Quadraphonic night: poetry with music

A concert of the famous poet, novelist, screenwriter, and journalist Yevhen Yevtushenko and musicians of the State Academic Orchestra “Alex Fokin RadioBand” will be held in the Ukraina Palace on December 20. The night is dedicated to Yevtushenko’s anniversary. Several generations have been raised on his poetry. Many of his poems became the lyrics of popular songs: “A Sneg Idet” (It’s Snowing), “So Mnoiu Vot Chto Proiskhodit” (Here is What’s Happening to Me), “Vals o Valse” (Waltz about Waltz), “Bezhit Reka” (River is Flowing), “Chertovo Koleso” (Ferris Wheel), “Ne Speshi” (Don’t Hurry), “Dai Bog!” (God grant it!). He is the author of the beautiful translation of Taras Shevchenko’s “Testament” and an essay about the Kobzar into Russian. Yevtushenko is a great storyteller; he reads his poetry in a very inspirational manner. For example, when he reads the poem “Babii Yar,” many people in the room start crying. According to Yevtushenko this year he had a record number of his books that came out of print: in Kyiv three of his books were published. One of these books is Happiness and Reckoning, a collection of poetry from 2011 and 2012. There was also a book published in the series “Great Poets.”

Intars Busulis (Latvia), winner of the “New Wave” contest in 2005, well known to Kyiv audience for his performances with the “Alex Fokin RadioBand,” famous Moscow-based singer and actor Leush Lyubich, and People’s Artist of Ukraine Femii Mustafaiev will come to congratulate Yevtushenko and sing his songs.

All the hits will be performed live, but in the original musical arrangement of the “RadioBand” (adaptation of the compositions made by Alex Fokin).

The organizers of the concert told The Day that the program seamlessly combines modern poetic classics and brand new compositions stunningly performed by the author and professional singers. The program also includes a few premieres that will be a surprise for the audience. These are the songs written by the author to the music by Raimonds Pauls. Music hall will have quadraphonic sound. Thus, the audience will be as if on the inside of the music creation! This Dolby Surround effect was first used by Alex Fokin and his band in the Ukraina Palace at their joint concert with the electronic band Schiller from Germany in 2007 and later again they used the “special music effect” during their recent concert with Raimonds Pauls. The program will be recorded on DVD and CD.