Music of the American Balalaika Symphony
CD and Online Music Samples
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Encounters and Partings
Our most recent CD, Encounters and Partings, offers a unique program of “Music from Soviet Life” – 17 selections of seldom-heard works from the Soviet era, including folk and novelty pieces, film-score excerpts, dances, and even an example of Russian big-band jazz. The composers represented here include Dunayevsky, Frenkel, Blanter, Shostakovich, and Miaskov – and only three of these tracks have been recorded before by a balalaika orchestra anywhere.Balalaika Romance
Recorded live in June 2004, Balalaika Romance features Russian balalaika virtuoso Andrei Gorbachev and the orchestra in a varied program that ranges from Russian folk favorites by Andreyev, Shalov, and Tsygankov to popular classics by Chopin, Daquin, and Gounod. A particular highlight is Gorbachev’s spectacular performance of Bazzini’s Dance of the Goblins.Opening Night
Dating from our first performance season (2003-2004), this first CD by the American Balalaika Symphony, and still a favorite among ABS fans, includes music by Asafiev, Gličre, Gimenez, Khachaturian, and Shostakovich – and concludes with a rousing version of one of our signature pieces, the Zaporiz’kyi Cossack March.Composer Highlights
The American Balalaika Symphony enjoys playing for its audience the works of unfamiliar and seldom-heard composers. This developing section will provide basic information and links to other websites about composers, both famous and not-so-famous, whose works we perform.