Festival “Music of the Earth” – an unique project, combining ethnic, folk music with classical, the second year it is held in Russia. It was attended by teams working with different styles – from jazz to rock. From 1 to 4 November 2016 there will be the final stage of the festival at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. From 1 to 3 November qualifying concerts will be, and on 4 November, in celebration of National Unity Day, the final gala concert will be held. The festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture of Russian Federation.
On October 18, 2016 at TASS press conference was held about the festival where the jury members and the representative of the Ministry of Culture told about the festival more detail. Preliminary results summed up the art festival leader, pianist Boris Berezovsky, Deputy Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation Alexander Zhuravsky, artistic director of the Moscow Philharmonic Alexander Tchaikovsky, the head of the male choir of the Moscow Patriarchate “Old Russian Chant” Anatoly Grindenko, director of the ensemble of old Russian sacred music “Sirin” Andrei Kotov and Head Chair of choral and folk song in Gnesin Marina Medvedeva.
Во II In the II All-Russia festival “Music of the Earth” over 300 creative collectives were attended, on the first – preliminary stage – took place from 12 June to 01 October 22 teams were selected, who passed to the second stage. Geography of the project reached more than 70 regions of Russia, and the inhabitants of other countries: Germany, France, Sweden, Spain, Japan and others demonstrated interest to the competition.
First of all, the festival is aimed at the general public, but also the professional community will find interesting and new for itself. It has become a platform for unexpected music solutions and experiments: it is possible to hear national melodies in modern processing and performance of classical music with traditional instruments, in one song you can listen to folk music and jazz, classical and folk music. Particular attention was paid to the collectives, preserving traditions and using folk music in his compositions, it does not matter, in what style team works. The main selection criteria were the artistic value of the repertoire, its ethnographic accuracy and, of course, the quality and level of performance.
At the gala concert on November 4 will sound two premieres. Alexander Tchaikovsky wrote specially for the festival concert for piano and orchestra with folk instruments and Kuzma Bodrov will present a concert of the psaltery and chamber orchestra.
During the press conference, the speakers made comments to cultural and political magazine “E Vesti” about the festival, its task and opportunities for musicians:
Alexander Zhuravsky: “This is an unique platform that allows to meet the folklore, folk, modern and classical music. This project shows the interpenetration of different cultural patterns and how music influences in their folk traditions to modern and classical. Now in modern culture it is a return to basics, returning to the tradition, and not by accident that the Ministry of Culture supported the idea of this festival.”
Boris Berezovsky: “This festival is held just in time, this is popular, trend idea, I think, search for a national idea – it’s the future. There is beautiful, national and it is need to develop and make modern. ”
Marina Medvedeva: “This is the first project that brings together all directions. This is the first deep-innovative project, we have not seen this in any program. Finally, the level of people’s culture rising to aware the national heritage. All classic is based on the folk soil, the whole of modern music takes out the roots, nourished and can grow, turning to the roots. The festival is interesting because acquainted with a lot of bands, soloists and performers who present their creative findings, the students see the ways in which they can develop. They understand that the world is open, and the spirit of experiment allows them to creatively develop. ”
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