Anton Batagov: Five Centuries of Minimalism. Solo piano recital at Saint John’s in the Village – New York, NY

Programme

Anonymous (England, early 16th century): A Galyarde

Batagov: Letter from Sergei Rachmaninoff to Peter Gabriel

Schubert: Impromtu in G Flat Major

Batagov: Prelude and Culture News

Batagov: Portrait

Purcell: Ground in C Minor

Batagov: Lyrical Music

Tchaikovsky: Alone Again As Before

Batagov: Waltz

Glass: Escape!

Batagov: I’m Far Away

Anonymous (England, early 16th century): My Lady Careys Dompe

Batagov: Chaconne in A minor

Bach: Ich ruf’zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ

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Total duration: 1 hr 30 min, no intermission

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Artist’s note

I doubt there is anybody (including myself) who likes the word “minimalism” but I’m afraid we have to accept it. However, it is much more than just a compositional technique. Its roots are deeply embedded in the nature of all universal processes. “Monotony is a law of nature: look at the monotonous manner in which the Sun rises” (Gandhi).

Minimalism does not reflect our ordinary state of mind immersed in all kinds of activities and rapidly changing emotions. It is a totally opposite thing. Minimalism means concentration. This concentration is our way back home. When our mind is focused on something and not distracted we quit an ordinary state of mind to enter a completely different state – a very subtle sphere where we can have a really powerful transpersonal, transcendental, transformational experience.

That’s why all ancient rituals, all sacred chants, mantras and prayers, as well as all traditions of bell ringing and drumming, all types of folk music from any region of the world, – all of that is “minimalism”: a single motive or rhythmic pattern, or a sequence of motives or patterns, being repeated over and over again, with variations and/or gradual changes. Many classical composers have minimalist “roots”.

Not only does this never get boring, but the longer you listen, the less you want it to stop. Any piece, any measure, any single note is a mirror that reflects all the universe and all the human emotions. Everything exists as a constant inseparable unity.

So minimalism is not a style or technique that was invented in the 1960’s. In fact, we can hardly imagine how many thousands of years ago the “minimalism” was born.

This program is a journey through five centuries of “minimalist” music. On this program there is no such thing as “classical music”, “early music”, “contemporary music”. It does not matter when each of those works was written, and who was the composer.

It’s a soundtrack for our meditation. Now, here.

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About the artist

Composer and pianist Anton Batagov is one of the most unique and influential artists in the world of new classics. His discography includes over 60 albums that have an audience of millions. He plays on the world’s most prestigious stages. His compositions have been performed and recorded by outstanding classical and rock musicians and orchestras. The philosophy of Batagov’s projects eliminates any boundaries between centuries and genres, between “performance” and “composition” by viewing all existing musical practices – from ancient rituals to rock and pop culture and advanced computer technologies – as inseparable elements of his work.

Anton Batagov is one of the closest collaborators of Philip Glass, one of the leading performers of his music. He has been touring internationally with Glass for almost a decade. His Glass albums – The Complete Etudes, Prophecies (Batagov’s piano arrangements of scenes from Einstein on the Beach and Koyaanisqatsi), The Hours and Distant Figure (a composition written by Philip Glass for and premiered by Anton Batagov) – have received worldwide recognition.

As a composer, Batagov has a distinctive style. The post-minimalist language of his compositions is rooted in the harmonic and rhythmic patterns of Russian church bells mixed with the dynamic pulse of early Soviet avant-garde, the energy of progressive rock, and the spirit of Buddhist philosophy. Batagov is the author of several movie soundtracks and original music for numerous television channels.

From 1997 to 2009, Batagov stopped his concert activity to focus on recording and composition.

Since 2009 he has been performing a series of unique solo piano programs. His repertoire includes contemporary classics and great composers of the past. Along with the music of John Cage, Morton Feldman, Philip Glass and Michael Nyman, Batagov performs Bach, Pachelbel, early English music, Mozart, Schubert, Debussy, and many others composers, as well as his own numerous piano compositions.

Mr. Batagov has performed at Walt Disney Hall (Los Angeles) and Brooklyn Academy of Music (New York), Jordan Hall (Boston) and Bing Concert Hall (Palo Alto, CA), Elbphilharmonie (Hamburg), The Berliner Philharmonie and Philharmonie de Paris, Musiikkitalo (Helsinki) and Reduta Hall (Bratislava), Teatro Regio (Parma, Italy) and Palau dela Musica Catalana(Barcelona, Spain), The Grand Hall of Moscow Conservatory and The Grand Hall of St.Petersburg Philharmonie, Moscow International House of Music and Zaryadye Hall, and many other venues. The list of festivals he has participated in includes Salzburg Festival (Austria), Diaghilev Festival (Russia), Ruhrtriennale (Germany), Next Wave and Bang on a Can festivals (New York), Aarhus Festival (Denmark), and others.

Brilliantly hypnotizing.

(Los Angeles Times)

His performance transcends the material world.

(Crescendo magazine, Germany)

Anton Batagov is a mystic of the piano. Part shaman and part showman, beneath his fingers the keys of the keyboard reveal another world, another layer of spiritual energy, and another way of listening.

(Time out New York)

Batagov shakes up our notion of what a solo piano recital can sound like.

(The Gathering Note, Seattle)

www.batagov.com