Alexander Gradsky
| Alexander Gradsky | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name |
Alexander Borisovich Gradsky ÐлекÑаÌндр БориÌÑович ГраÌдÑкий |
| Born |
3 November 1949 Kopeysk, Soviet Union |
| Genres |
Rock Bard music Classical Folk Blues |
| Occupation(s) |
Singer Songwriter Musician Vocal teacher |
| Instruments |
Vocals Piano Guitar Bass guitar Violin Drums |
| Years active | c.1963–present |
| Associated acts |
Tarakany Slaviane Los Panchos Skify Skomorokhi John Denver |
Alexander Borisovich Gradsky (Russian: ÐлекÑаÌндр БориÌÑович ГраÌдÑкий; born November 3, 1949, in Kopeysk) is a Russian rock singer, bard, multi-instrumentalist and composer. He was one of the earliest performers of rock music in Russia. His diverse repertoire includes rock 'n' roll, traditional folk songs performed with a rock twist, and operatic arias. He has composed two rock operas and numerous songs including soundtrack music for several films.
Early life and musical beginnings
Alexander Gradsky was born on November 3, 1949 in the Russian city of Kopeysk.[1] His father was an engineer working in a factory, and his mother was an actress. His mother encouraged him to learn to play the violin as a child, and her brother, Alexander Gradsky's uncle, was a dancer who toured abroad and brought home records of Western music artists including Elvis Presley, Louis Armstrong and Little Richard.[2] Such music was not ordinarily available in Soviet Russia at that time.[3][4]
By the age of 12, Gradsky was singing Elvis Presley songs and accompanying himself on guitar.[5] In 1963, at the age of 13, he sang with a Polish student band called Tarakany (Тараканы - The Cockroaches) in a concert at the International Club of Moscow State University.[3] This is believed to have been the first public performance of rock 'n' roll by any Russian musician.[3]
Other bands
In the mid-1960s, Gradsky joined the band Slaviane (СлавÑне - The Slavs) as lead singer.[3] The band's repertoire consisted almost entirely of Beatles and Rolling Stones covers.[4] In 1966-'67, he was working with three bands: Slaviane, Los Panchos and Skify (Скифы - The Scythians). However, he found himself disagreeing with his Slaviane bandmates over the direction the band should take. Gradsky wanted to perform original rock songs in his native Russian language, whereas the other band members did not think that such endeavours could be successful and wanted to continue performing imported songs.[3]
Gradsky consequently decided to form his own band, Skomorokhi (Скоморохи - The Jesters or The Buffoons) in 1967. His band became popular playing original Russian songs, as Gradsky blended elements of Western rock music with the lyric-centred, folk-influenced Russian bard music which was popular around that time.[3] He enrolled in Gnesin Music Academy in 1969, and continued to perform with Skomorokhi while a student. A successful performance at the Soviet pop-rock festival Silver Strings was followed with airplay and record deals.[5]
Solo career
In 1973, film director Andrei Konchalovsky asked Alexander Gradsky to compose and perform music for the film Romance for Lovers (Ð Ð¾Ð¼Ð°Ð½Ñ Ð¾ влюблённых - Romance o vlyublënnyh), which was released in 1974, the same year in which Gradsky graduated with a master's degree in vocal performance.[4][5] Gradsky performed all the male vocal parts in the film soundtrack, which brought him fame as a solo artist.[5] His many records released during his long career encompass a variety of genres.[4][5] His first rock opera, Stadium (Стадион - Stadion), was released as a double LP in 1985.[6] He also composed a rock ballet The Man (Человек - Chelovek), released in 1988.[6]
Gradsky is a tenor who is reported to have a three-and-a-half octave vocal range, and also plays 12 instruments.[7] He performed the demanding role of the Astrologer in Rimsky-Korsakov's opera The Golden Cockerel (Золотой Петушок - Zolotoy Petushok) in Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre in 1988.[5]
His collaboration with John Denver, with whom he performed the 1986 song Let us Begin..., brought him to wider international attention.[5] In 1999, he performed a recital at New York City's Carnegie Hall.[7]
Since the late '80s, Gradsky has been teaching vocals at the Gnesin Music Academy as well as performing.[5]
In late 2009, Alexander Gradsky released a 4-CD opera adaptation of Mikhail Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margarita (МаÌÑтер и МаргариÌта), starring Gradsky himself as Master, Woland, Yeshua and Behemoth.[2] The opera also stars Nikolai Fomenko as Koroviev, Mikhail Seryshev (formerly of Master) as Ivan, and Elena Minina as Margarita,[2] in addition to many renowned Russian singers and actors in episodic roles, including (but not limited to) Iosif Kobzon, Lyubov Kazarnovskaya, Andrei Makarevich, Alexander Rosenbaum, Arkady Arkanov, and the late Georgi Millyar (voice footage from one of his movies was used).
Personal life
Alexander Gradsky has been married four times, including to actress Anastasiya Vertinskaya in the 1970s, after her divorce from Nikita Mikhalkov.[2]
Discography
Rock operas
| Russian title | English translation | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Стадион | Stadium (rock opera) | 1985 |
| МаÑтер и Маргарита | The Master and Margarita | 2009 |
Other albums and EPs
| Russian title | English translation | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Давид Тухманов "Как прекраÑен мир" | David Tukhmanov "How the World is Fine" (Alexander Gradsky sings two songs) | 1972 |
| Поёт ÐлекÑандр ГрадÑкий | Alexander Gradsky Sings | 1973 (EP) |
| Ð Ð¾Ð¼Ð°Ð½Ñ Ð¾ влюбленных" | Romance about Lovers | 1974 |
| ПеÑни из к/Ñ„ "Солнце, Ñнова Ñолнце" | Songs from the movie "Sun, sun again" | 1976 |
| ÐлекÑандр ГрадÑкий и анÑамбль "Скоморохи" | Alexander Gradsky and "Skomorokhi" | 1978 (EP) |
| ÐлекÑандр ГрадÑкий & Ðлтон Джон (Только Ñ‚Ñ‹ верь мне) | Alexander Gradsky & Elton John (Only you trust me) | 1979 (EP) |
| РуÑÑкие пеÑни | Russian Songs | 1980 |
| Ðам не жить друг без друга | We Can't Live Without Each Other | 1980 (EP) |
| "Сама жизнь" Ð’Ð¾ÐºÐ°Ð»ÑŒÐ½Ð°Ñ Ñюита на Ñтихи ÐŸÐ¾Ð»Ñ Ðлюара | "Life Itself" Vocal Suite on verses of Paul Eluard | 1984 |
| "Звезда полей" Ð’Ð¾ÐºÐ°Ð»ÑŒÐ½Ð°Ñ Ñюита на Ñтихи Ð.Рубцова | "Fields Star" Vocal Suite on verses by N. Rubtsov | 1986 |
| "Сатиры" Ð’Ð¾ÐºÐ°Ð»ÑŒÐ½Ð°Ñ Ñюита на Ñтихи Саши Черного | "Satire" Vocal Suite on verses of Sasha Cherny | 1987 |
| Давайте начнём | Let's Get Started | 1987 (EP) |
| Ð£Ñ‚Ð¾Ð¿Ð¸Ñ ÐГ | Utopia AG | 1987 |
| "Ð Ð°Ð·Ð¼Ñ‹ÑˆÐ»ÐµÐ½Ð¸Ñ ÑˆÑƒÑ‚Ð°" Ð’Ð¾ÐºÐ°Ð»ÑŒÐ½Ð°Ñ Ñюита | "Reflections of a Jester" Vocal Suite | 1987 |
| "Флейта и роÑль" Ð’Ð¾ÐºÐ°Ð»ÑŒÐ½Ð°Ñ Ñюита на Ñтихи Б.ПаÑтернака и Ð’.МаÑковÑкого | "Flute and Grand Piano" Vocal Suite on verses by Boris Pasternak & Vladimir Mayakovsky | 1988 |
| "ÐоÑтальгиÑ" Ð’Ð¾ÐºÐ°Ð»ÑŒÐ½Ð°Ñ Ñюита на Ñтихи Ð’.Ðабокова | "Nostalgia" Vocal Suite on verses by Vladimir Nabokov | 1988 |
| "Человек" Балет | "The Man" Ballet | 1988 |
| "Монте-КриÑто" Музыка и пеÑни из Ñ…\Ñ„ "Узник замка Иф" | "Monte Cristo" Music and Songs from the Movie "Prisoner of Château d'If" | 1989 |
| Концерт -Ñюита | Concert Suite | 1989 |
| ÐкÑÐ¿ÐµÐ´Ð¸Ñ†Ð¸Ñ | Expedition | 1990 |
| (n/a) | Metamorphoses | 1991 |
| ÐеÑвоевременные пеÑни | Untimely Songs | 1994 |
| Фрукты Ñ ÐºÐ»Ð°Ð´Ð±Ð¸Ñ‰Ð° | Fruit from the Cemetery | 1995 |
| ЖИВьЕМ в "РоÑÑии" | (A)live in "Russia" | 1996 |
| Золотое Старье | Gold Junk | 1996 |
| ÐšÐ¾Ð»Ð»ÐµÐºÑ†Ð¸Ñ ÐГ (13CD) | Collection of AG (13-CD set) | 1996 |
| "Легенды руÑÑкого рока" Ð.ГрадÑкий и группа Cкоморохи | "Legends of Russian Rock" A. Gradsky and "Skomorokhi" | 1997 |
| ЖИВьЕМ в "РоÑÑии" 2 | (A)live in "Russia" 2 | 2000 |
| ХреÑÑ‚Ð¾Ð¼Ð°Ñ‚Ð¸Ñ | Reader | 2003 |
| ПеÑни Ð´Ð»Ñ Ð˜Ñ€Ñ‹ | Songs for Ira | 2003 |
DVDs
| Russian title | English translation | Year |
|---|---|---|
| ЖИВьЕМ в "РоÑÑии" 2 Юбилейный видеоконцерт | (A)live in "Russia" 2 Jubilee video concerts | 2004 |
| ЖИВьЕМ в "РоÑÑии" Юбилейный видеоконцерт | (A)live in "Russia" Jubilee video concerts | 2010 |
| "ÐнтипереÑтроечный Блюз" (фильм -концерт 1990 г.) | "Anti-Perestroika Blues" (Film-concert 1990) | 2010 |
References
- ↑ "Alexander Gradsky". Biography (in Russian). Retrieved 28 March 2011.
- 1 2 3 4 "Alexander Gradskiy - Master i Margarita". Master & Margarita. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Yoffe, Mark; Laing, Dave. "History of Soviet and Russian Rock Music". Written for Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of The World: Locations. SOFT POWER. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
- 1 2 3 4 "Biography". Official website (in Russian). Gradsky.com. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Ofman, Gregory. "Alexander Gradsky: biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
- 1 2 "Discography". Alexander Gradsky official website (in Russian). Gradsky.com. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
- 1 2 "Alexander Gradsky will make a recital debut at Carnegie Hall". New York Daily News. 1 March 1999. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alexander Gradsky. |
- Official website (Russian)
- Gradsky's biography (Russian)
- Alexander Gradsky discography at Discogs
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