When, in the seventies, I happened to discover some notes and discs of your tangos, I began to adore you and your music. It was an experience of overwhelming splendour, of powerful, emotional colours as well as of penetrating recitatives in oeuvres full of glowing rhythm nobody could ignore. At once I included some of your tangos in my soloist program. You achieved things in music that – at their time –            J. Strauß achieved with waltzes and polkas, and F.Chopin with polonaises, waltzes and mazurkas. You raised the tango from the ballroom to the concert stage! And now they are not only danced but also listened to. They are no longer for legs only but also for ears.

In the summer of 1992, when I learned about your death at a festival in Finland, I – your admirer for long years – suddenly remembered: “He, as the only one, played his own compositions! However, this excellent music deserves to be played more often, and that in the biggest concert halls and by the best musicians!” And in September 1993 the first concert of my quintet “Piazzolla-Studio” took place in the little hall of the Moscow Conservatory: “Argentinian Tangos by Astor Piazzolla”.

           The world of your tangos is full of vivacity and passion; You entrusted the most secret sides of the human soul to the Bandoneon. Your easily remembered melodies which are based on smooth and powerful Latin-American rhythms, carry the listeners off to the secrets of man's nature: from pure love to passion that consumes and despises everything. In your oeuvres we also find the topic of solitude and grief: Soledad, Oblivion, Milonga del Angel, Muerte del Angel, Adios Nonino. The topic of farewell has also been continued by some of your admirers – composers of the oeuvre "Adios, Astor!" – a rather naive title.

Well, I do not think that you have left us. You just passed on to another dimension, however, you stayed with us through your unique creations. With this CD containing your wonderful tangos I tell you “Buenos Dias, Astor! 

Friedrich Lips

1-10 Friedrich Lips, Bajan

1-3, 5-10 Vladislav Igolinsky, Violine

1-3, 5-10 Kirill Rodin, Violoncello

1-10  Svjatoslav Lips, Klavier

3, 5, 6, 7,10 Mark Pekarsky, Percussion

1, 2, 9 Nikolaj Lgovsky, Percussion 

4 Vladimir Toncha, Violoncello

Friedrich Lips  is People’s Artist of Russia, professor at the Russian Gnessin Academy of Music in Moscow. F.Lips did the first performances of about 70 bayan works of Russian composers. Among the authors devoting their compositions to the musician are           Vl. Solotaryov, S.Gubajdulina, E.Denisov, A.Kholminov, R.Ledenyov, K.Volkov, S.Berinsky, E.Podgajts, M.Bronner, T.Sergeyeva, A.Shurbin, etc. F.Lips performed in the largest concert halls of the world (Great Hall of the Conservatory - Moscow, Suntory Hall - Tokyo, Lincoln Center - New York, Kennedy Center - Washington, Concertgebouw - Amsterdam) with many outstanding musicians such as G.Roshdestvensky, V.Spivakov, G.Kremer, J.Bashmet, V.Gergiev, R.Kofman, Yo-Yo Ma, etc. Among the students of professor F. Lips' class are more than 50 winners of national and international competitions. More than 30 CDs were recorded by F.Lips in different countries. Some of them were given international prices. Lips is author of two books: “The Art of Bayan Playing” and “The Art of Bayan Transcription”, and also of numerous articles on problems of the bayan art. Since 1996 F.Lips has been being the head of the department of folk instruments, and since 2004 he has been managing the faculty for bayan and accordion at the Russian Gnessin Academy of Music. 

Vladislav Igolinsky is professor at Moscow's Tchaikovsky Conservatory and at the Russian Gnessin Academy of Music. He is Merited Artist of Russia. He finished the Moscow Conservatory and his postgraduate studies in the class of professor L.Kogan, an outstanding violinist. He has been touring many countries of the world, including Germany, Italy, Belgium, England, Finland, South Korea, Japan, Holland, Taiwan, etc. He cooperated with conductors such as V.Fedoseyev, V.Gergiev, V.Sinaisky, M.Ermler, G.Provatorov, G.Gostiny, Y.Takahashi, F.Shtrobel, etc. He played in ensembles with N.Shtarkman, V.Tonkha, F.Lips, A.Ljubimov, I.Frolov, S.Igolinsky, T.Sergeyeva. During many years V.Igolinsky performed premieres of national composers at different festivals such as “Moscow autumn” and has recordings on records, CDs, radio and TV.

Kirill Rodin has finshed the Moscow Conservatory in 1986 and his postgraduate studies  in the class of professor N.Shahovskaya in 1989. K.Rodin is winner of the International P.I.Tchaikovsky-Competition (1^st price and Gold medal in 1986), winner of XIV International Competition "Jeunesses musicales" in Belgrad (1^st price and price “Golden harp”). K.Rodin is senior lecturer of the Moscow Conservatory. K.Rodin is full of concert activities, being the soloist of the Moscow state academic philarmonic society. He has been touring Russia and abroad (more than 40 countries in Europe, America, Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand), and performing with leading orchestras and conductors. Since 2001 K.Rodin has been working as a guest professor at the Beijing Conservatory . He constantly is giving master-classes in Russia and abroad.

Svjatoslav Lips has finished the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory and his postgraduate studies in 2000 (class of prof. L.Naumov). He is winner of the 1st price of the international youth competition of pianists “Città di Stresa” (Italy, 1991) and 1st price and gold medal at the international piano competition “Maria Canals” in Barcelona (Spain,1994). He was  touring Austria, Germany, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, Japan, etc. He performed in ensembles with such outstanding musicians as violinists              G.Kremer, V.Igolinsky, A.Gutnikov; bayanist F.Lips; violoncellists K.Rodin, V.Tonkha; percussionist M.Pekarsky; soprano T.Kuindzhi, etc. He repeatedly played with orchestras under A.Borejko, D.Liss, V.Poljansky, V.Ponkin, M.Shtsherbakov, U.Shnajder (Switzerland), F.P.Dekker (Canada), etc. S.Lips played in the largest halls of the world:  “Palau de la Musica Catalana” in Barcelona, “Sala Mozart” in Saragossa, “Teatro Victoria Eugenia” in San Sebastian (Spain); “Dr. Oetker Halle” in Bielefeld, “Tonhalle” in Düsseldorf (Germany); “Kokusai Forum Centre” in Tokyo, “Great Hall of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory”, “House of Music” in Moscow. He has numerous CD-recordings.

Musicians who took part in the ensemble “Piazzolla-Studio” in different years:

Vladimir Tonkha is professor, head of the department for violoncello, harp and double bass at the Russian Gnessin Academy of Music in Moscow, People’s Artist of Russia. He did the first performances of many works of Russian composers such as S.Gubajdulina, R.Ledenev, M.Bronner, K.Volkov, etc. He has been touring many countries of the world.

Mark Pekarsky is professor at Moscow's Tchaikovsky Conservatory and Merited Artist of Russia. He is founder and art director of ensembles of percussion instruments. He did the first performances of many works of Russian and foreign composers such as A.Shnittke, S.Gubajdulina, E.Denisov and many others. He has been touring many countries of the world.

Nikolay Lgovsky has finished the Russian Gnessin Academy of Music. He has been studying with well-known teacher-performers such as S.S.Lobanov, M.I.Pekarsky, V.V.Fedin. Nikolay Lgovsky premiered many works for percussion instruments written by well-known composers such as S.Gubajdulina and E.Denisov. He has been touring Russia, Western Europe and USA.

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