The Russian tour of Vladimir Spivakov and the NPR will proceed with three April concerts in Samara and Orenburg. The musicians will be hosted by main concert halls of the Regional Philharmonic Societies. The concerts will be part of the All-Russia Philharmonic Seasons program under the auspices of the Moscow Philharmonic Society and the Russian Ministry of Culture. The concerts will feature works by European and Russian classic composers (see Events).Music lovers in both cities will hear the programme compiled of popular masterpieces by European and Russian classics, which includes the Overture to the opera “Norma” by Vincenzo Bellini, the First Cello Concerto by Camille Saint-Saëns, Nocturne for cello and orchestra by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and the “Italian” Symphony by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartoldi.
The opera “Norma”, based on Louis-Alexandre Soumet's tragedy of the same name, was written for the Milan opera house “La Scala” and soon after the premiere in 1813 proclaimed as the most perfect sample of musical drama. Bellini considered it to be his best work, while several years later Richard Wagner praised it with admiration for being “a combination of profound realism, melodic richness and heartfelt feelings”. Saint-Saëns's Cello Concerto No.1, written in 1872 for the composer's most loved instrument, is one of the most famous works of its genre. Adam Carse, English composer, musicologist and orchestration specialist, called this opus “the only satisfactorily orchestrated cello concerto of the 19th century” where the author finely managed “light colours and reserve”. Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 4 “Italian” was created by the composer still under the impressions of his travels to Italy in 1829-1831. Igor Stravinsky called this bright lively score with Italian folk melodies “the epitome of elegance in music”.
The solo part in the Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto will be played by Alexander Ramm, an artistic partner of the NPR and Vladimir Spivakov and one of the most sought-after Russian cellists who performs regularly with best symphony orchestras all over the world; award-winner of many competitions including the silver medal of the Tchaikovsky Competition in 2015. The famed cellist Mischa Maisky, then a Jury member, called Alexander a “wonderful player with a great future”. In 2023, Ramm took up the baton from the master and joined the Jury of the 17th Tchaikovsky Competition.
The second program in Orenburg is all devoted to the art of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The extremely popular Piano Concerto No. 1 is rightfully included in the treasury of the world's classical repertoire and has become the musical emblem of Russia. Pianist Valentin Malinin (the holder of the Second Prize and the Silver Medal of the 17th edition of the International Tchaikovsky Competition, and also the winner of the third edition of the Vladimir Krainev Moscow Piano Competition), who already took part in the «Vladimir Spivakov Invites...» Festival in Omsk and Perm in 2019, is invited to perform as a soloist. The Serenade for strings was written, along with the Mozartiana (Suite No. 4), at the time of the composer's passion for stylization. “In the first movement I paid tribute to my veneration of Mozart, - wrote Tchaikovsky. - This is an intentional imitation of his manner, and I would be happy if I was not too far from the model.”