Divine Art Records

Composer: Vyacheslav Artyomov

  • Vyacheslav Artyomov: Album XI

    Vyacheslav Artyomov: Album XI

    2021 ICMA Nominee: Contemporary Music

    Vyacheslav Artyomov is considered by many to be Russia’s greatest living composer. His music is deep, ultimately spiritual and brilliantly crafted, with influences from the Russian symphonic tradition colored by Mahler, Scriabin, Honegger and Messiaen to name a few – but melded into a unique voice.

    The Divine Art Artyomov Retrospective (which to date has received wonderful reviews internationally) is a mix of new recordings and former Melodiya releases. This is the eleventh album, containing a selection of studio and live concert performances of chamber works for slightly unusual combinations: flute quartet, and saxophones much to the fore. Apart from ‘Hymns of Sudden Wafts’ and Clarinet Sonata these are all premiere releases. The works are performed by some of the best of Moscow’s orchestral and chamber musicians and represent a somewhat lighter (though the term is relative) side to Artyomov’s work than his massive, granitic symphonies. It includes a touching set of songs on poems by Ashot Grashi.

    The extensive list of performers is drawn from the cream of Russia’s chamber and orchestral musicians at the time of the recordings which were made between 1970 and 1991 (and totally remastered in 2019):
    Ruzanna Lisitsian (soprano); Karina Lisitsian (mezzo-soprano); Lev Mikhailov (soprano sax); Alexander Oseichuk (alto sax); Alexei Nabatov (tenor sax); Vladimir Yeriomin (baritone sax); Oleg Tantsov (clarinet); Vladimir Pakulichev, Alexander Timochin & Albert Gofman (flutes); Sergei Khokhlov (alto flute); Valery Popov (bassoon); Alexei Semionov (harpsichord); Yuri Smirnov, Piotr Meschaninov & Vyachelsav Artyomov (pianos); Ilia Spivak (vibraphone, bells)

  • Vyacheslav Artyomov – Retrospective Series (discount set)

    Vyacheslav Artyomov – Retrospective Series (discount set)

    According to many, including us, Artyomov is by far the greatest composer in Russia today. This set includes all eleven of the albums issued in 2017-2020 including orchestral, choral, chamber and vocal works. Three of these albums are brand new recordings (DDA 25143, 25144 and 25184) while others have been remastered from originals made by Melodiya and other Russian labels and also previously unissued tracks. Available on CD and in CD-quality FLAC and MP3

    Digital downloads include all 11 booklets which have all contents in both English and Russian. This bulk set provides a 25% discount over the items bought separately.

    Details of each volume (including reviews and track lists):
    DDA 25143 Symphony: On the Threshold of a Bright World (and other works)
    DDA 25144 Symphony: Gentle Emanation (and other works)
    DDA 25164 Sola Fide / Tempo Costante
    DDA 25171 Symphony: The Way to Olympus (and other works)
    DDA 25172 A Symphony of Elegies (and other works)
    DDA 25173 Requiem
    DDA 25174 A Sonata of Meditations (and other works)
    DDA 25175 Symphony: In Memoriam (and other works)
    DDA 25176 Star Wind (and other works)
    DDA 25184 Symphony: In Spe / Latin Hymns
    DDA 25198Album XI: Chamber music

  • Vyacheslav Artyomov: Symphony In Spe / Latin Hymns

    Vyacheslav Artyomov: Symphony In Spe / Latin Hymns

    Vyacheslav Artyomov is considered by many to be Russia’s greatest living composer. His music is deep, ultimately spiritual and brilliantly crafted, with influences from the Russian symphonic tradition colored by Mahler, Scriabin, Honegger and Messiaen to name a few – but melded into a unique voice.

    The Divine Art Artyomov Retrospective (which to date has received wonderful reviews internationally) is a mix of new recordings and former Melodiya and Boheme releases. This is the tenth album, containing 2018 recordings of two majestic and brilliant works. The Symphony In Spe (In Hope) with concertante violin and cello broke new ground in Artyomov’s writing in its use of polydynamic, ever-changing textures while retaining his deep spirituality.

    Latin Hymns presents four sacred texts in the most virtuosic writing for choir and soloist, not only prayers to the Virgin Mary but recreating her persona in music. The performance by Nadezhda Pavlova is simply stunning.

    NOTE: The digital version of the album has the Symphony (which is in one movement) in a single track. On the CD, the Symphony is indexed into 21 continuous tracks.

  • Artyomov – Star Wind and other works

    Artyomov – Star Wind and other works

    Vyacheslav Artyomov is considered by many to be Russia’s greatest living composer. His music is deep, ultimately spiritual and brilliantly crafted, with influences from the Russian symphonic tradition colored by Mahler, Scriabin, Honegger and Messiaen to name a few – but melded into a unique voice.

    The Divine Art Artyomov Retrospective (which to date has received wonderful reviews internationally) is a mix of new recordings and former Melodiya releases. This is the ninth instalment, which comprises six works for varying chamber ensembles, and while embodying the composer’s overall wide ranging compositional style, spirituality and mysticism, these pieces express this in a more intimate, lyrical style than his massive symphonic works. ‘Scenes’ was originally written as a ballet score for a film, but as the movie was banned by the Soviet authorities and never shown, the work now stands in its own right as a balletic suite.

    Some of Russia’s finest soloists and chamber players contributed to this album:
    Star Wind:
    Mikhail Tsinman, violin; Alexander Rudin, cello; Konstantin Yefimov, flute; Andrei Kuznetsov, French horn; Anatoly Sheludiakov, piano;
    Alexander Suvorov, glockenspiel; Murad Annamamedov, conductor
    Variations: Nestling Antsali:
    Alexander Korneyev, flute; Vyacheslav Artyomov, piano
    Moonlight Dreams:
    Nelly Lee, soprano; Alexander Golyshev, alto flute; Vladimir Tonkha, cello; Dmitri Alexeyev, piano
    Romantic Capriccio:
    Igor Makarov, French horn; Yuri Smirnov, piano;
    Alikhanova String Quartet (Yevgenia Alikhanova & Valentina Alykova violins, Tatiana Kokhanovskaya, viola, Olga Agranovich, cello)
    Mattinate:
    Iana Besiadinskaya, soprano; Zarius Shikhmurzayeva, violin; Vladimir Pakulichev, flute; Nikolai Komolyatov, guitar
    Scenes:
    Mikhail Tsinman, violin; Igor Abramov, clarinet; Nikolai Gorbunov, bass; Anatoly Sheludiakov, piano; Valeriy Polivanov & Alexander Suvorov, percussion; Murad Annamamedov, conductor

  • Vyacheslav Artyomov: In Memoriam and other works

    Vyacheslav Artyomov: In Memoriam and other works

    Vyacheslav Artyomov is considered by many to be Russia’s greatest living composer. His music is deep, ultimately spiritual and brilliantly crafted, with influences from the Russian symphonic tradition colored by Mahler, Scriabin, Honegger and Messiaen to name a few – but melded into a unique voice. The Divine Art Artyomov Retrospective is a mix of new recordings and former Melodiya releases. This is the eighth instalment, containing three orchestral works, with an over-arching sorrowful cast – remembering, like his Requiem, the suffering of the Russian peoples under Soviet rule (and for In Memoriam, a tribute to the composer’s mother), and all typifying Artyomov’s true genius as a truly individual composer who can make thoroughly modern music listenable and demanding further regular hearings.

    Three fine orchestras and conductors, and superb soloists, provide a rich and satisfying program of substantial modern orchestral music.

  • Artyomov: A Sonata of Meditations, etc.

    Artyomov: A Sonata of Meditations, etc.

    Vyacheslav Artyomov is considered by many to be Russia’s greatest living composer. Since the fall of the Soviet regime his music has travelled the world to great acclaim. It is deep, ultimately spiritual and brilliantly crafted, with influences from the Russian symphonic tradition colored by Mahler, Scriabin, Honegger and Messiaen to name a few – but melded into a unique voice.

    The Divine Art Artyomov Retrospective is a mix of new recordings and former Melodiya releases. It continues with the seventh album containing two works for percussion ensemble and one orchestral – all typifying Artymov’s true genius as a truly individual composer who can make thoroughly modern music listenable and demanding further regular hearings. The three works on this album are all typical of Artyomov’s individual and impressive genius

    Mark Pekarsky leads the first percussion ensemble established in Russia and still the foremost group in that country. They perform A Sonata of Meditations and Totem while Russian-American conductor Virko Baley directs the superb Moscow Philharmonic in A Garland of Recitations.

  • Artyomov: Requiem

    Artyomov: Requiem

    Vyacheslav Artyomov is considered by many to be Russia’s greatest living composer. Since the fall of the Soviet regime his music has travelled the world to great acclaim. It is deep, ultimately spiritual and brilliantly crafted, with influences from the Russian symphonic tradition colored by Mahler, Scriabin, Honegger and Messiaen to name a few – but melded into a unique voice.

    The Requiem, together with his massive Symphony cycles, was the work which brought enormous acclaim to Artyomov both in Russia and in the USA. It was the first Requiem to be written by a Russian after the 1917 Revolution and the first to be performed in the former USSR. Dedicated ‘to the Martyrs of Long-Suffering Russia’ it is a true masterpiece in which several parts of the mass are given treatments very different from the ‘norm’. Exciting, moving and bristling with power and passion, this is a Requiem to stand alongside the established great Requiems of the past. The performers are those who gave the Moscow premiere, and give a stunning performance.
    Soloists: Yelena Brilova, Inna Polianskaya & Lyubov Sharnina (Sopranos); Alexei Martynov (tenor); Mikhail Lanskoi (baritone); Andrei Azovsky (treble);
    Oleg Yanchenko (organ); Sveshnikov Boy’s Chorus; Kaunas State Chorus.

  • Artyomov: A Symphony of Elegies, etc.

    Artyomov: A Symphony of Elegies, etc.

    Vyacheslav Artyomov is considered by many to be Russia’s greatest living composer. After the fall of the Soviet regime his music has travelled the world to great acclaim. It is deep, ultimately spiritual and brilliantly crafted, with influences from the Russian symphonic tradition colored by Mahler, Scriabin, Honegger and Messiaen to name a few – but melded into a unique voice.

    The Divine Art Artyomov Retrospective is a mix of new recordings and former Melodiya releases. It continues with the Symphony of Elegies – a total contrast to his other massive and intense symphonies, being ethereal, generally very quiet and evoking a sense of timelessness.
    The album is completed by two more major works – ‘Awakening’ for violin duo, and ‘Incantations’ featuring the heavenly voice of the late Lydia Davydova with four percussionists. (note that on early Melodiya recordings, this work was described as ‘invocations’). An album full of really inspired masterpieces.

  • Artyomov: The Way to Olympus and other works

    Artyomov: The Way to Olympus and other works

    Vyacheslav Artyomov is considered by many to be Russia’s greatest living composer. After the fall of the Soviet regime his music has travelled the world to great acclaim. It is deep, ultimately spiritual and brilliantly crafted, with influences from the Russian symphonic tradition colored by Mahler, Scriabin, Honegger and Messiaen to name a few – but melded into a unique voice.

    The Divine Art Artyomov Retrospective continues with the magisterial symphony The Way to Olympus, chamber orchestral works and Preludes to Sonnets, Artyomov’s only solo piano work.

    Recorded at the height of achievement of the major Soviet orchestras, conducted by major figures including the universally acclaimed Rozhdestvensky.

  • Vyacheslav Artyomov: Sola Fide

    Vyacheslav Artyomov: Sola Fide

    Vyacheslav Artyomov is considered by many to be Russia’s greatest living composer. After the fall of the Soviet regime his music has travelled the world to great acclaim. It is deep, ultimately spiritual and brilliantly crafted, with influences from the Russian symphonic tradition colored by Mahler, Scriabin, Honegger and Messiaen to name a few – but melded into a unique voice.

    Following the critical acclaim of his first two Divine Art albums, this program includes his Concerto for Chamber Orchestra ‘Tempo Costante’ and two suites from the ballet ‘Sola Fide’ (‘Only by Faith’) which is based on the novel The Road to Calvary by Aleksey Tolstoy; it shares an ethos and much music with Artyomov’s celebrated Requiem hence the choral elements found in the ballet score.

    These premiere recordings herald a series of another 8 albums of music by Artyomov.

  • Artyomov: On the Threshold of a Bright World

    Artyomov: On the Threshold of a Bright World

    The foremost composer living in Russia today, Artyomov is producing works in the grand symphonic and post-Romantic traditions, unquestionably masterpieces of the modern age. The ‘Threshold’ symphony, part of his tetralogy ‘Symphony of the Way’ is typically underpinned by his deep spirituality but is universal and cosmic in scope. ‘Ave Atque Vale’ is another major work – for percussion and orchestra, while ‘Ave, Crux Alba’ is a far more traditional (and very beautiful) choral piece.

    A companion CD contains the symphony ‘Gentle Emanation’ and ‘Tristia II’ for piano and orchestra (DDA 25144). The Artyomov series continues with a further nine albums.

  • Artyomov: Gentle Emanation Symphony, etc

    Artyomov: Gentle Emanation Symphony, etc

    The foremost composer living in Russia today, Artyomov is producing works in the grand symphonic and post-Romantic traditions, unquestionably masterpieces of the modern age. The ‘Gentle Emanation’ symphony, part of his tetralogy ‘Symphony of the Way’ is typically underpinned by his deep spirituality but is universal and cosmic in scope. Tristia II is a fantasy for piano and orchestra which incorporates prayers and readings from the writings of Nicolai Gogol.

    A companion CD contains the symphony ‘On the Threshold of a Bright World’ and other works (DDA 25143). The Artyomov series now consists of 11 albums in all.