An Intimate Live Recital of Russian Art Songs in Chester

In Britain, audiences know Eugene Onegin, Swan Lake and Boris Godunov. But the more intimate world of these composers — their songs — remains a hidden treasure, no less rich in beauty and emotional depth than their larger works.

This programme brings together some of the most beautiful and expressive works in the Russian vocal repertoire — from the lyrical, deeply personal songs of Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff to Mussorgsky’s vivid and theatrical cycle Songs and Dances of Death, full of striking imagery and storytelling.

Performed by Efim Zavalny (baritone) and Rebekka Magomedova (piano) — former artists of the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg, now based in the UK.

The concert lasts approximately 60 minutes. The music is performed in Russian, with a printed programme and English translations provided throughout. 

A note from the pianist

My name is Rebekka. Until 2022, I worked at the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg. Like many people, my life since then has been divided into a “before” and an “after”.

For me today, performing Russian music is above all a way of staying connected to a sense of home, memory and language. 

The decision to bring this concert to Chester — a city where we are still unknown —  has a personal story behind it.

In October 2024, I came to Chester for the first time, performing at Storyhouse in a programme of Tchaikovsky ballets, covering the harp part on keyboard. During the interval, I stepped into the foyer and saw the words:

“This is a place that can heal and hold you safe. Stranger, welcome home.”

For someone who, in the space of two years, had lost their home, their friends, those words felt like an embrace. That moment has stayed with me ever since — and it led to the decision to return to Chester with this programme.

Programme

Pyotr Tchaikovsky

• Opened the Window (Op. 63 No. 2)
• Don Juan’s Serenade (Op. 38 No. 1)
• Amidst the Din of the Ball (Op. 38 No. 3)
• Bless You, Forests (Op. 47 No. 5)

Sergey Rachmaninoff

• All Has Been Taken from Me (Op. 26 No. 2)
• A Dream (Op. 8 No. 5)
• Do Not Sing, My Beauty (Op. 4 No. 4)

Modest Mussorgsky – Songs and Dances of Death

• Lullaby
• Serenade
• Trepak
• Field Marshal

The music will be performed in Russian. A printed programme with English translations of the texts will be provided.