Igor Stravinsky’s orchestration of “Song of the Volga Boatmen”
In 1996, an orchestration of “Song of the Volga Boatmen” was discovered in the Mapleson Music Library in Lindenhurst, New York. This arrangement for Bass-Baritone and full orchestra was found in the form of a set of orchestral parts and accompanying vocal score for use by the conductor, on the cover of which was fastened a typewritten notice saying:
PARTS ORCHESTRATED BY STRAVINSKY ESPECIALLY FOR MR. CHALIAPIN
Although Igor Stravinsky’s arrangement for orchestral winds of 1917 is well known to musicians, the Lindenhurst discovery suggests that the composer made a second arrangement of the popular Russian folksong – a remarkable notion given the fact that there is no other existing record of this arrangement. An investigation of the discovery by Joseph Landers revealed significant evidence that the Lindenhurst “Boatmen” was indeed authentic, probably dating from the mid 1920’s. The work is an exciting find, perhaps even establishing a new connection between the composer and the great Russian Bass-baritone Feodor Chaliapin- a connection that has previously eluded biographers.
In addition to researching the find, Landers created a full score for the set of parts, and edited
the current performance edition. The discovery was given its world premiere by the Orion Orchestra under Toby Purser in London in March of 2011. The soloist was the imminent English Baritone Robert Poulton.
A presentation by Joseph Landers on the authenticity of the discovery is available at:
http://sms.cam.ac.uk/media/741357
For a review of the premiere, please visit:
http://www.classicalsource.com/db_control/db_concert_review.php?id=9063
and Michael Huebner’s article on the discovery can be found at:
http://blog.al.com/mhuebner/2010/07/montevallo_professor_joseph_la.html
Please contact info@josephlanders.com for further information