The Chamber music

Over the whole period of a long and remarkably fruitful creative life Tikhon Khrennikov always appealed to the major central music genres. His symphonies and instrumental concertos, operas, music comedies and ballets have masterfully entered chronicles of the Soviet and Russian modern music culture. The composer regularly wrote full Scores for many outstanding theatre performances and motion pictures; they appeared simultaneously with symphonies, operas, ballets and other compositions. Their music continued to live even when movies and theatre performances quit the scene and were forgotten by spectators but not listeners – it is still alive. This music kept sounding either originally or as Orchestral Suites in numerous adaptations for a wide range of various scorings. Khrennikov’s songs for performances as well as other few individually composed song-like pearls, having no connection to the cinema or theater, are truly loved by people nationwide.                                             However, the number of oeuvres, written by the composer in chamber and vocal-chamber music genres, was comparatively small and debuted as if occasionally. Today we become convinced that even these few opuses have their own well-defined individual value. Early piano-play cycles, composed in 30-s, can be more often heard on concert stages – locally and abroad. (That is why they’ve been recently reissued: it means there is still interest to their recovery in the repertoire!) It is appropriate to mention that the list of vocal compositions begins with romances written in 30-s on A. S. Pushkin’s rhymes.      Creativity ways are often mysterious and sometimes are not directly connected to life circumstances of an artist. It is difficult to explain why during sever years of the Great Patriotic War, having scarcely finished the Second Symphony, Khrennikov continues to write inspired military songs and composes a lyrical cycle of five songs on Robert Burns rhymes, translated by S. Marshak. Even this interlude was also natural and entirely explainable in a tense military situation. Poetic lines, praising eternal values of simple humane feelings, turned to be especially close to the composer particularly at this rough moment. And Burns’es poetry genius – folk-like lyrical and hearty– is akin to Khrennikov’s talent. In general, we should note that among “poetic” co-authors of a deeply Russian composer we can see some Britons: here are Shakespeare, Sheridan, Burns… And each time he created neither pastiche nor “Russian translation” of an English text, but a fresh, unique composition, harmonizing original genius and creative personality mark of the composer. (This, by the way, happened to the cycle of Shakespeare sonnets, written later on.)   In the very beginning of 70-s Khrennikov appealed to choral music – new area for him. Of course, earlier there were choirs in his operas as a part of music movement, but here they acquired independent meaning. Three choirs, written on N. Nekrasov’s rhymes, were composed on the same breath and intended for All-Union Radio scoring led by remarkable master – Cloudy Ptitsa. It was he who directed this short cycle for the first time. The first interpreter himself noted: “We immediately saw that wonderful national choir tradition was retained in these miniatures. This music is inseparable from poetry and Nekrasov’s genius, characterized by combination of high soaring poetry and public spirit.  This is also percepted in “Before Rain” landscape sketch with its contrast between placid nature and tribulations of everyday life, as well as in sorrowful and wrenching penetration of “Unharvested Field”, and severe dramatic choir singing of “Watching the war horrors”. And the most important thing is that all this music is remarkably Russian, spacious, songful, and at the same time – free from mosaic pastiche and modernistic novelty.    The short choir cycle was tremendously successful and entered the repertoire.  Fortunately, almost a decade later the composer appealed to Nekrasov’s lyrics again and wrote three more choirs – “Prayer”, “Days Pass”, and Hymn. Of course, a sophisticated ear will catch a little bit more complicated vocal fiber of music, but its genius, laconism and clarity of music idea, melodious originality will stay the same. In general, all six Nekrasov’s choirs constitute one and undivided cycle, enriching the Russian choir music.                 The next Khrennikov’s appeal to the genre of chamber – and at this time instrumental music, could be considered as a good fortune. In autumn 1978, one of the leading festivals, taking place in Austrian Carinthia, decided to dedicate a substantial part of its programs to the oeuvre of the outstanding Russian composer. There was only one essential condition: together with already famous compositions there should be a new one, especially written for the festival. This is how Three Plays for Violin and Piano were borne (Dithyramb, Intermezzo and Dance). The author entrusted them to one of the most brilliant interpreters of his music – Igor Oistrakh. The premier, to be more precise – the pre-premier, took place in summer 1978 in Estonian city Pärnu at the festival, dedicated to the memory of the Great David Oistrakh. And soon there was the real premier in Klagenfurt, it was tremendously successful. Words of the famous Austrian critic Kh. Schneider are worth to be mentioned: “What concerns the Three Plays for Violin and Piano – it is ternary sonata, I should say. Its music conquers us with masterly execution of the first and third parts, framing the feeling-full Intermezzo cantilena.” Such sonata character of the composition is emphasized by piano part, which is not inferior to the violin in its significance, profusion of texture and virtuosity. “In this regard, to my mind - I. Oistrakh remarks, - Khrennikov’s composition get into lane of such famous pieces of violin repertoire as “Five Melodies” by Prokofiev or “Myths” cycle by Shymanovsky.” And later on the author intentionally orchestrated the piano part of the cycle and turned it into unique Concertino.          And still, with all their independent artistic value, these chamber and choir opuses are fairly considered to be a sort of interludes between his fundamental works at the theatre and on the concert stage. However - everything is good in its season. And in the end of 80-s, after a certain success of the whole number of his theatrical performances, the composer “decided to put a period to the opera repertoire and get on with the chamber genres”. And, reaching the 80-th Anniversary, a venerable musician started to snow with new chamber compositions. In August 1989 the Three Shakespeare Sonnets, written within three days, were added to the range of his vocal compositions. Yet, in autumn 1988 Khrennikov composed his first quartet that was luckily heard by the author of these lines at the first “home” rehearsal in the apartment of a famous violinist and ensemble participant – Sergey Riabov, – the leader of All-Union Radio Quartet.                      The Score immediately captured the listeners with its laconism, concision and deep music idea, penetrating melodiousness and technical excellence. The first performance in the Gnesins’ Hall was enthusiastically met, and the composition was entirely performed again. Afterwards it was performed in many European cities. Inspired by the Quartet success, the composer turned to the long-planned Cello sonata, finished in 1989. In many ways it appeared to be akin to the Three Plays for Violin: there was the same melodiousness so typical of Khrennikov – deep and distinctive in its tonal pitch, perceivable from the first few measures; the same equality of cello and piano, the same laconism. Though, Sonata is essentially more spacious and dramatic by its concept, plot scale, intensity of drama and visual sharpness of parts in calm and lyrical Andante maestoso, full of passion – in Andante molto espressivo, and  intense - in Allegro con fuoco. And even though Khrennikov’s music, as well as Prokofiev’s, seldom reflects real events directly, we immediately recollect the composition time of Sonata – distressing and thunderous 1989.                      Two years later, for the third time Khrennikov appealed to his favorite genre – Piano Concerto. Though, his Forth Concerto for Piano with Orchestra turned to be completely different from the three predecessors by all parameters. Instead of a big orchestra – there were string and drum sections; instead of a traditional ternary form – there were two, surprisingly vivacious, and sometimes sweeping parts with rare isles of placid lyrics. There is no pacification; there is nothing external – only entire stream of music, like a stream of glowing avalanche, carrying away the listeners. At the beginning it seamed to me, as well as to some other musicians, that the Concerto apparently lacked traditional Andante to balance its two parts. But today, many years later, it becomes clear that both parts of the Concerto are absolutely self-sufficient, moreover – they, as a matter of fact, are integral in its essence, in the nature of thematic material, in its rush movement – they are one more signal of the new time-measuring that already changed the life of everybody.                                                                                                                                                                                               Х    Х    ХThe closing part of the disc is represented by Khrennikov’s songs for the three drama performances. Each of these vocal masterpieces is so much popular, so much familiar to everybody – and not only in Russia, but in the whole world, – that it is hardly necessary to represent them to the audience. It’s also worth to be noted that they are not just songs – they are song-like romances – melodious, penetrating and radiating music energy, so typical of Schubert. We wish the owners of this disc to enjoy the inexhaustible melody gift of the composer.                  

Lev Ginzburg