Districts, quarters: Theodor Currentzis presented a portrait of Moscow in sounds

A symphony by a modern composer about Moscow, a musical poem by the great classic on the Divine Comedy and an encore in memory of Yuri Grigorovich — this is how the concert program of Theodor Currentzis and the musicAeterna orchestra in the Great Hall of the Conservatory can be described in a few words. The social status of the event and the flair of elitism (there were no tickets on open sale — only invitations), of course, made adjustments to the atmosphere of the evening, far from the usual academic events. But the very fact that the latest music turns out to be at the center of such an event from the category of "heavy suite" is symbolic.

A hero of his time

Ilya Demutsky is known primarily as the author of ballets for the Bolshoi Theater — "Hero of Our Time", "Nureyev". Later, for foreign ensembles, the composer created "Anna Karenina", "Optimistic Tragedy" and other works. In 2016, he received the European Film Academy Award as the best composer in Europe. In general, today he is one of the most sought-after Russian authors in the world. Moreover, despite the geopolitics, he continues to work both in our country and abroad.

Probably one of the keys to his success is the versatility of his music. It is both Russian and international, modern and classical (in the sense of style). She's generous with melodies, but not so much that it sounds like a bandstand. And the thematism itself is balanced between originality and a distinct sense of deja vu. Optimal material for ballet. And for a secular event in the Great Hall of the Conservatory, where the radical avant—garde would sound too obscure and harsh, and more traditional things would not be fresh and impressive enough.

However, the title of the opus raises questions: Nicole. But this is not about Kidman or Richie, but about Nikolskaya Street, because the symphony is dedicated to a block under construction near GUM. It is clear that Demutsky received the order with an obvious business echo. But if the result was a great work, and even performed by an outstanding orchestra in the main academic hall of the country, does it really matter what motives led to this?

On the contrary, one cannot but be glad that modern musical art is emerging from the underground and the domestic environment, and is becoming fashionable. Some time ago, something similar happened with the latest paintings, which everyone from oligarchs to rappers began to collect, and brands began to invite artists for collaborations. Now, apparently, it's the turn of academic music.

The bells are ringing

The program says that the symphony symbolizes "the process of creating an architectural project," and the finale becomes "an anthem of the unity of architecture and music." However, the interpretation of these theses remains at the discretion of the listener, since it is not easy to detect any similarity between urban and orchestral forms. Demutsky interprets the genre of the program symphony typical of the Romantic era as freely as possible, without striving for specific topographic associations.

Consciously or not, he has achieved something more than, judging by the description, was intended. Namely— the image of Moscow as such. Portrait of a city where everything is mixed up. Where Art Nouveau meets constructivism and the Stalinist Empire style, and the skyscrapers of the City become dominant along with the ancient bell tower of Ivan the Great and the restored Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

Eclecticism reigns in Demutsky. Sweet melodies are "bathed" in symphonic effects that go non-stop, alternating with each other, like in a kaleidoscope. Orchestra bells are ringing, the organ is humming, and sometimes the piano is playing. It turns out to be a string of memories, associations, and echoes from different eras — from the 19th to the end of the 20th century. At some point, electronics come into play altogether, which is very unexpected. But that seems to be the point. After all, something emphatically futuristic suddenly grows up in the historical districts of Moscow.

To deal with it or to take it for granted — everyone can decide for themselves. But one must admit that this approach turned out to be a gift for musicAeterna: the Currentzis team was able to fully demonstrate their strengths here. A magnificent brass section, incredibly cohesive strings that sound like one instrument, a wonderful balance between groups, and all this is malleable clay in the hands of a sculptor-conductor (or architect?).

Not just "The Nutcracker"

Currentzis, by the way, doesn't play new music that often. Yes, in the past and the decades before that, he made several major premieres of Alexei Siumak, then, having "settled" in the St. Petersburg Radio House, he took Alexei Retinsky as a resident, and yet it is much more common to hear Mahler, Mozart and other classics performed by him. Unlike conductors who specialize in modern repertoire, Theodore demonstrates a rare omnivore. So in this concert, after Nicole, he played Tchaikovsky's Francesca da Rimini, a symphonic poem based on a plot from Dante's Divine Comedy.

Is it necessary to understand this neighborhood in such a way that Demutsky shows paradise (albeit urban), and Tchaikovsky shows hell? Hardly. Did the maestro think that the first performer of "Francesca" was Nikolai Rubinstein, the founder of the conservatory, under whose portrait Currentzis performed? It's also unlikely. Rather, the conductor simply exposed the origins of the style and genre of Nicole. I drew a parallel between the past and the present. Both compositions are programmatic opuses with romantic melodies; and in both cases, the symphony orchestra can demonstrate itself in all its glory.

But what one can't help but see as a conceptual subtext is the encore from "The Nutcracker" at the end of the evening. A few hours before the event, it became known about the death of Yuri Grigorovich. And the famous Pas de deux was perceived unambiguously in this context.: as a tribute to the memory of the great choreographer. Well, a reminder that life, with all its benefits, familiar to the wealthy guests of the evening, is short (even as big as Grigorovich's), and art, especially such as Tchaikovsky's, is eternal.