News on State Russian TV channel Kultura (August 2006)

TV announcer: If musicians play chamber concerts you can meet them in ancient manors in summertime turn to the refined musical interiors. Almost all the time in repertoire – compositions could have sounded in manors during former times. So has taken place and at a concert from a cycle «Sheremetyev's Seasons in Ostankino» though music known and unfamiliar simultaneously here sounded. With details - Elena Ozerova (EO).

EO: When our film crew has arrived to manor “Ostankino”, musicians were in rehearsal process. The well-known composition sounded in rather unusual variant (Bach's Badinerie on a French horn). Bach has written Badinerie for a flute, but, we shall notice, as the French horn appeared here is very good. And the instrumental cast was amazing.

Maria Mirovska (MM): Idea of such ensemble, likely, was born because it would be desirable to try unusual sounding, unusual combination of instruments.

EO: Actually, unusual instrumental combinations were not a rarity in a history of music. As a rule, chamber compositions were written for those musicians and instruments which were available. Here - four musicians: harpist Nina Gvamichava, French hornist Gleb Karpushkin, violist Tatyana Maryanova and pianist Maria Mirovska have wanted to play together. However appeared, that these four instruments have never together met before. Anyway, it is not known any piece of music written for such quartet.

MM: Therefore we had to make some arrangements of such known compositions, as, for example, Bortnyansky’s Quintet for strings, harp and piano.

EO: Similar destiny has overtaken also other compositions. So, Blank's Concert for harp and strings has turned to a duet of harp and grand piano, and Khandoshkin's Sonata for viola and chamber orchestra — to a duo of viola and (no, not piano) harp.

Nina Gwamichava: It seems to me, that on harp it somehow sounds more interestingly. Viola is very lyrical instrument, on a timbre very well combines with harp.

EO: In a concert these instruments have connected their parts in all possible combinations. Experience has been successful. And familiar music has found new charm for students. Elena Ozerova, Vitaly Pronin, news service of TV channel “Kultura”.