It was a visit to the Caucasus Mountains that impressed Russian composer Mily Balakirev (1837-1910) to write down Islamey: Oriental Fantasy, one of the crucial technically difficult works ever conceived for solo piano.
In a letter, Balakirev commented on the spirited folks music he heard there, in addition to the pure fantastic thing about the area, which lies on the intersection of Europe and Asia between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea:
…the majestic fantastic thing about luxuriant nature there and the fantastic thing about the inhabitants that harmonises with it – all this stuff collectively made a deep impression on me… Since I myself within the vocal music there, I made the acquaintance of a Circassian prince, who regularly got here to me and performed folks tunes on his instrument, that was one thing like a violin. Considered one of them, referred to as Islamey, a dance-tune, happy me terribly and with a view to the work I had in thoughts on Tamara I started to rearrange it for the piano. The second theme was communicated to me in Moscow by an Armenian actor, who got here from the Crimea and is, as he assured me, well-known among the many Crimean Tatars.
Balakirev was a founding member of the “The 5,” a gaggle of distinguished nineteenth century Russian composers who had been devoted to selling a distinctly nationwide type of classical music. Historic Slavic folks music supplied the seed out of which this music grew. Composed over the course of 1 month in 1869, Islamey begins with a Lezginka from Kabardino-Balkaria, strikes on to a Tatar love music, and concludes with a energetic Russian trepak.
A virtuoso pianist, Balakirev admitted that there have been elements of Islamey that he couldn’t play. Alexander Scriabin reportedly broken his hand trying to overcome the work. This dazzling efficiency options Russian pianist Boris Berezovsky:
Recordings
- Balakirev: Islamey, Boris Berezovsky Amazon
Featured Picture: Caucasus mountains in Svaneti, Georgia, {photograph} by Alexey Komarov
