Petrov A. I Stroll Through the Broadway. Piece for contrabass and piano. Piano score and part

“I Stroll Through the Broadway” is the composition for contrabass and piano written by Andrey Petrov in 1998 for the composer’s grandson Peter Gogitidze. From when Peter studied in the last class of the Secondary Special Music School of the St. Petersburg State Conservatory named after N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov and moved from the cello class to the contrabass class by Oleg Kirillov. The piece, based on characteristic motifs from American musicals, became very popular and is performed both in original version, in the author’s version for small symphony orchestra made in 2000 and in an arrangement for a chamber orchestra written by Gregory Korchmar. The chamber version published here was performed for the first time by Peter Gogitidze together with Andrey Ivanov, a cellist with excellent piano skills.

Throughout all his life Andrey Petrov loved jazz and Broadway themes of the 1920s and 30s, although there are not many obvious jazz quotes and references in his music. Generally he really liked America and very appreciated all the best in the American culture. He many times visited the US, firstly as a tourist, then he created the music for the film “Blue Bird” there. Later, at the turn of the century, he staged in Boston the musical “The Captain’s Daughter”, written in co-authorship with his daughter Olga Petrova. Of course, he visited Broadway many times, so it could also caused a predictable association with the music of Gershwin and Berlin. And, of course, the title “I Stroll Through the Broadway” refers us to the film “I Walk Along Moscow” and to its wonderful music.

Konstantin Uchitel
Translated by Irina Vulfovich