March 11, 2001 in a concert Hall of St.-Petersburg, the premiere of the variety program "Piazzolliana" was held. The concert was devoted to the 80-years anniversary of Astor Piazzolla. The organizers of the program were - St. Petersburg Musette Ensemble, namely Vladimir Ushakov and Sergei Likhachov.

For participation in this program the bayan quartet of the National Philarmonic Society of Ukraine - Rizol Quartet (Kiev, Ukraine) was invited being the musical chief, People artist of Ukraina Sergei Grinchenko (first bayan), Honored artist of Ukraina Viacheslav Samofalov (second bayan), Oleg Shiyan (bayan-bariton) and Roman Molochenko (bayan-contrabass).

The concert was opened by a musical-poetic composition based on Tanti Anni Prima (Ave Maria) with verses by Mikhail Likhachov (well-known musician - accordionist, composer and poet from St. Petersburg) and performed by Vladimir Ushakov (piano) and Svetlana Stavitskaya (accordion). Next on stage was the St. Petersburg Musette Ensemble which performed Meditango (accordion solo - Svetlana Stavitskaya).

Then the Rizol Quartet was represented to the St Petersburg public, which has performed such popular compositions by Astor Piazzolla as Revirado, SVP, Fracanapa, Chau Paris, La Muerte del Angel, El Penultimo, 20 Years After, Tristango, Jeanne and Paul. The first part of the concert finished with a joint performance by the two ensembles of the composition Oblivion.

The second part of the concert opened with the St. Petersburg Musette Ensemble performing the compositions, Ausencias (accordion solo - Vladimir Ushakov) and Melodia in A. Then the performance was continued by the Rizol Quartet playing: Reminiscence, Solitude, Undertango, Milonga sin palabras, Novitango, Violentango, Amelitango, Adios Nonino.

The concert finished with a joint performance by the two ensembles of the popular composition Libertango. The admiring public gave such a strong ovation to the musicians that they were obliged to perform this again.

In the foyer of the concert hall was the presentation of the new musical editions published by the St. Petersburg Musette Ensemble (S.P.M.E) as part of the publishing program of S.P.M.E. Editions. There was also three releases of Astor Piazzola compositions as performed by the Riaol Quartet (author of the transcriptions for a bayan quartet - Viacheslav Samofalov). The compact discs and cassettes of the Rizol Quartet and the St. Petersburg Musette Ensemble were also available. Included in the printed program for this concert was a detailed biography of Astor Piazzolla, the Rizol Quartet and the St. Petersburg Musette Ensemble.

"Piazzolliana" was the first performance of this new programme after a long break by the St. Petersburg Musette Ensemble following a cycle of concerts titled "Meetings of the Friends on the Neva Riversides". The first concert from this cycle was held in April, 1999 and it was named "Accordionada", and it was the creative meeting of the accordioninsts of Russia and Latvia. The program "Piazzolliana" followed the same creative meeting of the accordioninsts of Russia and Ukraine.

The success of the program was confirmed by the size of the audience - about 600 people - who came to enjoy the sounds of Astor Piazzolla music.

The next concert from this series will be held on April 7 in a concert Hall with the premiere of the variety program "Waltzing Accordion" by Roman Bazhilin (accordionist from Tambov, Russia) and the St. Petersburg Musette Ensemble. Another further concert will feature the Lithuanian accordion duet Eduardas Gabnis and Gennady Savkov (Vilnius, Lithania) and that is planned for May 17.

The St. Petersburg Musette Ensemble is highly grateful for the assistance by the childrens music school named after V.V. Andreyev for their help in organizing and undertaking the visit of Rizol Quartet in Saint-Petersburg.

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