Okunev G. The North's Echoes (Kizhi). Piano cycle

The piano cycle “The North’s Echoes” (op. 37) was created by German Grigoryevich Okunev (1931–1931) in that happy 1966. Later on March 10, 1967, the author presented it at the Leningrad Philharmonic Maly (Small) Hall during the Third Leningrad Musical Spring.

Those were the day, when the world witnessed the rising composer of the new generation and mentality, brilliant skillful intellectual, greedy for work, ready to tireless discovering and simultaneously a handsome, kind and vulnerable man radiating romantic elated spirit due to his nature, all the same with his friends and listeners. The sounds of his music shed light over both the mind and ear, expressing sincere and clear feelings. 

“The North’s Echoes” take special place in the history of piano cycle. This is not the cycle of preludes, etudes, dances, or other established genres. Nevertheless, there is the firm ground to rank this opus among such programmatic narrative cycles as the “Carnival” by R. Schumann, “Pictures from the Exhibition” by M. Musorgsky, “Seasons” by P. Tchaikovsky and “Engraving Plates” by C. Debussy. Meanwhile, Okunev’s style is noticed to be independent of his great predecessors, for the composer’s individuality becomes the spiritualist of plain sensitive fantasies.