Four Dimensions is a seven-minute “concert of the future” composed in 2012 merging orchestra with both live and pre-recorded electronics. In St. Petersburg, Russia, a quite different double orchestra of Russian folk instruments and Strings called TEREMA performed a fascinating new arrangement with the same electronic sounds.
Divided into Dimensions Zero through Four, the music is meant to inspire insights into what dimensional space is. Like the 2012 premiere in the US, a fresh visual element was projected behind the orchestra to incite connection to the story of travelling through the dimensions.
Orchestra composition:
Small domras 3 Alto domras 3 Bass domras 3
Flute (piccolo flute), Oboe, Clarinet Bb
Electronic wind instrument (EWI), 2 Bayana
Timpani
Percussion 1: Crash Cymbals, Suspended Cymbal, Triangle, Crotales, Bongos (shared), Handclaps
Percussion 2: Snare Drum, Large Gong, Handclaps
Percussion 3: Bass Drum, Tambourine, Bongos (shared ), Glockenspiel, Xylophone, Handclaps
Electronics triggers
Gusli keyboards
Balalaika prima Balalaika second Balalaika viola Balalaika Double bass
piano
Violins 1 Violins 2 Violas Cellos Double basses
Interested in learning more about the music and seeing the scores? CLICK HERE
I hope you enjoy comparing these orchestras as much as I have! Be sure to check out more of TEREMA’s videos.
Surprise #1
This October 3rd, I received an email from a Долгов Андрей, whose name I couldn’t read or sound out. Who was this? His name, englicized, is Andrey Dolgov.
Surprise #2
He wrote:
“November 24 in St. Petersburg, in the concert hall “Music-Hall” will be a big concert, the concept of which is a combination of acoustic and electronic sound. The concert will feature two orchestras. One is the orchestra of Russian folk instruments “Terema .”The second is a string orchestra. This large combined orchestra is the base group for the concert. In addition, many soloists will take part in this performance. While preparing for the concert, I found on YouTube a recording of your composition “Four Dimensions for Orchestra, EWI and Laptop .”This music fits perfectly with our concept. We also found a musician playing EWI.”
At first, none of this sank in. What was his connection between Russian folk instruments and my music for acoustic and electronic sounds?
Surprise #3
I went to Google to find something about Andrey Dolgov or Terema and found this video of TEREMA performing Sofia Gubaidulina’s “Concerto for Two Orchestras” :
An orchestra consisting of maybe twenty domras and balalaikas (??), drums, congas, bass, two accordions, some kind of table-zither, live synthesizer, flute, oboe, clarinet; and a standard string orchestra of maybe 18 with piano, timpani, and percussion? Is this possible? How did such an unlikely, fascinating group of instruments come together?
Sofia Gubaidulina – the best-known living Russian composer – originally wrote this piece for the standard Orchestra (The Boston Symphony) and Jazz Big Band in 1970. The ‘youth’ orchestra, TEREMA, rearranged it for Russian Folk Orchestra and String Orchestra.
Surprise #4
Andrey proposed that he rearrange “Four Dimensions” for his group just as he did with the Gubaidulin work, but with the necessary electronics playback and an EWI soloist! He asked that I send him the notation and electronic music files to make this possible.
Not a Surprise #1
I said YES
Suprise #5
As I was gathering music to send to Andrey, I encountered a problem. The live electronic music performance software was out-of-date! Nine years had passed and operating systems have evolved too far for it to be useable.
The problem was that I didn’t create the original one. My friend and Full Sail colleague, Marc Pinsky did!
Marc Pinsky and Nathan Selikoff were crucial partners in the original 2012 performance. Nathan and I created the concept, and Nathan created the stunning real-time visual art. Marc created the playback system for the accompanying electronic track. He used software called MAXdsp from which a ‘standalone’ application was made so that orchestras playing this piece did not have to purchase anything.
I called Marc, asking for his help.
Not a Surprise #2
Marc came through just days later, after devising a complete rebuild.
Not really a suprise #5 1/2
Musicians, especially folk musicians, are a rebellious lot, singing songs to an adoring public in the face of the Authority’s opposition. This has happened through modern history in many places. For the US, it was Dylan, Baez, Guthrie. For Chile – Victor Parra, Nigeria – Fela Kuti and South Africa – Miriam Makeba. Apparently Terema is so for modern Russia.
Probably one of many incidents, but one that hit the news during my searches for them, Terema made international news after a Swedish band, Södra Bergens Balalaikor, was banned from performing in Uppsala, Sweden because they were playing Russian folk instruments. In protest, six balalaika soloists of Terema played – “Dancing Queen” and “Gimme! hits of ABBA in front of the Consulate General of Sweden.
“It hurt us a little, because music is an eternal art,” Dolgov said. Music should be out of time and out of politics. And Russian folk instruments are part of the world heritage, the youth orchestra is sure.
TIME NEWS Entertainment:ABBA songs performed on balalaikas at the Consulate General of Sweden
May 3, 2022
