A one-hour journey through the history of the Russian romance. Enjoy much-loved classics alongside the newest songs by young talents writing in the same genre. Classics will include "Misty Morning", "I was going home," and "Chrysanthemums", with beautiful new numbers such as "I like" and "Melancholy rain"....
Programme
1. No, He Didn’t love me. (Нет, Не Ююбил!) Alfonso Guerchia - Ernesto Delpreite. “He was telling me: Be mine and I’ll be burnt by passion. But he didn’t love me and my heart got broken by his sweet promises.”
2. The Night Has Shined. (Сияла Ночь.) Afanasy Fet – music by Nikolay Shiriaev. «The night has shined. Moonlight has filled our garden. You were the love and I wanted to live, to love you and cry about you”.
3. Misty Morning. (Утро Туманное). Erast Abaza - Ivan Turgenev. “Misty, grey morning, memory of forgotten faces and passionate smiles. You look at the wide sky, while listening to the sound of wheels.”
4. I Dreamed of a Garden. (Снился Мне Сад.) Boris Borisov – Elizaveta Diterix . “I dreamed of a garden in a wedding headwear, We were there together; the stars are in the sky, in the sea and in my heart”
5. I Was Going Home. (Я ехала Домой) by Maria Puarre. “I was going home; my soul was full of an explained new joy. I wish I never woke up from my dreams.”
6. Descending Night Chill (Спускалась Ночная Прохлада) by
Semen Sadovnikov. “Nigh Chill descended to our garden. We fell in love there but parted forever in twilight of the morning”.
7. Looking at the Beam of Twilight. (Глядя на Луч). Andrey Oppel - Pavel Kozlov. “Looking at the beam of a purple twilight, you swore to love me to death but you didn’t fulfil your promise”.
8. No Need to Meet Up. (Не Надо Встреч). Pavel German - Yuly Hait. “I look at the old love note and see your image. All good things we are broken by your cruel hand. There is no need to continue, there is no need to meet up.”
9. You’ll Again Remember Me. (Еще Не Раз Вы Вспомните Меня). V. Kruglikov - Nikolai Gumilev . “You will again remember me, my strange and exciting world that could have become yours.
10. Chrysanthemums. (Хризантемы) by Nikolai Harito. “Our tender love blossomed as well as chrysanthemums in the garden. They have wilted long time ago, but my feelings for you are fresh as ever.”
11. Dark Cherry Shawl (Темно-Вишневая Шаль). Unknown author. (Vladimir Bakaleinikov) “I don’t regret my past, but my dark cherry shawl reminds me of our dates and kisses. I don’t regret it, but my heart is full of sorrow”.
12. Only Once. (Только Раз). Boris Fomin- Pavel German. “Day and night I am infatuated by your tender heart and only once in the cold of the winter evening I am feeling in need of love”.
13. Bonfire is Burning. (Горит Костер.) “My passion burns like a bonfire. I want to love and disappear with you, my gypsy lover.”
14. Romance from film “The Days of Turbin Family”. Романс из к.ф. Дни Турбиных Mikhail Matusovsky - Veniamin Basner «Nightingale was singing throughout the night, a scent of acacia drove us crazy. Then we were so naïve and young. Only white winter and snow storms remind me of the purity of those days”.
15. Forgive Me, If You Can. (Если Можешь, Прости). V. Verkhoturtsev – N.Zhdanov-Lutsenko.”Forgive me, if you can. My duty is to serve my country”
16. I like, That You Aren’t In Love With Me. (Мне Нравится, Что Вы Больны Не Мной). M. Tariverdiev- M. Tsvetaeva “I like that you are not in love with me, and a heavy globe will not drift away under our feet. “
17. Romance Kniginoi (Романс Книгиной) I. Shvarts – B. Okudzhava. “Ah, now prospective grooms only think of money, the bonfires of their love forever died. But there is only one angel among them, but where to find him?”
18. Melancholic Rain. (Меланхолический Дождь). Alexia Mankovskaya - Alla Bashenko. “Melancholic rain had woven mesh in the window. There is no need to pull and unravel the thread of my colourful life. Let me to get tangled in the net of rain to drink my wine to the end.”
19. Shine, Shine, My Star. (Гори, Гори, Моя Звезда.) Petr Bulakhov - Vladimir Chueyvsky“Shine, shine my star. There are many stars in the sky but you are the most beautiful one”
20. By the Long Road (Дорогой Длинною) Boris Fomin -Konstantin Podrevsky.
BY THE LONG ROAD.
(Boris Fomin – Eng. Lyrics Gene Raskin)
Once upon a time there was a tavern,
Where we used to raise a glass or two.
Remember how we laughed away the hours,
And dreamed of all the great things we would do.
Those were the days my friend,
We'd thought they'd never end,
We'd sing and dance for-ever and a day,
We'd live the life we choose,
We'd fight and never lose,
For we were young and sure to have our way.
Then the busy years when rushing by us.
We lost our starry notions on the way.
If by chance I'd see you in the tavern,
We'd smile at one another and we'd say:
Just tonight I stood before the tavern,
Nothing seemed the way it used to be.
In the glass I saw a strange reflection,
Was that lonely person really me.
Through the door there came familiar laughter.
I saw your face and heard you call my name.
Oh, my friend, we're older but no wiser,
For in our hearts the dreams are still the
Pushkin House, 2015
Irina's dream to become an actress came true after she got accepted to the State Institute of Cinema (VGIK) in Moscow to the class of a famous film director of Soviet cinema Sergey Bondarchuk (Academy Award Oscar for "Best Foreign Language Film" (1968) "War and Peace"). Upon completing her education, Irina’s acting career took her to a 6 months long theatre tour in Canada, where she participated in folk songs concerts and solo performances. After Canada, Irina moved to the UK and continued working in film, TV, radio and stage. Singing was always there, as a hidden treasure, part of Irina’s acting life. Last year Irina released her solo album “The Return” made of a selection of her favourite Russian Ballads. The concert “Invitation to a Russian Romance” consists of a compilation of Russian urban romances and a short voyage to their history.
Vocals/guitar: Irina Karatcheva, piano: Elvira Gavrilova.