Wide audience Gradsky Alexander was still known by radio - his song " Blue forest ", " Spain " and other many times heard in the radio program "Youth" and won a radio contest of songs. The audience immediately responded to the emergence of new voices in the air, strong and sonorous, appreciate the songs are simple, not banal, distinguishes the "arithmetic mean" songs that have prevailed in the radio flux.

Now screens out the new two-part film with music Gradskiy: " Romance for Lovers ", - shot 37-year-old film director Andrei Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky . The very title of the film - a sad and slightly sentimental - musically, not a story, not a story - romance! The film promises a lot of music, and it did it a lot - six songs and a few orchestral episodes. And these songs do not stop the action, and play an important dramatic role - is a logical and emotional "turning points." So in the movie musical, dramatic features visible: to express your feelings, the characters begin to sing (as in opera) and move, dance (as in a pantomime or ballet).

invitation still very young musician, vocal student (and not a composer!) Department of Musical and Pedagogical Institute Gnesin's music as two-part painting - a fact unprecedented for our cinema. But the heroes of the film are young, today - and it is required that the music of today was that it was present, if you will, all the pros and cons of modern pop music that was close, "musical language" of today's youth. That is why the invitation Gradskiy logical. Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky chose absolutely accurate.

on youth captured on movie film, sang her own age. Sung, by the way, all the male song pattern ("duplicated" on the film's soundtrack artists like Eugene Kindinov and Innocent Smoktunovsky), sung clearly, simply and reliably. "I will not hide - the director says" romance "- we tried and other singers. But it turned out that the best he performs songs Gradskiy Gradsky. And we had our own complexity - these songs should certainly sound like a professional and at the same time it was necessary to create the illusion that the protagonist sings, simple guy, well, a bus driver. creates the illusion of incompetence. Gradsko all the story is an easy transformation. Because he diversely talented ... "

Last remark Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky can be attributed to the music of "Romance of the Lovers." Leading element in it is a bit spirited rhythms, sounding at times in unexpected situations, such as in an episode of "maneuvers". We are used in such cases, the bravura march. But here they were, and would be out of place here, and the tight-voltage current bit rate perfectly conveyed the atmosphere of a "military operation". But the music of the film - it's not only one bit. Here and intonation "bardo-menestrelnogo" romance - is " Song of the Birds" (the words of N Glazkov). And gentle "Lullaby" chants ("Song about mothers" to the words of N. Konchalovskaya), and violent street chastushechnye cries ("What a day!" to the words of Okudzhava). In short, a wide range of intonation and rhythmic songs, dances of the modern city! Spirited and sad song, addressed to the cronies and the mother country! .. And in each case Gradsky found his individual decision. For each song stands alone, as if fashioned way ...

Who is he, Sasha Gradsky?

was born in November 1949 in the Urals, the son of a mining engineer, but from childhood he lived in Moscow. In the music school he studied the violin. Then he began to play the guitar. Then sing. This was the era craze Robertino Loreti, and also sings Gradsky Robertino.

In 1965 sixteen Gradsky musician becomes one of the first Moscow vocal and instrumental ensembles. "Called" Slavs "- says now Gradski - and sang ... in English. Songs in Russian in this genre has not been written. A to the songs then we simply are not mature enough ...".

Two years Gradsky organizing new members - "Buffoons". This time with the English language was ended: the basic repertoire "Skomorokhov" sounded on a lush Russian. Now this may sound funny, but the 18-year old had to do this by the repertoire - most composers professionals had not yet realized the bit as a musical reality, which becomes a new stage in the stylistic development of Soviet songs! Sasha wrote poetry himself - or take the classic and contemporary poets: S. Marshak, Aseyev, P. Kazakov, Garcia Lorca, Robert Burns.

"Actually, modern popular music has a number of features - Gradski said - for example, it is" easier "falls short on English words than long Russian. However, this disadvantage can and avoid, for example, in tuhmanovskoy song" There once was I ... "(lyrics by S. Kirsanov) lines consist of short monosyllabic words:" Once upon a time I was ... "" In the port fleet sailed ... "and so on. course, these poems in Russian poetry, not too much. So, we must adapt. Still good poetry - it is always a good poem. I, for instance, it seems that the modern stage is very suitable poetry of Pushkin. Gamzatova Love the poem. pity that the Russian translation of these iambic, and my songs mainly choreic ... "

Six years (with few exceptions) Gradski performs with "buffoons." The role of the ensemble in our modern stage is significant: it was such a creative laboratory of songs in which you can experiment, try your hand at a variety of styles.

"Buffoons" repeatedly won at various festivals and competitions, such as the festival of political song "Youth denounces imperialism" or the Gorky festival of youth vocal-instrumental ensembles "Silver Strings - 1971." A dozen songs from the repertoire of the ensemble recorded youth radio station "Youth". Broadcasted, they are, as I wrote above, won the "buffoons" and grad personally very popular ...

"buffoon" performances were, as expected, somewhat theatrical nature. The songs were Gradskiy and satire, and the grotesque, and the "black humor" ... There were songs civilian warehouse - for example, " Spain " at the words Aseyev in memory of Garcia Lorca ... There was even a little "rock opera" in poetry Korney Chukovsky (" Tsokotukha Fly "). Still, the most prone to Gradski lyrical songs (" you forsaken me ... ", " Girlfriend collier ", " Findlay ", " John Anderson "- the words of R. Burns in translations of S. Marshak, "Fall", "You and I" - to his own words) ...

In 1971 Gradsky involved in writing songs D. Tukhmanov his album "What a wonderful world." Tukhmanov instructs him two, perhaps, the best songs of his new album - " Mona Lisa " and " Once upon a time I was ... ". The songs are very interesting, unusual, unusually generous melodically (one "Mona Lisa" with "careful spending" of the material can be cut out as many as four songs!). Both performed very Gradsky; another "reading" it is difficult to imagine. The young actor is not just singing, it also tells the story perfectly - a quality that meets not all singers!

In February 1973, during one of the entries for the radio station "Youth", became acquainted Gradskiy Andrei Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky. Directed searched then for his new film singers, always young, modern, preferably even unknown ... Inviting Gradskiy the picture was resolved immediately ... But - in a role singer? ..

Eventually Gradsky and became a composer

This is closer to the truth.

"What are currently working on myself? Many will not say the work is not finished, and in two words - " Stadium ". The same stadium in Santiago , where the junta tortured freedom fighters, where he died a great Chilean singer Victor Jara. works in which individual rooms, the songs will be interspersed with recitatives, cutting action, choral ensembles. This "Singing opera" The two sides should take a long-playing record. compose it with ecstasy, but by the end, the truth is far ".

Such Gradsky.

Arkady Petrov