Strings of success
From the very time of its formation just under 70 years ago, the President's Orchestra of Moscow has had strong links with the Kremlin. In fact, it is housed in the Trinity Tower of the Kremlin, so that the highest Kremlin tower is home to the...
From the very time of its formation just under 70 years ago, the President's Orchestra of Moscow has had strong links with the Kremlin. In fact, it is housed in the Trinity Tower of the Kremlin, so that the highest Kremlin tower is home to the Orchestra's rehearsal halls, recording studios, offices and back rooms. Where else would you find a flourishing orchestra given prime space in a complex of palaces symbolising political power spanning over a thousand years?
Unsurprisingly, the orchestra's official name changed several times to trumpet the state's interest in upholding a legacy of brilliant music-making and of course to have a select brass band cut a dash at important state and public events. Applauding monarchs and heads of state punctuate its story. But the need for pomp and circumstance has gone hand in hand with showcasing versatility, virtuosity as well as creativity in interpreting and promoting Russian compositions in particular.
Indeed the presidential orchestra is far from a stereotypical brass band. Over the years it has incorporated a strings and a songs section. Whether it's playing a symphony or belting out an eclectic mix of songs including pop tunes, it's sure to hit the right notes... at perfect pitch. This isn't mere hype. The prestige of the Bolshoi has to be complemented with a dazzling orchestra. And it's hard to beat a home-grown thoroughbred which boasts an awesome interpretation of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake and Nutcracker, Prokofiev's Romeo & Juliet and Ivan the Terrible ...also accompanying opera stars like Arkhipova, Nesterenko, Kasrashvili and Kazarnovskaya. Nor is Russian pride the only spur since the President's Orchestra of Moscow wows the crowds even when it performs non-Russian works. It goes without saying that when it goes on tour, it performs on the world's most prestigious stages.
Cynics may sneer at the political strings plucking at compiling such an impressive repertoire. Yet it takes the mark of music lovers to aim for and clinch stellar quality. So it was N. Mironov who put the orchestra on the map even before World War II broke out. Under the baton of I. Peregudov between 1941 and 1957, it continued to garner accolades as one of the leading concert bands in the country, no mean achievement considering the havoc and devastation of a global conflict and its tortuous aftermath.
Successive conductors took upon this glowing reputation as a challenge to seal and deliver via an ever widening repertoire. So V. Udalov injected the fizz of pop while G. Smushchenko, V. Ivanov and P. Ovsyannikov added a new verve to performing national and foreign classics. Today, Anton Nikolayevich Orlov leads this world-acclaimed orchestra. A distinguished cellist in his own right, his past and ongoing collaboration with Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasilev, who head the State Academic Theatre of Classical Ballet, forge a truly symbiotic relationship between music and artistic direction.
A long list of recordings and many more performances have made the presidential orchestra hugely popular. And the magic of a live performance leaves no in doubt that the President's Orchestra of Moscow is licensed to thrill.
Unsurprisingly, the orchestra's official name changed several times to trumpet the state's interest in upholding a legacy of brilliant music-making and of course to have a select brass band cut a dash at important state and public events. Applauding monarchs and heads of state punctuate its story. But the need for pomp and circumstance has gone hand in hand with showcasing versatility, virtuosity as well as creativity in interpreting and promoting Russian compositions in particular.
Indeed the presidential orchestra is far from a stereotypical brass band. Over the years it has incorporated a strings and a songs section. Whether it's playing a symphony or belting out an eclectic mix of songs including pop tunes, it's sure to hit the right notes... at perfect pitch. This isn't mere hype. The prestige of the Bolshoi has to be complemented with a dazzling orchestra. And it's hard to beat a home-grown thoroughbred which boasts an awesome interpretation of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake and Nutcracker, Prokofiev's Romeo & Juliet and Ivan the Terrible ...also accompanying opera stars like Arkhipova, Nesterenko, Kasrashvili and Kazarnovskaya. Nor is Russian pride the only spur since the President's Orchestra of Moscow wows the crowds even when it performs non-Russian works. It goes without saying that when it goes on tour, it performs on the world's most prestigious stages.
Cynics may sneer at the political strings plucking at compiling such an impressive repertoire. Yet it takes the mark of music lovers to aim for and clinch stellar quality. So it was N. Mironov who put the orchestra on the map even before World War II broke out. Under the baton of I. Peregudov between 1941 and 1957, it continued to garner accolades as one of the leading concert bands in the country, no mean achievement considering the havoc and devastation of a global conflict and its tortuous aftermath.
Successive conductors took upon this glowing reputation as a challenge to seal and deliver via an ever widening repertoire. So V. Udalov injected the fizz of pop while G. Smushchenko, V. Ivanov and P. Ovsyannikov added a new verve to performing national and foreign classics. Today, Anton Nikolayevich Orlov leads this world-acclaimed orchestra. A distinguished cellist in his own right, his past and ongoing collaboration with Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasilev, who head the State Academic Theatre of Classical Ballet, forge a truly symbiotic relationship between music and artistic direction.
A long list of recordings and many more performances have made the presidential orchestra hugely popular. And the magic of a live performance leaves no in doubt that the President's Orchestra of Moscow is licensed to thrill.