Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Melody – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The world's Pushkiniana abounds with a vast array of operas, ballets, and choral works. The links in this chain encompass the multifaceted registers of the poet's talent. One of the iconic examples of its time is the vocal-poetic symphony "Pushkin" (1978) by Andrei Petrov, whose extensive compositional legacy is, unfortunately, most often associated solely with his film scores. The structure of the work is as follows: a prologue and two consecutively numbered movements.
The prologue provides a concise outline of the entire subsequent dramaturgy. Accompanied by the sounds of harp and strings, the opening poetic proclamation resounds: "I love you, Peter's creation…" (recited by Oleg Basilashvili). The music then becomes more tense and dissonant, its nerve provided by the harp section (the introduction of period instruments in the 1970s was as symptomatic as the use of electronics today). Images of key milestones in the creative biography of the Russian genius flash before one's eyes—so profound is the sense of the music's cinematic quality.
The prologue's tangled thematic twists reach their peak and are cut short by the sound of a gunshot. The work's subsequent two movements reminisce about the poet's life: St. Petersburg balls, memories of his youth in Tsarskoye Selo, hostile criticism, and the fateful duel at the end. The crown jewel of this choreosymphony is the mezzo-soprano Evgenia Gorokhovskaya. Her soulful solo is discreetly heard at key moments where Petrov borrows lyrics from folk songs collected by Pushkin. This is one of the singer's most significant works in her vast repertoire. The voice, personifying the image of the Motherland, flows naturally, both a cappella and accompanied by an orchestra, painting a picture of Russian expanse (“Valley-valley, wide expanse…”), turning into a reflection of the spirit of the national elements (“Wind from the field, fog from the sea…”) followed by the poet’s lamentation (“A tearful river runs, a bloody stream flows along it…”).
The recording featured the Choir of the Leningrad State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre named after S. M. Kirov (Principal Choirmaster Alexander Murin) and the Choir of the Leningrad State Academic Capella named after M. I. Glinka (Artistic Director Vladislav Chernushenko). In the fragment of the first movement, "Youth," the male parts managed to capture the dashing daring and indomitable energy of the Tsarskoye Selo youths thanks to their precise vocal delivery. The scope, the daring, the lightness—a true anthem of the Epicureans!
Another reason to appreciate the titanic work of the choirmasters who prepared this recording is the masterful dynamic differentiation of the choral voices in the "Pugachevshchina" fragment, which allows us to speak of the overall balanced timbre. The revelry of Pugachev's unbridled freedom is impressive! A different emotional tone is established in the symphony's finale—the vocalization of the female a cappella choir mourns the deceased poet. Then, rising in tessitura, this sound gradually transforms into the singing of angels, personifying the moment the poet's soul soars toward eternal life. With minimal expressive means, the composer creates a sense of the "sun of Russian poetry" rising before our eyes, and the awareness that life after death remains in the memory of the people whom the great poet served faithfully.
In his vocal and choreographic symphony "Pushkin," Petrov draws on the finest musical examples of the past. These include echoes of Glinka and Tchaikovsky's waltzes, phantom motifs whose orchestration recalls Prokofiev's "Romeo and Juliet," and the conflicting nature of Shostakovich's symphonic style. Evgeny Kolobov is a great success, having managed to bring all these genetic threads present in Petrov's music into a coherent whole and bring the theatrical nature of the work to the forefront.
The recording of the vocal and choreographic symphony "Pushkin" is another reason to pay attention to Petrov's work, and this digital album may become a starting point for renewed interest in the composer's extensive legacy.
Sergey Terentyev, "Musical Life", January 2, 2026
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