Along the Pages of the Petersburg Piano Music for Children and Youth. Vol. 3. Birds, Insects and Pets World

Dear musicians — most young and mature ones!

Piano miniature for children and youths is a special stratum of the Petersburgian music referring to the second half of the 20th century. Educational objectives did not match the diversity of artistic world created by the composers in these picturesque sketches.
The genre of piano miniature for children and youth was elaborated due to Sergei Yakovlevich Volfenzon (1903–1992) — distinguished Russian composer, teacher and music figure, author of opuses in different genres: cantata-oratorio, symphony, vocal and instrumental chamber music, numerous compositions for children and youth. Generations of recognizable composers were bred up by him — the true master of the Russian culture.
The series of sheet music “Piano Pieces by the Leningrad Composers” was also established by Volfenzon (published by the “Soviet Composer”, Leningrad Department, 1969–1988).
However, the best of the new is long forgotten old. I decided to compile collections on the base of Volfenzon’s ones. Those were also nostalgic motives, having evoked me to start this undertaking.
Long ago, being a youth, I fortuned to study composition at Sergei Yakovlevich Volfenzon. Then we worked together at his collection, while now I feel precisely, how much he did for my career.
During the time of picking up material I came across some important problems. First of all, I followed the principle of educational and artistic value. Then there rose the problem of distribution between the volumes. Volfenzon himself formed his collections mainly out of new (fresh) compositions; hence they were grouped rather haphazardly. Finally I resorted to topics, i. e. every volume reveals some definite aspect of world perception peculiar to little ones — fantasy and games, animals and plants, songs and dances… Actually every volume is based on the principle of growing complexity (except Volume 7, because of its special topic).
Hopefully, the new publication of S. Ya. Volfenzon’s collection, this treasury of Petersburgian composers of not far past, will be the true joy for new generations of musicians.
I’d like to dedicate this collection to my teacher, the true musician Sergei Yakovlevich Volfenzon.

Grigory Korchmar,
composer, pianist

Contents:

S. Slonimsky. FROGS. From the cycle “Tiny Pieces” (Music text example)
S. Slonimsky. GRASSHOPPER. From the cycle “Tiny Pieces”
G. Okunev. DRAGONFLY
A. Smelkov. SPEAKING PARROT
Ye. Sirotkin. CHAFFINCH
Ye. Sirotkin. SPARROW
Zh. Metallidi. LITTLE SPARROWS ARE COLD
Zh. Metallidi. POLAR MOTHER-BEAR’S LULLABY
B. Kravchenko. TEDDY BEAR IS DANCING
B. Kravchenko. CARAVAN
B. Kravchenko. STUBBORN LITTLE GOAT
V. Sapozhnikov. FORGOTTEN PUPPY
M. Matveyev. LITTLE DOGGIE ON CRUTCHES
M. Matveyev. CLATTERING HOOVES
Zh. Metallidi. RUN, MY YOUNG DEER
Zh. Metallidi. PUSSY’S GRIEF  (Music text example)
V. Salmanov. HUNGRY PUSSY-CAT AND WELL-FED TOM-CAT
S. Slonimsky. CAT’S LULLABY
B. Kravchenko. UNRULY COW
B. Kravchenko. LITTLE HEDGEHOG
Zh. Metallidi. MERRY WOODPECKER
G. Korchmar. BEES ROUND DANCING