Along the Pages of the Petersburg Piano Music for Children and Youth. Vol. 6. Dancing World

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). 16 collected albums were published during that exact period. 

Nowadays Volfenzon’s collections are already bibliographical rarity, although many of them are published enjoying great popularity. 

Meanwhile, the problem of repertoire is rather burning nowadays. Therefore it’s expedient to renew this most useful sphere, giving the evidence of the whole epoch with its composers and their ideas, uttered long ago, but being so vital today. 

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. 

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:

I. Yelcheva. DANCING (Music text example) 
V. Yablokov. KRAKOWIAK
Yu. Litovko. DANCING WITH BOWS
S. Chicherina. LITTLE WALTZ
A. Smelkov. DANCE
S. Volfenzon. MINUET
Ye. Irshai. WALTZING QUAVERS
S. Slonimsky. ROUND DANCE
S. Slonimsky. BLUES
Zh. Metallidi. LITTLE BALLERINA
Zh. Metallidi. CARNIVAL POLKA
Yu. Falik. SARABANDE
M. Matveyev. DANCING DWARFS
A. Petrov. WALTZ. From the film “Beware of the Car” (Music text example)
Yu. Kornakov. DANCE
G. Korchmar. TARANTELLA. From the “Little Suite”
A. Knaifel. TWO VOICES DANCING
I. Yelcheva. OLD-FASHIONED DANCE
V. Kuznetsov. JOLLY DANCING
O. Yevlakhov. GAVOTTE
D. Pritsker. WALTZ-IMPROMPTU
G. Korchmar. COWBOYS DANCE