Latest Blogger Updates

What's New in the Composers Forum

CD Reviews

Calendar

Latest Podcasts at cacophonous.org

SEQUENZA21/
340 W. 57th Street, 12B, New York, NY 10019

Zookeeper:   
Jerry Bowles
(212) 582-3791

Managing Editor:
David Salvage

Contributing Editors:

Galen H. Brown
Evan Johnson
Ian Moss
Lanier Sammons
Deborah Kravetz
(Philadelphia)
Eric C. Reda
(Chicago)
Christian Hertzog
(San Diego)
Jerry Zinser
(Los Angeles)

Web & Wiki Master:
Jeff Harrington


Latest Posts

AMC's Lastest CAPs
Pre-Summer Doldrums
Tweaks and Geeks
Wiki, Wiki
The Hits Keep Coming
�Best and Brightest� at Thalia
We Work for Art and Glory
Mr. Postman
If You Want Me I'll be in the Bar
Orchestras Matter


 

Record companies, artists and publicists are invited to submit CDs to be considered for review. Send to: Jerry Bowles, Editor, Sequenza 21, 340 W. 57th Street, 12B, New York, NY 10019


Thursday, June 23, 2005
Lumina String Quartet at Europe/Asia 2005 Festival of Modern Music in Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, Russia � Part 2

So, where were we? I was telling you about the Lumina String Quartet�s recent visit to Kazan capital of the Republic of Tatarstan in central Russia to take part in the Europe/Asia 2005 Festival of Modern Music. To read Part 1 of this piece, please go to the June 5 edition of Sequenza 21.

After arriving via Aeroflot (which features shiny new Boeing jets that they�ll someday learn all the passenger information and entertainment functions of) I honestly had not expected the long, long hours of daylight. Red Square is an amazing sight under any circumstances, but I must say that the slow, gentle evening spent in and around it will stay with me for a long time. The sight of the walls and towers of the Kremlin silhouetted against the 10 PM, still luminous sky was remarkable, and the newly refinished St. Basil so artfully lighted in the late, late twilight was unforgettable.

Then there was the train ride. With delays, it was about a 14-hour ride from the magnificent Kazan station in Moscow to Kazan. Russian train rides are always a treat, and this was no exception. Temperatures were in the low 90s when we arrived in Moscow and stayed high all throughout our night�s travel, which, when combined with the unopenable windows, a lack of circulating air and the other three cabin mates (not members of our entourage) great fondness for beer and other alcoholic beverages, made this a steamy trip at best. Cabin assignments are always a big question, as they are seemingly arbitrary and frequently co-ed. No ladies here, but three �interesting� gentlemen who, given their large collection of scars and wounds, may have been involved in who knows what enterprises. That aside, however, we really did spend an interesting rest of the trip trying to communicate and I believe did reach each other on some deeper sort of common humanity

When you arrive in Kazan, the first thing you see is their magnificent Kremlin, sitting on a hill above the confluence of the Volga and Kazanka rivers. With its whitewashed walls, sky blue domes of the orthodox cathedral, minarets of the Kul Shariff mosque and red brick of the legendary Suembiki Tower, it is quite a dramatic, welcoming sight. Good images of it and the city here. More images will be posted next week.

The next day, May 25 was the first concert of the Europe/Asia 2005 Festival of Modern Music we attended. Given at the lovely, but steamy (temperatures still in the 90s, but at least the windows were open) Institute of Civil Service, this was a concert of young composers that was highlighted by Lithuanian composer Algidras Martinaitis� colorful Stealing of Europe for chamber orchestra and Russian Viktor Yekimovsky�s off-center and enjoyable Eternal Return. The latter featured the solo bass clarinet being heard offstage, wandering on, then off, then on again, playing a whimsical, intermittent figuration that sounded like a musical question with no answer. Good stuff.

Another highlight was the moment during one of the other pieces when a car horn from outside came in at exactly the same note as the performer onstage, which brought a very quick smile and thumbs up from one of the members of another visiting ensemble, the Belgian Rapid Deployment Consort More about them later.

Music from Finnish composers Yukka Tiensuu, Hannu Pohjannoro and Yukka Koskinen, as well as several fine Tatar and Russian composers, was also presented to the warm (in more ways than one) and appreciative audience.

More about the Europe/Asia 2005 Festival of Modern Music and The Lumina String Quartet�s part in it in Part 3. Photos will be posted in future installments as well.

 



Archives
12/19/2004 - 12/25/2004 12/26/2004 - 01/01/2005 01/02/2005 - 01/08/2005 01/09/2005 - 01/15/2005 01/16/2005 - 01/22/2005 01/23/2005 - 01/29/2005 01/30/2005 - 02/05/2005 02/06/2005 - 02/12/2005 02/13/2005 - 02/19/2005 02/20/2005 - 02/26/2005 02/27/2005 - 03/05/2005 03/06/2005 - 03/12/2005 03/13/2005 - 03/19/2005 03/20/2005 - 03/26/2005 03/27/2005 - 04/02/2005 04/03/2005 - 04/09/2005 04/10/2005 - 04/16/2005 04/17/2005 - 04/23/2005 04/24/2005 - 04/30/2005 05/01/2005 - 05/07/2005 05/08/2005 - 05/14/2005 05/15/2005 - 05/21/2005 05/22/2005 - 05/28/2005 05/29/2005 - 06/04/2005 06/05/2005 - 06/11/2005 06/12/2005 - 06/18/2005 06/19/2005 - 06/25/2005 06/26/2005 - 07/02/2005 07/03/2005 - 07/09/2005 07/10/2005 - 07/16/2005 07/17/2005 - 07/23/2005 07/24/2005 - 07/30/2005 07/31/2005 - 08/06/2005 08/07/2005 - 08/13/2005 08/14/2005 - 08/20/2005 08/21/2005 - 08/27/2005 08/28/2005 - 09/03/2005 09/04/2005 - 09/10/2005 09/11/2005 - 09/17/2005 09/18/2005 - 09/24/2005 09/25/2005 - 10/01/2005 10/02/2005 - 10/08/2005 10/09/2005 - 10/15/2005 10/16/2005 - 10/22/2005 10/23/2005 - 10/29/2005 10/30/2005 - 11/05/2005 11/06/2005 - 11/12/2005 11/13/2005 - 11/19/2005 11/20/2005 - 11/26/2005 11/27/2005 - 12/03/2005 12/04/2005 - 12/10/2005 12/11/2005 - 12/17/2005 12/18/2005 - 12/24/2005 12/25/2005 - 12/31/2005 01/01/2006 - 01/07/2006 01/08/2006 - 01/14/2006 01/15/2006 - 01/21/2006 01/22/2006 - 01/28/2006 01/29/2006 - 02/04/2006 02/05/2006 - 02/11/2006 02/12/2006 - 02/18/2006 02/19/2006 - 02/25/2006 02/26/2006 - 03/04/2006 03/05/2006 - 03/11/2006 03/12/2006 - 03/18/2006 03/19/2006 - 03/25/2006 03/26/2006 - 04/01/2006 04/02/2006 - 04/08/2006 04/09/2006 - 04/15/2006 04/16/2006 - 04/22/2006 04/23/2006 - 04/29/2006 04/30/2006 - 05/06/2006 05/07/2006 - 05/13/2006 05/14/2006 - 05/20/2006 05/21/2006 - 05/27/2006 05/28/2006 - 06/03/2006 06/04/2006 - 06/10/2006 06/11/2006 - 06/17/2006 06/18/2006 - 06/24/2006 06/25/2006 - 07/01/2006 07/02/2006 - 07/08/2006 07/09/2006 - 07/15/2006 07/16/2006 - 07/22/2006 07/23/2006 - 07/29/2006 07/30/2006 - 08/05/2006 08/06/2006 - 08/12/2006 08/13/2006 - 08/19/2006 08/20/2006 - 08/26/2006 08/27/2006 - 09/02/2006 09/03/2006 - 09/09/2006 09/10/2006 - 09/16/2006

Powered by Blogger


Subscribe to this feed listing