A broad and layered musical image, skill and emotion, as well as rhythm and dynamics that are appropriate for the times we live in, will be presented to the audience in Podgorica today by the piano trio "ARKUS". The band, which consists of a violinist Nadezhda Artamonova, pianist Alexey Kurbatov and a cellist Sergey Suvorov, will perform on the big stage of the Cultural and Information Center "Budo Tomović" as part of the "Chamber Music" cycle, tonight at 20 pm, and admission is free.
In an interview with "Vijesti", Kurbatov announces a concert that he believes will be a special event, almost of a traditional type.
"Yes, this will already be a traditional annual concert of our ensemble at KIC. We love the Montenegrin audience very much and we try to introduce them to both well-known classical works and new music created recently," he says.
The concert program includes two representative works of chamber music, namely Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor, Op. 67 Dmitri Shostakovich and Piano Trio No. 3, Op. 23, composed by Aleksej Kurbatov, whose work will be premiered in Montenegro on this occasion. The musical combination in the repertoire is not accidental, Kurbatov points out.
“We live in a very complex and dynamically changing time, and the combination of Shostakovich's Second Trio with my Third Trio should reflect precisely that dynamic,” he says.
Piano Trio No. 3 was written by composer Aleksej Kurbatov in 2011. The work is large-scale, almost symphonic in character, created by a chamber ensemble, according to a statement from the KIC “Budo Tomović”, which emphasizes that the premiere performance of this work in Montenegro represents a special artistic event and contribution to the contemporary music scene. Kurbatov explains to “Vijesti” what led him to such a breadth of expression within a chamber ensemble and continues to describe the composition himself, as both the author and performer.
"Indeed, in this Piano Trio I have tried to solve symphonic tasks by chamber means; it seems to me that there is much in it from symphonies." Mahler i Bruknera, as well as from symphonic poems Richard Strauss. "It was interesting for me to create a broad and layered musical image with minimal resources. I hope the audience will feel that," he says.
Considering that he wrote the work in 2011, he points out that he himself is interested in the perception and experience from the current time distance.
“Due to its length, this Piano Trio has been performed much less frequently than my other chamber works, so it was particularly interesting for us to return to it after many years. We last played it more than ten years ago, and during that time the world has changed beyond recognition. However, it seems to me that this has not affected the music itself,” Kurbatov concludes.
On the other hand, Dmitri Shostakovich's Piano Trio No. 2 was composed in a wartime context and carries a strong emotional and historical charge. The composition in E minor, from 1944, is one of the most tragic and emotional pieces of chamber music of the 20th century. The work was composed after the death of a close friend, the music critic Ivan Solertinski, in the shadow of World War II.
"The music develops as a path from the cold, almost 'inhuman' alienation of the first movement, through an evil, mechanical scherzo and funeral march, to a finale based on a distorted Jewish dance. This finale is not a celebration, but a dance of horror and violence, which in the interpretations of Shostakovich's researchers and contemporaries is seen as a musical monument to the victims of the Holocaust and war in general," the KIC announcement states.
Commenting on the importance of the background and circumstances in which the work was created, as well as its significance today, Kurbatov points out that it is more relevant than ever.
“One of the most tragic and complex works of the war period sounds more relevant today than ever. The world, it seems to me, has once again reached that dangerous border on which it teetered before the Second World War, and it is necessary to constantly remind ourselves and others of what this has led to. In addition, this work carries a strong humanistic and emotional charge, and the listener who hears it for the first time never remains the same. It is a true masterpiece of the 20th century,” Kurbatov assesses.
The concert of the ARKUS piano trio is an opportunity for the domestic audience to encounter interpretations of the top chamber repertoire, as well as contemporary authorial expression within one of the most demanding musical genres.
"We have been playing together for many years, and in recent years we have been working in the same institution, the Andre Navarre Music School, so we constantly see each other, play music, create new programs and hold concerts. The concert life of our trio has become much more regular after moving to Montenegro, and we are very grateful to Montenegro and the Montenegrin audience for their interest in our work," said Kurbatov.
The ARKUS trio consists of artists with strong individual careers.
"The members have achieved notable international careers as soloists and chamber musicians, performing in prestigious concert halls and collaborating with renowned orchestras and artists. Their joint music is characterized by high interpretative standards, stylistic precision and strong artistic expression," the announcement states.
Alexei Kurbatov is a Russian composer, pianist and professor. He composed his first work when he was only five years old, and wrote a ballet at the age of six. He graduated in 2005 from the composition and piano department of the Moscow State Conservatory named after PI Tchaikovsky in the class of Professor Yuri Lisitchenko i Mikhail Voskresenkog.
As a pianist, Alexei Kurbatov has performed in cities across Russia and the world. He has released several CDs for various record labels. He has collaborated with world-renowned musicians such as violinists Vladimir Spivakov, Maksim Vengerov, Vadim Rjepin, cellist Misha Mayski, actor Gerard Depardieu.
“Distinguished by the originality and individuality of his musical language, Kurbatov’s works are inspired primarily by the tradition of world symphonic and chamber music. At the same time, his music represents Russian culture, which is deeply connected to historical contexts. This led him to create works such as the Symphonic Poem of 1812, the Leningrad Apocalypse (commissioned by the widow of the famous Russian mystic writer Danila Andreeva) and the third Soldier's Symphony, which had its premiere in St. Petersburg on September 8, 2012 (Remembrance Day for the Victims of the Siege of Leningrad),” his biography highlights.
Kurbatov's symphonic and chamber compositions have been performed in many countries around the world, as well as in prestigious concert halls around the world. Most performers have chosen to include his compositions on their CDs.
“Kurbatov's other compositions include eight symphonies, the operas The Black Monk and Return Home, as well as seven instrumental concertos, three symphonic poems, numerous vocal and chamber works, film music, etc. Also, his works are included in the mandatory program for the piano competition in Cleveland, USA. He has held master classes in many cities across Russia, and was a member of the jury at several music competitions. Until 2022, he was a full professor at the Moscow State Conservatory named after PI Tchaikovsky,” the biography says, adding that since 2022 he has been living in Podgorica.
"We have been playing together for many years, and in recent years we have been working in the same institution, the Andre Navarre Music School, so we constantly see each other, play music, create new programs and hold concerts. The concert life of our trio has become much more regular after moving to Montenegro, and we are very grateful to Montenegro and the Montenegrin audience for their interest in our work," says Kurbatov.
"We live in a very complex and dynamically changing time, and the combination of Shostakovich's Second Trio with my Third Trio should reflect precisely that dynamic," Kurbatov points out about the program.
Bonus video:
