Today’s evening in Moscow has been marked by the grand opening of the Eleventh Spasskaya Tower International Military Music Festival on Red Square. This wonderful show featuring performances of some of the best military and artistic groups from all over the globe was attended by Sergey Sobyanin, Mayor of the city of Moscow, and Her Majesty Stéphanie Marie Elisabeth Grimaldi, Princess of Monaco.
The main theme of the 2018 Spasskaya Tower Festival is the Moscow Officers’ Ball. It’s been chosen following the results of the on-line poll launched among the Muscovites and found its reflection in the participants’ performances.
This evening more than fifteen hundreds of musicians and dancers have touched the cobblestone of Red Square. Among this year’s participants there are twelve Russian and eleven foreign groups, featuring Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Monaco, Mexico, Oman, Sri Lanka, Myanmar as well as the International Celtic Pipes and Drums and International Irish Dance Team.
Before the start of the show five black Genesis sedans, the official cars of the Festival drove out to Red Square. And then the ball began. Officers in their military uniform and dames in the nineteenth century garments started waltzing around accompanied by music of Sviridov representing the epoch of the year 1812. Then dancing pairs from another epoch dressed to the 1940s fashion stepped onto the pavement of the main square of the country. Men wearing uniform of Soviet officers and women in summer chintz dresses swirled in a beautiful dance to the melodies of Fradkin. With the first sounds of Shostakovich the officers’ ball participants were joined by the young Suvorov fosters with their dames. Modern days were pictured by the six best dancing pair, participants of the Moscow Longevity program and members of the Alemana dancing team. Thus, the organizers have managed to create a very special music and dance cross talk between different historical epochs.
According to Ms. Olga Sdvijkova, Head of the Alemana dancing team, the members of the group were people of old school between 55 and 85 years of age who demonstrated very high discipline and organization as well as readiness to perform in any weather conditions.
The show continued with the performance of the Honor Guard of the Presidential Regiment of the Service of Moscow Kremlin’s Commandant and Honor Guard of the 154 Preobrazhensky Regiment.
To the sounds of Tchaikovsky, Serebrennikov, Nikitin, Blanter and Prokhorov melodies performed by the Presidential Band of the Service of Moscow Kremlin’s Commandant of the Federal Guard Service of Russia, Military Exemplary Band of the Honor Guard and Military Band of the 154 Preobrazhensky Regiment they showed spectacular skills of realignment and weapon handling using Simonov semi-automatic carbines. Waving moves and strokes of carbines onto the cobblestone of Red Square performed by the officers of the Honor Guard of the Presidential Regiment of the Service of Moscow Kremlin’s Commandant of Russia to the sounds of Kalinka looked particularly impressive.
At the end of their performance the Honored Artist of Russia Evgeniy Khoroshevtsev, official voice of the Festival, said that the man who had stood at the origins of the Spasskaya Tower Festival and continued providing it with his steady support was present on the stands, and announced Mr. Sergey Sobyanin, Mayor of Moscow.
“Good evening, dear friends. Holding of the military bands festival in Moscow is a really wonderful and amazing tradition. It is a great present as well that on the eve of the birthday of our beloved city we give to the Muscovites and millions of viewers in our country and abroad. The Festival will broaden its territorial horizons and go beyond Red Square bringing the bands to Moscow parks and railway stations. I want to express big gratitude to all the organizers and participants of this exceptional celebration. I congratulate you on the opening of the Festival, celebration of military music in Moscow”, stated Mr. Sobyanin.
Among this evening’s guests of honor there were Her Majesty Princess of Monaco Stéphanie Marie Elisabeth Grimaldi who is the patron the Prince’s Band of Carabiniers of Monaco, H.E. Ms Mireille Pettiti, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Monaco in the Russian Federation, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar Armed Forces and Colonel Andrey Filyakin, Commander of the Presidential Regiment of the Federal Guard Service of Russia.
Foreign bands’ performances also featured the Russian theme. Thus, the Military Band of the Royal Guard of Oman began its performance with Blanter’s Katusha. This song was also performed by the Military Band of the Myanmar Armed Forces. The Imperial Youth Band from Brentwood (the United Kingdom) adjourned its performance with Knipper’s Calvary of the Steepes.
The audience was really taken away by the Crescendo Bicycle Showband from the Netherlands. Appearing before the public in national costumes and traditional Dutch wooden shoes mounted on bicycles they staged a vibrant and remarkable show. The audience was also presented a piece of Dutch humor as one of the compositions was a mourning march dedicated to one of the member of the band, but, thanks lord, not a person but to his bicycle that was damaged in a road accident.
Fanfara Bersaglieri San Donà di Piave from Italy also took the audience’s breath away. Musicians performed various marches including those written by Verdi and Rossini, world famous Italian composers. It is worth mentioning that part of their compositions they performed on the run. As the anchor announced the bersaglieri run 186 steps per minute which is the hallmark of the Italian musicians. Another peculiarity worth mentioning is their distinctive wide brimmed hat, decorated with black capercaillie feathers and called vaira.
The grand finale of the first show featured performance all the bands participants of the Festival conducted by Colonel Timofey Mayakin, Head of the Military Music Band Service of the Russian Armed Forces – Chief Military Conductor and Music Director of the Spasskaya Tower Festival. Musicians performed the Officers’ Ball potpourri of well-known Russian and foreign composers, including Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, Dunaevsky, Sviridov, Frenkel, Nikitin, Strauss and others. The final accord adjourning the show was Tchaikovsky Overture “1812”.
As a matter of tradition the main show of the Spasskaya Tower Festival finished with grandiose fireworks.
