The Special Children’s Music Boarding School’s Small Hall (at the Maya Kulieva Turkmen National Conservatory) has played host to an evening of chamber music featuring Konstantin Batashov’s Turkmen Suite’, Igor Pinkhasov’s Dramatica’, and Merdan Byashimov’s Sediy Maritsya’ and Abashment’.
The works devoted to Turkmenistan were performed by students and teachers of the Conservatory.The audience applauded enthusiastically after each performance.The mastermind behind the concert, organizer and one of the performers, Honored Artist of Turkmenistan Vladimir Mkrtumov, told in a conversation about the program’s creative concept and about what brings these three composers together: - Undoubtedly, what unifies them is that our sun-drenched, distinctive country and unique Turkmen culture have played an important role in their lives, for one of them indirectly, for the other two they have had a huge influence on their creative work.
For example, a competition for the best piece of Turkmen music, launched in the mid-1980s led to the creation of Turkmen Suite’.Exploring renowned Russian composer and ethnomusicologist Victor Uspensky’s work Turkmen Music: Articles and115 Pieces of Music’, Konstantin Batashov became very interested in the ethnic melos.
When he heard of the competition, he decided to take part in it, and composed the music infused with Turkmen folk motifs.Konstantin Batashov’s Suite for Flute, Violin, Cello and Piano has become one of the famous pieces of chamber music and a special favorite of the Turkmen music-loving public.
Composer Konstantin Batashov, who is also a teacher at the Tchaikovsky Moscow Conservatory, has also set poems by Magtymguly to music.As for Igor Pinkhasov and Merdan Byashimov, they both come from Turkmenistan.
Igor, now living and working in the city of Tashkent, even taught at our Conservatory for a while back in the past.He has composed the soundtracks to several movies released by Uzbekfilm Studio.
His piano quintet Dramatica’ (music to an unreleased movie project) is a piece of dramatic cinematic music full of vivid imagery and perfect musical phrases.Merdan Byashimov graduated from the Special Music Boarding School in Ashgabat, and then continued his education in the city of Kazan.
He used to collaborate with the band Nurana.Merdan lives and works in the city of Saransk.His works have been praised by professionals and have captivated the hearts of music lovers.
He has been the winner of Russian and International Competitions for composers. “Each of the composers had known about the concert in Ashgabat and they will be provided with video and audio recordings of all the performances.
I am grateful to my young fellow professionals for their brilliant renditions and high degree of expertise.I hope that the composers share my opinion”, Vladimir Mkrtumov said after the event.