Trio from America conquered the Ashgabat audience
December 24, 2018 | 11:00 |435
On December 23, a concert was held in Ashgabat at the Magtymguly National Music and Drama Theater to celebrate the centenary of the famous American composer Leonard Bernstein. Bernstein was, in fact, at the same time was a composer, an international superstar, and the first American conductor to perform in concert halls of the highest level in Europe and the world. His melodies destroyed the barriers between classical and popular music and became synonymous with American art. These lines from the informational program fully characterize this amazing and talented person. The concert began with a welcoming speech by musician Michael Levansky, who thanked the Ministry of Culture of Turkmenistan and the US Embassy for organizing the event. M. Levansky also noted that he was glad to meet again and work with the State Symphony Orchestra of Turkmenistan and that the concert dedicated to the centenary of Bernstein will be held in the spirit of international friendship.Georgiy ASLANYAN
The first program number was a fragment from the operetta Candide, written by Bernstein based on the novel of the same name by Voltaire, the great philosopher and writer of the Enlightenment era.
Operetta was described by Michael Levansky as light, sophisticated and sometimes naive music.
The orchestra then performed three episodes from the ballet "Sailors on the Shore," narrating the diversity and transience of life in New York, co-authored by Leonard Bernstein and Jerome Robbins.
Every pause in the performance of musicians the public filled with loud and prolonged applause.
Finally, Michael Levansky announced the long-awaited West Side Story. The musical is an adaptation of the play by William Shakespeare "Romeo and Juliet", the music for which was also written by the originator of this celebration.
Three songs from this musical were presented to the audience: “Maria”, “Somewhere” and “One Hand, One Heart” - which were performed by Nury Nuryyev, Bahar Durdyeva and American Caitlin More.
The magnificent voices of the artists and their stage images allowed the audience to momentarily immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the time when the Broadway musical drama was created, which gained immortality, like its original - Shakespeare's tragedy.
Then charming Bonnie Whiting took the stage, for them with Michael Levansky this visit to Turkmenistan is already the second. Previously, they visited Ashgabat in March 2017 on a cultural exchange program. During their last visit, the musicians received several dozen scores of Turkmen orchestral music. Among them are “The Dance of the Girls” by Nury Halmamedov, “The Turkmen Dance” by Rejep Redzhepov, and the works of Aman Agadzhikov.
While Whiting was setting up the instruments for the performance, Levansky read the words on her behalf right on the stage.
“During our last visit, the Turkmen friends presented us with several scores of national orchestral music, with which I was just fascinated. We asked American composer Aidan Gold to arrange the compositions of Halmamedov, Agadzhikov and Rejepov for a soloist and orchestra of percussion works…
Unfortunately, in such cases, time flies quickly and unnoticed. And very soon the program of a wonderful evening was closed by the “Christmas festival” of Leroy Anderson, performed by the State Orchestra of Turkmenistan and students of the specialized music boarding school.
It remains to add that the visit of musicians to Turkmenistan was organized within the framework of the “American Voices” program, which aims to support intercultural exchange, as well as to implement programs in the field of performing arts in more than 140 countries around the world.
