#004
N. Polozkov sings the folk song, Ah Lovely Night with the Alexandrov Ensemble, conducted by Boris Alexandrovich Alexandrov, live at the Albert Hall, London, 1963. "How shall I spend this beautiful night? My dear one has left me and I am all alone."
In this fabulous arrangement by Boris, there are references to Stravinsky and to Italian opera, but also to Eastern Orthodox church music in those soaring choruses. It is said that Boris and Alexander his father were deeply religious men, that Stalin knew that they were all baptised, and that he protected them. Eastern Orthodox music, in my opinion, informs many if not all of their compositions and arrangements. If we combine this track with images of the sky, it's easy to see what Boris may have had in mind.
As far as I know, the usual 1963 Ensemble recordings, repeated on most CDs, were made at the Abbey Road studios in London (the whole lot in 3 hours!!), but this recording of the live Albert Hall concert itself is rarely heard. This recording was put onto tape, then vinyl for sale in Russia, then later digitalised in Russia, so it has come on a long journey to us here on Youtube.
The Albert Hall was the only indoor space big enough for the Ensemble in 1963. It's a huge and very high circular space, holding at least 5,500 people - and it was full at that concert. The acoustics are famously so difficult that the audience up in the "gods" hear the music long after they see the conductor wave his baton, or the drummer beat his drum. Yet this recording is, I think, more satisfying than the studio recordings.
Photos: my own work, 2009.
Albert Hall 1963 playlist:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list...
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