Eshpai A. From Minuet to Boogie. Pieces

Andrey Yakovlevich Eshpai (born in 1925) is the Russian composer and pianist, the Moscow Conservatoire graduate. His creation embraces actually all the possible musical genres, i. e. ballets (“Angara”, “Circle”), seven symphonies, orchestral, chamber-instrumental, vocal and choral compositions. Eshpai broke new paths in the instrumental concerto genre, having invented unique series concertos for all the existing instruments of a symphonic orchestra (except the tuba because it’s special sounding). Among them there are four violin ones, two piano ones, so as the concertos for viola, hautboy, flute, saxophone, cello, contrabass (or bassoon), clarinet, French-horn, double concerto for trumpet and trombone, the one for trumpet, piano, vibraphone and contrabass. Beside the academic music Andrey Eshpai takes part in cinema and theatre enstagings, Remember, his sound-tracks to the “Thirst”, “Aide-de-Camp of His Excellency”, “Yemelyan Pugachyov”). The composer resides in Moscow, giving birth to new sparkling ideas both in music and social life. 

The offered edition “From Minuet to Boogie” resembles the kind of historical genre panorama demonstrating graceful light compositions of distinct features, peculiar for the European music of the generation along the last three centuries. However, the dances are alternated with lyrical personal outbursts, thus building the dramaturgic ground of the whole collection. It looks as if something artificial competes with the natural origin, the agreed playful substances give in to the real intrinsic ones, the borrowed emotions reflect in open bosom ones. This playful reverberaion makes the collection really larger than life is.