The State Chamber Orchestra “Moscow Virtuosi” presented two hours of chic string music to the residents of Revda on Saturday, December 10. That evening, there was not a single free space in the hall of the Palace of Culture – even the musicians from Nizhniye Serega and Yekaterinburg came to listen. But the orchestra conductor Vladimir Spivakov did not participate in the concert, and the musicians (no less virtuoso) played without him. […]

Before their visit to Revda, Moscow Virtuosi gave concerts in Yekaterinburg and Kamensk-Uralsky. True, the programme there was different: there were works by Mozart, Puccini, Shostakovich and Piazzolla. And after a two-hour performance and an encore in Revda, the musicians went to Tyumen.

The musicians’ programme included Tchaikovsky, Astor Piazzolla and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. The orchestra played the first cycle without solo instruments, but after intermission the leading bow was taken by Alexei Lundin. The musician has been the first violinist of the orchestra “Moscow Virtuosi” for seventeen years, and in 2009 he was awarded the title “Honoured Artist of Russia”. Alexey played Vivaldi’s music in one breath – the break between compositions was no longer than five seconds.

Astor Piazzolla’s “Seasons in Buenos Aires” – four compositions – was played by four soloists: Denis Shulgin, Georgy Cai, Lev Iomdin and Evgeny Stembolsky.

The orchestra played without sound, but the smooth and inspiring sound of the instruments reached the last rows. It was possible to enjoy the evening not only with music, but also with the often synchronous strokes of bows and the incredible energy that enveloped the silent hall. It seemed that these musicians did not need a conductor: they understood each other with a single wave of the bow. After the concert, the orchestra members admitted that their secret was their support and understanding of the group.

Guests were kept on stage for a long time: they shouted “Bravo”, gave a standing ovation, and they performed for an encore […].

– For me, this concert is a real shock,” says listener Vera Vorobieva. – Is it possible to play in such a way that all your feelings – in music? For me, it was a great discovery, even though it’s not the first time I’ve heard classical music alive. But it was really great. It’s just a happy thing that I was here today.

Xenia Kakshina