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Written in fRoots issue 362/363, Aug/Sept 2013

ALEKSEY ARKHIPOVSKIY
The Road Home
Own label HB 169 (2013)

Largely because of Russian state ways of doing things, the balalaika (itself standardised for state ensemble use) has often been a tool for extreme stagey flashiness; demonstrations of undoubted skill and years of practice, but formulaic and tasteless. Some – particularly the great Mikhail Rozhkov, still playing in his nineties – have transcended that, combining brilliance with genuine musical soul.
     Today’s Paganini of the balalaika, Alexey Arkhipovskiy, has come through the state folk-music education and ensemble system, but now tours internationally as a virtuoso soloist, the sound of his instrument enhanced with wide-screen delayed-reverb. What he gets out of the three strings is amazing, but looking at his videos and seeing the professional-looking impish smile I got the impression of some kind of balalaika puppet, and said as much to his agent.
     She assured me that there’s more to him, and the smile is genuine, and in due course this new CD has arrived, recorded at two concerts in the enormous Moscow International House of Music.
     The booklet photos show a rather jolly curly-haired unpretentious chap favouring colourful informal garb in offstage moments around the world. Though he does briefly quote the inevitable Song Of the Volga Boatmen in the opening track, a show is a show and the ability to wordlessly hold the attention of a large audience for a whole concert using just a small triangular box with three strings is an achievement in itself and needs some ‘listen to me’ setting-up, he does indeed go on to create a varied, intense flow of original and sensitive music, including plenty of reflective, hushed, delicate slow playing as well as dazzlingly rapid tours-de-force.

www.arkhipovskiy.com


© 2013 Andrew Cronshaw
 

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