebryakov (tenor), Alexey Koltsov (baritone), Andrey Kryzhanovsky (bass)
11. Ya vechor mlada
Soloist – Eugenia Sorokina (soprano)

G. Sviridov. "Three old songs of Kursk region"

12. Girl Walks Near Danube
13. Nightingale Instigated the Cuckoo
Soloists: Irina Nikolskaya (mezzo soprano), Elena Gridasova (mezzo soprano)
14. Three Soaps
Elena Ilyina (piano)
15. My Dearest Lives
Soloist – Evgeny Kapustin (baritone)
16. Korobeyniki
Soloist – Evgeny Kapustin (baritone)

Moscow State Academic Chamber Choir
Conductor – Vladimir Minin