For many years in the history of different European countries, especially in the Russia of the tsars, music was entertainment only for the aristocracy. The Soviet Union, after adding its touch of red stars, hammers and sickles, opened the palaces of Russia to the people so that they can enjoy the rhythms of the russian orchestras. See the famous ballet of the swan lake inside one of the palaces of the Kremlin compound, for example, it is available to any Russian who has the equivalent of 7 euros at their disposal.
Both in this and in other concerts it is very common to see young couples with roses in hand and that they have one of their first dates there, groups of friends who take selfies around the palace, families bringing their children already older people. Listening to Piotr Tchaikovsky, Sergei Razmaninov or Sergei Prokofiev, among many others, arouses the interest of Muscovites, who practically every day can enjoy concerts, some of them in other buildings in the city. old russian nobility.
Viacheslav, one of the attendees who prefers not to give his real name, explains that Russian music “it sounds different from the european one for him isolation for many years of the country from the rest of Europe”, something that has caused him to habitually use other “melodies, tempos, harmonies and rhythms”, and adds that “some of these specific elements they are unusual outside of Russia.” In his opinion, there may also be other influences to make it sound different, such as “the weight of the Orthodox Church and the harshness of the climate”.
cultural pride
In the same way as the name of the poet Alexander Pushkin floods the nomenclature of streets and squares throughout the country, composers have achieved something similar with their names, present in many cities one way or another. Although they were not always treated with the same affection, it is very easy to find monuments and tributes to muscles During Soviet times they were a pride for the country, but at the time with Stalin it was I watched them like other collectives of artists and were prohibited experiment with music. wanted rigid conservatism In that aspect.
One of the most recognized composers, prokofiev he was unfortunate enough to die almost at the same time as Stalin in 1953, which made his demise happen very unnoticed, overshadowed by the pomposity of the farewell to the Soviet leader. He was described as “undemocratic formalism” by the Soviet authorities in 1948, a label that marked him but did not cause him any problems beyond honor. Now, however, any Muscovite can see a statue of him in the Kamergerskiy streetright in front of your own museum and less than a kilometer from the famous red square.
This pride in music is something that has been maintained by practically all Russian leaders, including the current ones. recently, the Mariinsky Theater Orchestra, one of the most important, played in the ruins of Palmyra, in Syria. The Russian Army helped the Syrian government of autocrat Bashar Al Asad to take the city in 2017 and to exemplify the “civilizing role“Russia back then – until then it was controlled by the Islamic State – the government made musicians play in those ruins.
talent and sacrifice
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This good fame has fed her virtue and sacrifice of many Russian musicians, as is the case of Lyubov, a music professional, who attended a conservatory from a very young age. To enter, even as a child, you have to pass a series of very demanding tests such as “hear a musical note and know how to locate it on the piano“, something that is usually difficult if there is not” a lot of practice or innate talent. If you are admitted, you will spend many hours, “almost every day at school” to aspire to excellence in this field. The Russian discipline is widely known both in music and in Olympic sport.
This recognition has been one of the attractions for the few western foreigners residents in Moscow – compared to Central Asians or even Latin Americans the community is small – hoping to improve your performance in the homeland of big names such as the Russian National Orchestra, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic or the Mariinsky Theater Orchestra. However, many of them have chosen to leave the country. The current conflict has frightened many, both because of fear and uncertainty, and because of the difficulties on a day-to-day basis.