“It is the only military unit that ‘conquered’ more than 70 countries without fighting”. Enthusiastic audiences repeat this about the Aleksandrov Song and Dance Ensemble of the Russian Army (better known in West as the “Red Army Chorus”: editor’s note), a world-famous group that is marking its 80th anniversary with a series of concerts in the most prestigious concert halls of Moscow. Today, another jubilee performance will take place in the “Aleksandrovsky” concert hall.
By the way, the Aleksandrov Ensemble, this is what we call it in Russia, was named in honour of its founder, Aleksandr Aleksandrov, Professor of the Moscow Conservatoire, conductor, and composer. 8 singers, 2 dancers, one accordionist, and one elocutionist, only 12 people altogether… That is how it all began in 1928. Today, there’re more than 200 performers in the Aleksandrov Ensemble. It has a powerful choir, a dynamic dance troupe, and a virtuoso orchestra of folk instruments. They always perform in military uniform. “Firstly, we must ennoble the Russian Army in the people’s minds and hearts, not only with our irreproachable artistry, but, also with our appearance, so that we show the spiritual might [of the forces]“, the ensemble’s director, Lieutenant Colonel Leonid Maleyev said. Foreign media reports called the Aleksandrov Ensemble “peace ambassadors”, “singing diplomats”, a “unique military choir that performed in the NATO headquarters in Brussels”, and the “first army ensemble that gave a concert in the Vatican”.
“As before, holding concerts all over Russia are of great importance for us”, Colonel Maleyev emphasised. “The most important thing for us is to perform before the Russian audience. Last year, 136 out of our 188 concerts were held in Russia”. There are more than 2,000 works in the ensemble’s repertoire today, including folk songs and large-scale compositions created especially for it, and also opera fragments and Orthodox chants, and, besides, comic army couplets and lyrical ballads. The calling card of the Aleksandrov Ensemble is, of course, the well-known Russian folk song “Kalinka”.
10 October 2008
Tatiana Zavyalova
Voice of Russia World Service
http://www.ruvr.ru/main.php?lng=rus&q=85960&cid=24&p=10.10.2008 (in Russian)
