Margarita Zelenaia: Homage, suite for soprano coloratura (or soprano) and cello
in three movements
Маргарита Зелёная: Посвящение, сюита в 3-х частях
для колоратурного сопрано (или сопрано) и виолончели
[ Ссылка ]
[ Ссылка ]

Performers:
Molly Stehn, soprano coloratura
Simone Uranovsky, cello

Live from the world premiere.

Anatoly Semenchuk, visuals
The “Homage” was written for a soprano coloratura (or soprano) and cello. It was dedicated to the three great Russians figures and had three movements:

1) Vocalise (to Sergei Rachmaninov) 00:00 - 05:31
2) Dreams of Don Juan with poetry by Marina Tsvetaeva (to Marina Tsvetaeva) 05:32 – 08:11
3) Ducks Are Flying, a reworked Russian folk song (to Igor Stravinsky) 08:12 – 13:16

The work was commissioned by David Hong, the artistic director of the “One World Symphony”, New York based ensemble. As a part of ensemble’s concert series it had a world premiere in 2004.
The most difficult thing is always to find the fascinating idea, what it will be about. One day I was very impressed listening to the famous Rachmaninov's Vocalize that was performed by Yo Yo Ma and Bobby MacFerren. No words, the Russian spirit and the spirit of Rachmaninov's beautifully melodic composition inspired me to write the Vocalise.
When I was a student composer, I loved the Marina Tsvetaeva's poetry so passionately, that composed over 30 works, based on it. One of them was the vocal cycle for soprano and piano "Don Juan". Since voice and cello is totally different combination, it sounds very different and became the new composition.
The idea of the homage to Stravinsky came easily: the Russian folk song “Ducks Are Flying” I had to rework.
When the cycle was written I realized that it is a meditation on the feelings that any woman has through her life: a dream of the pure beauty (#1. Vocalise), the breathless expectation of the life major event and the disappointed hopes (#2. Dreams of Don Juan) and a mix of irony and despair through the humoristic sight to what has happened (#3. Ducks Are Flying).

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