What was termed as “a unique concert” of the “mysterious Russian soul” turned out to be exactly that, when the 60th Anniversary of Russia - Sri Lanka Diplomatic Relationship was celebrated at the Russian Cultural Centre on June 6, 2017. The musical ensemble Ornament from the Russian Northern capital of St. Petersburg comprised Mikhayil Dzyudze on balalaika double bass, Oleg Gulevsky played the button accordion-bayan, Denis Penyugin the balalaika and Sergei Nikulin - guitar.
The soloist was the mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Sergeeva, of the Mariinsky Theatre. Born in St. Petersburg, Ekaterina graduated from the St. Petersburg State Conservatory.
She is a laureate of numerous National and International Competitions and Diploma winner of the International Competition named after Nikolay Rimsky Korsakov, and has toured with the Marrinsky Theatre to Germany, Japan and the USA.
The music program for the evening commenced with the ensemble Ornament playing a scintillating folk song Kamarinskaya, and was later joined by the soloist Ekaterina Sergeeva a mellifluous mezzo-soprano who sang the romantic ballad At the dawn you do not wake her up.
She followed it up with another well known Russian romance song, Chrysanthemums have long since faded in the garden. Her clean notes and well controlled singing was a joy to listen to, especially, when she decided to leave the stage and move with the audience while singing the well loved Habanera from Bizet’s Carmen.
She put the audience on a higher plane of appreciation with her rendition of the popular Soviet era romantic song, Do not go, stay with me followed by Coachman do not drive horses taking the audience to the very beginning of the 20th century. Her other well performed songs were, Wicket-Kalitka, the Russian folk song Travushka-Muravushka, the song from one of the best Soviet films The Darkie-Smooglyanka and the well known Russian song, Katyusha.
We hope Sri Lankan music lovers will get another opportunity to see and hear her in performance.