Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Melody – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
To commemorate Alexander Vladimirovich Tchaikovsky's 80th birthday, Firma Melodiya is releasing a digital album featuring a recording of his work. The oratorio "On Behalf of the Globe" was previously released on vinyl in 1990. The recording was made at the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory in 1987; the live concert featured the USSR State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company's Grand Symphony Orchestra under Vladimir Fedoseyev, the State Academic Choir of the Latvian SSR, and soloists Anatoly Safiulin (bass) and Alexander Fiseisky (organ).
The oratorio "On Behalf of the Globe" is based on the poetry of Ilya Selvinsky, an avant-garde poet, founder of the Constructivist Literary Center, and one of Vladimir Mayakovsky's main rivals. The work was composed in 1983 and premiered the following October at concerts at the 6th International Festival of Contemporary Music "Moscow Autumn." "After I wrote the oratorio 'To the Sun' to Tyutchev's words in 1982, I became interested in the poets of the 1930s—Kirsanov, Selvinsky, Svetlov, and others," the composer recalls. "Selvinsky had been completely forgotten back then, and even more so now. And he has some amazing works! The music was a success; it was performed by Vladimir Fedoseyev, a very young Valery Gergiev, and other conductors."
The oratorio has five movements. The finale (the longest section of the cycle) is like a large-scale orchestral fresco; it raises the theme of the artist and his role as orator, the voice of society: "I am neither a soothsayer nor a prophet—I am only a poet, and only for that reason do I dare speak in the name of the globe."
Alexander Tchaikovsky is one of the leaders of the Russian school of composition and one of the most performed Russian composers. His scores have been conducted by Mariss Jansons, Valery Gergiev, and Yuri Bashmet, who calls him a "living legend." Tchaikovsky's works have been premiered at the finest Russian venues, including the Mariinsky Theatre, the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall, and the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory.
For many years, the composer has collaborated with Firma Melodiya. The label has released recordings of many of his works, including the operas One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (2009) and Grandfather Laughs (2016), the Second Viola Concerto (Etudes in Simple Tones) and the Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra (2017), the First Violin Concerto (2018), selected vocal cycles (2019), the dramatic symphony The Tale of Igor's Campaign (2019), string quartets, and the Piano Quintet (2022).
Musical Life, February 19, 2026
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