albums

Rhapsody in Blue

This piece tells the story of a young man discovering the iconic city. In the early morning, the air is fresh, and adventure beckons. He walks the bustling streets, absorbing the sounds of the vibrant metropolis and observing its diverse inhabitants. He's full of curiosity, eager to embrace every bit of an energy unparalleled anywhere else in the world.

Suddenly, he sees a beautiful girl, captivated by her simple and fresh demeanor. He follows her with his eyes, not yet ready to initiate a conversation. She notices his gaze, and when she looks back, he's flustered, trying to appear nonchalant, as if merely interested in the surrounding buildings, walls, and coffee shops. But she understands the game and begins to play along. She walks away, subtly checking if he follows. Of course, he does, by some happy coincidence heading in the same direction. She walks calmly, allowing him to draw closer and closer. Finally, they bump into each other, their eyes meet, and this time she smiles shyly and looks away, inviting him to make the first move. Feeling more confident now, he asks her name.

From this point, let our imaginations soar, perhaps recalling our own love stories, unexpected encounters, the thrilling anxiety, and the beautiful, unknown vibrations that make life so worth living.

Rhapsody in Black

This rhapsody was hugely inspired by the 1993 film-opera production of Porgy and Bess, conducted by Simon Rattle with the London Symphony and an extraordinary vocal team. I still remember sitting in the Moscow Conservatory library, reading the score and crying my eyes out. It felt a little unfair that while we know the famous melodies and songs from the opera, we often don't fully appreciate the brilliance of the entire work. I was so inspired by the story, the music, and such a tasteful and stylish production that, as I was already arranging music for piano and various ensembles, I couldn't help but decide to create something based on the opera's themes.

Finding the right approach was not easy. I definitely didn't want to produce another suite or medley that merely retold the same story in a shorter format. After two years of contemplation and quite a few good, but ultimately disconnected, ideas, I temporarily set it aside and traveled to the United States for a piano competition. After being eliminated in the first round, a member of the jury, the famous Russian pianist Nikolay Petrov, spoke with me. He was a charming, imposing man, and he shared his desire for someone to write a two-piano piece for him and his piano duet partner to perform at their anniversary concert. I mentioned my dream of creating an arrangement of Porgy and Bess, and without letting me finish, he exclaimed, "Let's do it!"

My initial idea had been a concerto for piano and orchestra, but a two-piano arrangement didn't sound bad at all as a first step. With only about three months left before the planned performance, I immediately started working upon my return to Russia.

I vividly recall sitting at the conservatory buffet table, struggling to write even a few notes. It was noisy and crowded, but I believe I needed that environment to finally concentrate properly, to dive into my inner self and follow my intuition. The concept I ultimately developed was quite simple. Gershwin's opera ends very openly: Porgy, the disabled man, leaves his little village with an indestructible hope of finding his beloved Bess. She is a drug addict who left for New York with a drug dealer while Porgy was away. We never know if Porgy ever reaches New York, but let's imagine he does—and that's where my story begins.

Rhapsody in Black is structured in three parts: