Archive for Vyacheslav Artyomov

Artyomov: Album XI Nominated for 2021 ICMA!

Album XI - ICMA Nominee

Our latest release from our Vyacheslav Artyomov Retrospective, Album XI, featuring a selection of live and studio performances of Artyomov’s chamber works performed by top Russian musicians has been nominated for the 2021 International Classical Music Awards for Contemporary Music!

Album XI

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.

Sample Our May Releases on YouTube

Preview our four May 8, 2020 releases now on our YouTube Channel:

Divine Art Announces Extension of Artyomov Series

Following the completion of Divine Art’s 10-album series of orchestral, choral and chamber works by Vyacheslav Artyomov, which culminated in a stunning recording from 2018 of his symphony ‘In Spe’ (in Hope), it has been announced that the series is to be extended. Next to be issued will be a compilation of chamber works recorded over a period of time, some of which are given their first commercial release, including both studio and concert recordings.

Artyomov is considered by many to be the greatest composer living in Russia today. His music is absolutely individual and unique, though blending influences from Messaien, Scriabin and Pärt at times. A deep spirituality and political (pro-freedom) thrust also underlines his work. His use of unusual instrumental combinations as well as standard large orchestras gives his work enormous diversity. Here the range includes many fascinating sound templates. Artyomov has been championed by many leading figures including conductors Vladimir Ashkenazy, Dmitri Kitaeko and Teodor Currentzis (all of whom appear on the Divine Art series) and cellist Mstislav Rostropovitch.

The new album will be titled “Artyomov: Album XI” and will be released in the winter of 2019/2020 (date not fixed yet) and plans are in hand to begin a set of new studio recordings next year.

Works and Performer Details

  • Hymns of Sudden Wafts *
    Igor Abramov (soprano and tenor saxophones); Alexwei Semionov (harpsichord); Yuri Smirnov (piano), rec. 1985
  • Litany I
    Lev Mikhailov (soprano sax); Alexander Oseichuk (alto sax); Alexei Nabatov (tenor sax); Vladimir Yeriomin (baritone sax), rec. 1977 (Live)
  • Litany II
    Vladimir Pakulichev (flute); A. Timochin (flute); Albert Gofman (flute); S. Khokhlov (alto flute), rec. 1982 (live)
  • Sunday Sonata (for bassoon and piano)
    Valeriy Popov (bassoon); Piotr Meschaninov (piano), rec. 1978 (live)
  • Sonata for solo clarinet**
    Oleg Tantsov (clarinet), rec. 1991
  • Four Armenian Duets
    Ruzana Lisitsian (soprano); Karina Lisitsian (mezzo-soprano); Vyacheslav Artyomov (piano), rec. 1970
  • Capriccio on the ’75 New Years Eve
    Lev Mikhailov (soprano sax); Vladimir Yeriomin (baritone saX); Ilia Spivak (vibraphone, flexitone, bells), rec. 1976

* Previously issued by Melodiya but from different source recording 
** Previously issued by Olympia

Divine Art Vyacheslav Artyomov Retrospective

Artyomov: Gentle Emanation Symphony, etc
Artyomov: On the Threshold of a Bright World

Pizzicato Features the Artyomov Retrospective

Pizzicato gives full marks (♪♪♪♪♪) to the Divine Art Recordings Vyacheslav Artyomov Retrospective with highlights from the recent releases in the series:

“Divine Art’s ongoing series with music by Russian composer Vyacheslav Artyomov comprises several CDs’ of which four are reviewed here. Artyomov’s music is mostly sombre and sorrowful, sometimes with the expression of anxiety. Rooted in the musician’s Christian faith, it is at the same time deep, spiritual and often mystic. It is well worth hearing in these excellent recordings.”

—Remy Franck, Pizzicato

See the full feature and review on pizzicato.lu

Vyacheslav Artyomov Retrospective

Artyomov: In Spe

Vyacheslav Artyomov is considered by many to be the greatest composer in Russia today and is certainly one of our most incredibly gifted symphonists. Following the release in November 2016 of two of his symphonies, Divine Art has licensed and remastered no less than seven albums containing recordings made by Melodiya and others between about 1988 and 2008 and are currently releasing these in a Retrospective. To round off this series in style, a new recording has just been made of two more major works – the Symphony ‘In Spe’  for violin, cello and orchestra, and ‘Latin Hymns’ for soprano, chorus and strings. Divine Art CEO Stephen Sutton said of the new recording; ‘I’m delighted that we can round off the Artyomov series – at least for now – with this superb new recording. Both works are majestic and display Artyomov’s immense orchestrational skill and his deep spirituality which infuses all his works.”

The new recording is likely to be scheduled for release in the spring of 2019. Both works are of course new to the catalog and were recorded (in studio) after a hugely successful concert performance. The very fine Russian National Orchestra and Yurlov State Capella Choir are joined by young graduate soloists who are very likely to make a big impact in the music world.

The Complete Artyomov Retrospective:

DDA 25143: Symphony “From the Threshold of a New World”; Ave Atque Vale; Ave Crux Alba (11/2016)
National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia cond. Vlaimir Ashkenazy

DDA 25144: Symphony “Gentle Emanation”; Tristia II (11/2016)
Soloists, Russian National Orchestra, cond. Teodor Currentzis /Vladimir Ponkin

DDA 25164: Scenes from the ballet “Sola Fide”; Tempo Costante, Concerto for Orchestra (4/18)
Soloists/Kaunas State Choir/ Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, cond. Dmitri Kitaenko/Moscow Chamber Orchestra ’Musica Viva’, cond. Murad Annamamedov

DDA 25171: Symphony “The Way to Olympus”; Gurian Hymn; Preludes to Sonnets; Concert of the Thirteen (6/18)
Soloists, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, cond. Dmitri Kitaenko/USSR State Academic Symphony Orchestra, cond. Gennady Rozhdestvensky

DDA 25172: A Symphony of Elegies; Awakening; Incantations (9/18)

DDA 25173: Requiem (10/18)

DDA 25174: A Sonata of Mediations; A Garland of Recitations; Totem (10/18)

DDA 25175: In Memoriam; Lamentations; Pietà; Tristia I (11/18)

DDA 25176: Star Wind; Romantic Capriccio; Moonlight Dreams; Mattinate; Scenes; Nestling Antsali (11/18)

DDA 25184: Symphony “In Spe”; Latin Hymns (Spring 2019)
Ivan Pochekin (violin); Aleksandr Buzlov (cello); Russian National Orchestra; Valentin Uriupin (conductor)
Nadezhda Pavlova (soprano); Yurlov State Capella; Strings of the Russian National Orchestra; Valentin Uriupin (conductor)

New Artyomov Symphony recording

Regarded by many as Russia’s greatest living composer, Vyacheslav Artyomov is a natural successor, but with a totally distinctive style, to the work of Scriabin, Messiaen, Mahler and the other great Impressionist-Romantics with large scale works of power and intensity. Currently we are producing a retrospective series of recordings originally issued by Melodiya and other companies in Russia, following the success of our first two Artyomov symphony albums. Following ‘Sola Fide’ and ‘The Way to Olympus’ now out, we have the Symphony of Elegies in September and four more albums to complete the retrospective in October and November. This includes his critically acclaimed Requiem. Now we are overjoyed that to round off this series we will release in early 2019 a new recording made this July of the stunning Symphony ‘In Spe’ and also the ‘Latin Hymns’ – featuring the awesome voice of soprano Nadezhda Pavlova. The Russian National Orchestra is conducted by Valentin Uriupin.

Divine Art launches series for top Russian composer

In 2017 Divine Art released two discs containing music by Vyacheslav Artyomov, regarded by many as the foremost composer in Russia today. His orchestral and chamber works display a totally individual voice yet informed and inspired by such as Mahler, Scriabin and Messiaen, and also imbued with a deep sense of spirituality – and a searching for a better world. Following the success and critical acclaim for these two albums, Divine Art has obtained rights from Melodiya in Russia and from the composer’s archive to release a series of seven albums of Artyomov’s music, which will be released over the next 12 months (in CD and digital formats); the recordings were made at various times over the last 20 years and are to be remastered for the new issue – yet hardly any of them were available previously in the West.

Artyomov’s works have been nominated for many prizes in Russia and the USA; several books have been written about him and his music has been commissioned and premiered by some of the biggest names in Russian music including the composer’s good friend Mstislav Rostropovich, and Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Mikhail Pletnev and many more.

The existing albums (catalog numbers dda 25143 and dda 25144) each include one Symphony from Artyomov’s epic cycle ‘Symphony of the Way’ – and the other two are in the forthcoming releases.

Series details

I               Divine Art DDA 25164 to be released on 20 April 2018
Sola Fide (Only by Faith) – Suites 3 and 4 from the Ballet
Solo singers / Kaunas State Choir / Oleg Yanchenko (organ) / Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Dmitri Kitaenko
NB: This ballet uses music extracted from the composer’s Requiem (see below) hence the vocal and choral parts.
Tempo Costante – Concerto for orchestra
Moscow Chamber Orchestra ‘Musica Viva’ conducted by Murad Annamamedov

II             Divine Art DDA 25171 to be released on 15 June 2018
Symphony – The Way to Olympus (part of the Symphony of the Way cycle)
USSR State Symphony Orchestra conducted by T. Minbayev
Gurian Hymn
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Dmitri Kitaenko
Preludes to Sonnets
Anton Bagatov (piano)
Concert of the 13
Mykola Suk (piano), USSR Ministry of Culture Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Virko Baley

Following titles –  provisional programs – not all artist details to hand yet
III            Divine Art DDA 25172
A Symphony of Elegies
Awakening
Incantations

IV            Divine Art DDA 25173
Lamentations
Tristia I
Pietà
In Memoriam

V             Divine Art DDA 25174
A Sonata of Meditations
A Garland of Recitations
Totem

VI            Divine Art DDA 25175
Star Wind
Variations
Moonlight Dreams
Romantic Capriccio
Mattinate
Scenes

VII          Divine Art DDA 25176
Requiem