The Russian Chamber Arts Society (RCAS) triumphed once again in capturing another vibrant period of Russia’s arts and culture in a performance echoing The “Silver Age” of Russian Poetry in Music. With superb musicianship, the director of the RCAS, pianist Vera Danchenko-Stern, led the three brilliant vocalists Soprano Jasmina Halimic, Tenor Timur Bekbosunov and Baritone Kevin Wetzel who conveyed the nostalgia for the past and the dawn of a new era in Russian art.
In what has become a steadfast yearly tradition, the Austrian Embassy’s Cultural Forum continues to host the RCAS’ concert series featuring Russian composers and poets of different historical, cultural and artistic eras. This sold out performance celebrated the music of Prokofiev, Shcherbachyov, Slonimsky and Sviridov and the intimate poems of Alexander Blok, Marina Tsvetaeva, Anna Akhmatova, Osip Mandelstam and Sergey Yesenin. Their works reflect the character of the Silver Age, a new intimacy focusing on individuality, happiness, but also on a sadness anticipating the suffering that was to come.
The Silver Age in Russian Culture refers to a period beginning in 1898 and ending with the unleashing of the Bolshevik revolution in 1918. This was an era which exposed the Russian public to artistic and aesthetic forms from other regions of Europe that moved beyond strict realism which were prevalent at that time. It led to the emergence of such great Russian painters as Marc Chagall whose aesthetic language is so well known and identifiable today. It was characterized as an era of great creativity and was identified with the publication of “Mir iskusstva,” “The World of Art” by Sergei Diagalev and Alexander Benois in 1898.
Jasmina Halimic, opened the program accompanied by Pianist Vera Danchenko-Stern with five poems by Anna Akhmatova with music by Prokofiev, setting in motion an exciting and dramatic evening. Appearing on the stage with a majestic flow, her gifts as an actor and her striking beauty were a great compliment to her magnificent voice and interpretive skills. Originally from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Halimic commented on the joys of American culture to which she was exposed and on the importance of promoting cultural exchange. She also thanked the audience for their support because, as she stated, “you are just as important to the arts as we are.”
Halimic’s ability to beautifully convey dark colors with a soaring voice particularly came through in the poem by Akhmatova, “The Grey-eyed King.”
Tenor Timur Bekbosunov, a performer with great acting ability and a vocal instrument that generated a sense of immediacy, splendidly interpreted the works of Slonimsky in the performance of the Six Romances on Poems by Osip Mandelstam. The Danchenko-Stern/Bekbosunov ensemble performance revealed the virtuosic strengths of both musicians in their back-and-forth musical exchange. Bekbosunov captured the lighthearted humor in “There Lived Alexander Gertsovich” to which the audience heartedly responded.
Although a composer of a later period, Slonimsky’s works are contemporary yet very romantic. The RCAS showcased his Six Romances as a premier performance in the United States.
The final “tour de force” of the concert was Baritone Kevin Wetzel’s performance of the 12 song cycle by composer G. Sviridov based on the poems of Sergey Yesinin, who is said to be amongst the most famous poets of the Silver Age. In his remarks, Wetzel explained that he had been studying the song cycle for many years, and sought out the counsel of Madame Vera Danchenko-Stern to assist him in learning the inner secrets to performing the work. Indeed, both Mr. Wetzel and Mme. Danchenko-Stern achieved what was no doubt the epitome of perfection in their performance. The final selection, “O My Homeland, O Happy and Eternal Hour,” brought the audience to their feet with applause.
The RCAS has perfected its ability to effectively impart insights and understanding of Russian culture through the performing arts. The Washington, DC area is fortunate to have access to the remarkable musical events organized by the RCAS.
