Vyacheslav Artyomov: Album XI

2021 ICMA Nominee: Contemporary Music

Vyacheslav Artyomov is considered by many to be Russia’s greatest living composer. His music 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.

The Divine Art Artyomov Retrospective (which to date has received wonderful reviews internationally) is a mix of new recordings and former Melodiya releases. This is the eleventh album, containing a selection of studio and live concert performances of chamber works for slightly unusual combinations: flute quartet, and saxophones much to the fore. Apart from ‘Hymns of Sudden Wafts’ and Clarinet Sonata these are all premiere releases. The works are performed by some of the best of Moscow’s orchestral and chamber musicians and represent a somewhat lighter (though the term is relative) side to Artyomov’s work than his massive, granitic symphonies. It includes a touching set of songs on poems by Ashot Grashi.

The extensive list of performers is drawn from the cream of Russia’s chamber and orchestral musicians at the time of the recordings which were made between 1970 and 1991 (and totally remastered in 2019):
Ruzanna Lisitsian (soprano); Karina Lisitsian (mezzo-soprano); Lev Mikhailov (soprano sax); Alexander Oseichuk (alto sax); Alexei Nabatov (tenor sax); Vladimir Yeriomin (baritone sax); Oleg Tantsov (clarinet); Vladimir Pakulichev, Alexander Timochin & Albert Gofman (flutes); Sergei Khokhlov (alto flute); Valery Popov (bassoon); Alexei Semionov (harpsichord); Yuri Smirnov, Piotr Meschaninov & Vyachelsav Artyomov (pianos); Ilia Spivak (vibraphone, bells)