Vyacheslav Artyomov: Sola Fide
Vyacheslav Artyomov is considered by many to be Russia’s greatest living composer. After the fall of the Soviet regime his music has travelled the world to great acclaim. It is deep, ultimately spiritual and brilliantly crafted, with influences from the Russian symphonic tradition colored by Mahler, Scriabin, Honegger and Messiaen to name a few – but melded into a unique voice.
Following the critical acclaim of his first two Divine Art albums, this program includes his Concerto for Chamber Orchestra ‘Tempo Costante’ and two suites from the ballet ‘Sola Fide’ (‘Only by Faith’) which is based on the novel The Road to Calvary by Aleksey Tolstoy; it shares an ethos and much music with Artyomov’s celebrated Requiem hence the choral elements found in the ballet score.
These premiere recordings herald a series of another 8 albums of music by Artyomov.
Track Listing
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Vyacheslav Artyomov (b.1940):
Sola Fide (Only by Faith): Ballet Suite 3 (Katia)
- Introduction (1:18)
- Separation (3:36)
- Revelation (6:16)
- Shock (6:29)
- Roschin 5:42)
- Acquisition )6:34) Sola Fide (only by Faith): Ballet Suite 4 (The Terrible Days)
- Prologue (4:25)
- Plea (3:26)
- Despair (3:41)
- Wind, wind (2:06)
- Terrible days (4:24)
- Finale (5:24)
- Tempo Costante - Concerto for Orchestra (16:27)
Reviews
“[Artyomov] writes music that’s galactically huge, by which we mean it gives the impression of space and endless time; the music of the spheres. It’s imposing, but it’s not hard to listen to… enervating and uplifting,.. it also contains many moments of beauty (Joint review with DDA 25184 and 25176)
” —Jeremy Condliffe
“There’s only one way to fully appreciate the genius of Vyacheslav Artyomov. You have to listen to everything he’s written. This is volume three of Divine Art’s series. Collect them all.
” —Ralph Graves
“The performances seem excellent, with no lack of commitment or understanding. . He is an intriguing composer and a mystic, and it will be interesting to see what else is uncovered. For now, a thumbs-up.
” —Raymond Tuttle
“Much of the music is somewhat sombre but they do contain some beautifully reflective passages. The works are conceived on a massive scale and are essentially tonal with rich orchestration providing a depth of colour. Truly stimulating and has set me on the road to exploring further treasures by Artyomov. A revelation!
” —iClassical Editor
“The music of Vyacheslav Artyomov is deep, ultimately spiritual and brilliantly crafted. Brilliantly impressive…played with notable commitment and technical aplomb. – (5 stars)
” —Robert Matthew-Walker
“The ballet suites are a dark and sombre affair, epic in proportions and impressively bold. Yet they have their more introverted moments of profound reflection. Haunting, ghostly and ethereal are adjectives I would use to describe the general tenor. The soloists and choir are raptly intense and Kitaenko directs a sure-footed account. The imaginative and colourful orchestration [of Tempo Costante], drawing on a resourceful array of percussion, confers a kaleidoscopic sonic blend. The recordings sound fresh and vibrant. This captivating release will no doubt stir me on to explore more of this composer’s strikingly potent music.
” —Stephen Greenbank
