‘Guys with Contrabass’ to showcase their virtuosity at Astana Opera
An evening of chamber music performed by the lowest voice from the string family will be featured for the residents and guests of the capital by contrabass players Sabit Dairov, Anatoly Yakushkin, Baurzhan Shakayev, Yermek Sarsembayev, Makhambet Zhargakov, Daulet Uderbayev, Nurlan Dvessov, Batyrkhan Khassenov.
Astana Opera’s principal contrabass, «Madeniyet Salasynyn Uzdigi» Sabit Dairov noted that this would be the first concert of this format performed by the entire group, although each of the artists independently performed with great success more than once with solo numbers in concerts of symphonic and chamber music, as well as in various ensembles.
«With this concert, we take stock of nine years of work in the opera house. We sincerely hope to present our achievements to art connoisseurs at a high level. An important goal for all of us is to show the audience the instrument from all sides, all its capabilities: how it sounds in cantilena, how it sounds in virtuoso works, or in a three-part format, when the fast tempo smoothly turns into a slow one, and then again into a fast one. We want to demonstrate once again that the contrabass can serve not only as the foundation of the sound of the orchestra, a guideline on which other musicians rely, so that there is harmony and integrity in the work, but that our instrument is an equal partner both in the symphonic and in the chamber format. As the famous writer Patrick Süskind stated in his play Der Kontrabaß: «You can throw in the trash the entire orchestral score from A to Z – whatever you want: a symphony, an opera, concertos – you can throw it all in the form in which you have it if you do not have contrabasses,» the musician said.
Sabit Dairov’s first acquaintance with a contrabass became momentous. Having passed the audition for a music school in the fifth grade, the very first instrument that he saw was the contrabass. The young artist did not yet know that this majestic instrument would become his destiny.
«My father taught me that once you make a decision to do something, you must be sure to achieve a top position in this area of focus. I learned this lesson well for myself; therefore, from the very beginning, I always studied hard, especially since the instrument was unyielding for a child due to its large scale and the thickness of its strings. The habit of working hard for long hours is still with me. Thanks to this I managed to ‘make my way in life’ – graduate from the conservatory, successfully finish an assistant traineeship. Today, in addition to performing the opera house’s repertoire with the orchestra, I perform as a soloist, teach, share my experience with the future generation of musicians, and my students also work in our group. It is important to note that all the guys who came to work in Astana Opera’s contrabass group had considerable professional experience in symphony orchestras, and previously were principal contrabasses,» the artist said.
As part of the concert, the musicians will perform works by foreign authors: Rossini, Bottesini, Handel, Koussevitzky, Glière, Mišek, Albéniz. Works by Kazakh composers – Kenzhebek Kumisbekov’s The Poem, Yqylas Dukenuly’s kuy Zhez Kiik will be presented.
«Each of the participants will not only take the stage with solo works, but will also demonstrate the sound of contrabass from different sides, performing in duets for two contrabasses, for contrabass and violin, contrabass and clarinet, contrabass and cello. First of all, these are the works by the ‘patriarch’ of the contrabass school, one of the most outstanding contrabass virtuosos Giovanni Bottesini, called by music critics «Paganini of the Contrabass». An unexpected solution will be presented to the listeners: Isaac Albéniz’s Malagueña will be performed to the accompaniment of a harp, instead of the usual accompaniment of a piano or orchestra. The highlight of the program will be the performance of Yqylas Dukenuly’s kyui Zhez Kiik, arranged for qobyz, guitar and contrabass. I myself will present Adolf Mišek’s Double Bass Sonata in E Minor. As a student, I already performed this chamber music piece and now I want to return to it. After many years, I am happy to find that many of the decisions in emotional colouring and interpretation made then were correct. At the same time, despite the great experience, I am very nervous: even with a constant schedule of performances, nevertheless, every stage performance is like the first time,» Sabit Dairov shared.
Violinist Shynar Barlykova, cellist Mukhamedzhan Akhatov, clarinetist Almaz Tokpanov, harpist Dilyara Kaldybayeva, qobyzist Almat Saizhanov, guitarist Zhanibek Saparov, pianists Olga Kaminskaya, Meruert Zhekenova will perform together with the musicians of the contrabass group.
Another interesting, original musical project awaits classical art connoisseurs this month. On July 13, a concert by the piano duet Inspiration, performed by international competitions laureates Shakhizada Kulseitova and Meruert Zhekenova, will take place at the Kulyash Baiseitova Chamber Hall.
The program includes Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Six Pieces for Piano 4 Hands, Darius Milhaud’s Suite for 2 Pianos Scaramouche and Anatoly Bychkov’s Kazakh Rhapsody for two pianos. It is important to note that within the framework of the concert there will be premieres of works: Alexander Scriabin’s Fantasy for 2 Pianos and Claude Debussy’s Petite Suite will be performed on this stage for the first time.
«This evening the audience will have an opportunity to enjoy the nuanced art of ensemble performance. Listeners will witness the musical dialogue of two pianists, which is the basis of the piano duet genre. In the process of the musicians’ creative interaction, the audience will get acquainted with the artistic imagery of composers of various eras and genres,» Shakhizada Kulseitova, senior lecturer at the Piano and Organ Department of the Kazakh National University of Arts, said.