Without a retrospect to the former we can not properly explain our attitude today and our approach in the future.  I think we have to be grateful to have each other, we have to be thankful for every day we have got, for every single chance and opportunity to express ourselves, for the goal we can embrace today and dreams in the future. That is why I thought regarding the music selected for this recital GRATITUDE would be the right name.

Program:

• S.Bach – Sonata in E-major, No.3, BWV 1016 for Violin and Piano (I – Adagio; II – Allegro; III – Adagio ma non tanto; IV – Allegro)
• Kreisler – Tempo di Minuetto (In style of Pugnani) for Violin and Piano
• Elgar – Sospiri or Adagio for Violin and  Piano, Op.70
• Elgar – Chanson de Nuit for Violin and  Piano, Op.15 No.1
• Marc v.Delft – In Memoriam Hanna, Op.170

After a break

• Elgar – Sonata in E-minor, Op.82, for Violin and Piano (I – Allegro; II – Romance Andante)
• Elgar – Salut d’amour for Violin and Piano, Op.12
• Grieg – Sonata in G-major, No.2, Op13 for Violin and Piano (I – Lento doloroso – Allegro vivace; II – Allegro tranquillo; III – Allegro animato)

Musicians:

Juliya Belyanevich violin🇺🇦

Anastasiya Akinfina piano 🇷🇺

Marc van Delft composer and piano 🇳🇱

More about program and tickets you can find here ➡️

The long lasting relation.

Recently I started to think of the key to a successful and long-term presence of string quartet ensemble and made some notes.

But first of all I would like to share it with you and to invite you for an open discussion via email or at our concerts. Because there are much more I believe, and some of you have experience, some of you have a good sense of it etc etc.

Obviously my research about this topic was triggered by questions: why in some string quartets there is a rotation of musicians, why one stays and another keep changing, is it normal?

May be it is pretty common, but it does disturb our minds, it does upset our plans, it is holds back.

The first five years are the hardest

What appeared out of my research, that the first five years are the hardest. But how to clean the hurdles? It’s a given that ensemble will not make a good salary, because the fees are not large and the bookings are not frequent. But success comes through the acceptance.

The other part of the challenge is on a personal and instrumental level. Naturally, we have different ideas in approaches to particular pieces. There is no recipe. Again, surrender yourself, try and play the way other people want you to, and hope that they will reciprocate.

And of course a sense of humour doesn’t hurt, that allows us to take a step back and laugh at things that happen.

There are more things than this that you might not have known.
Ans since I am 1-st violin player we will start with a stand-up comedian 😂

1. High tones and hard

Imagine balancing on the thinnest wire high high above the crowds, and one millimetre of error means you crash to the ground. Welcome to the world of the first violinist. These people are not only musically courageous, they also have to interpret some of music’s most profound melodies without sounding like it’s all about them. A good first violinist has to have the bravery of a stand-up comedian, the soul of a poet, the presence of an actor and the ego of a Buddha. As you can imagine, that’s a rare thing.

2. The hub of the central nervous system

Guess what, all the composers who played the viola: Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Bach, Dvorak, and that’s just the beginning – they all played this magnificent instrument because the viola part in a quartet is like the most fascinating section of any working thing — it’s the hub, it’s the central nervous system, it’s the rhythm section. The viola doesn’t get the tune as much as the other instruments, but they get to play music that makes the tune sound SO much more interesting.

3. I’m not playing second fiddle!

Those second violins, some time they get such a hard time, many of you thinks they are not quite as “good” as the first violinist, they can’t play as quickly or brilliantly, but that’s wrong wrong wrong. The role of the second violin is actually much more tricky and subtle. Like the viola, the second fiddle plays a complementary part (and yes, they have to be complimentary as well to the first violinist’s ego), but that complementary part is frequently elusive, somewhat mysterious and never easy. The second violinist has to find melody in accompaniment, excitement in a single note and match the first violin’s brilliant sound with notes often much lower. You might say that behind every successful first violinist is a very, very good second.

4. Bottoms up

And here we are, the maestro cellist. The cello — king of instruments, the voice of God, the sound of man’s soul, the list goes on. And it is true; the cello is an almost divine instrument. In a quartet its role is crucial to the overall sound. The cello often lays down a harmonic bed for the other parts, is the powerful diesel engine that drives the rhythm, and on top of that plays melodies of heart-wrenching beauty. Several rich people who commissioned Mozart and Beethoven to write quartets played the cello, so those composers put in special parts their patrons could play, to feel they’d got their money’s worth.  Quartet-playing for a cellist is often about holding back and using their power for good and not evil. They always very glad they play the cello:)

There is a joke somewhere that a quartet is made up of a good violinist, a bad violinist, somebody who used to be a bad violinist, and somebody who hates violinists. 

The dream came true.

The idea to memorise String quartet No.8 by Shostakovich in some special way were growing in our mind gradually.
The Eights string quartet was performed by INGUZ-Quartet first time in 2018 and since we have kept reviewing it.

Dmitriy Shostakovich as an astonishing personality and composer

Dmitry Shostakovich was a pianist, a conductor and an astonishing composer.
The interest to Shostakovich personality and his musical heritage has been growing world wide. However, better understanding of his music and though the awareness of his unique personality comes to us later, as years go by and our maturity reaches the apogee, so philosophical his music is.

Not a surprise Shostakovich’s music took our minds entirely and hearts wholly. Later in 2019 INGUZ-Quartet took another work of him, the Piano Quintet, to perform at the classic music festival in the Netherlands.

And here we are in 2021 viewing retrospectively his most essential work, String Quartet No.8.

Shostakovich was very productive in genre of chamber music. He composed 15 String Quartets among which the Eights is most taking and captivating. It holds pain and grief, sadness and irony.

An alluring offer

Seems the personality of this unique composer appeals not only musicians, so perplexing his heritage is.

INGUZ-Quartet has been lucky to receive a generous offer and been sponsored by JBRDG record label and contacted EyeCatcher to film this remarkable piece from String Quartet No.8.

The dream has come true, and our thoughts of memorising this work seem to come true as well.

We decided to embrace this generous offer of filming and to make a promotional movie of INGUZ-Quartet with music of this outstanding work of Shostakovich, the String Quartet No.8.

The movie was shot on 23 April at “SS Rotterdam” by EyeCatcher (@eyecatcher,de filmmakers)

The movie

The results of the movie are expected soon, and as an appetiser I can invite you to watch another promotional movie of SS Rotterdam on Vimeo produced by EyeCatcher.

See you soon with our promotional video on board of that striking 1950’s cruising vessel.

See you soon.
Stay healthy and content.

Sincerely Yours,

Juliya Belyanevich on behalf of INGUZ Artists

Dear Music Lovers!

I have never had a chance to present myself in a proper way.

It has been always about my ensemble, INGUZ-Quartet, INGUZ Artists, it is where I am today….

However, there were preceding years that made me who I am today and what I am doing today.

Why I am writing

One friend of mine, knowing very little of true me, pointed out my mistake of keeping my deep emotions close to myself.

That triggered me to write this little memoire down and to give you some insight into my life, my experience, some of my feelings and passion to sublime music that made me who I am today both, on a stage with my violin and behind the screen.

True music has been always and will be a part of my life.

I think music was around me even before I was born. I had no choice as to convey true music to my daughter, when she was growing.

It is not a surprise there has been no single day without music in my life also. Even now while typing these lines, I am listening to Schubert’s String Quintet, 2^nd movement – Adagio. Would you get curious, you are welcomed to klick here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc3iX7x73JY

This music has ability to put me to such a contemplation that eventually all my body want to speak, such strong expression of mixed feeling it carries on.

How strong we are?

Our life is unimaginable without love, and love has so many shades.

Unfortunately, life holds a portion of pain as well. In my case I keep experiencing both of it in an extended version.  Too much love and too much pain.

Anna

I used to have the only daughter Anna, whom I called Sunshine from year one, so sparkling she was. That daughter was everything for me, and still is, the love I needed, the reasons to live this life.

That was also time I decided to stop playing music and to do something more essential for my life, in my opinion. When you are young you are able to do drastic changes far much easier. It is this naïveté that makes us so happy and so easy going when we are young, but less as we get matured.

Have I ever regret giving up music? – No, I had never regretted in those days. I was too busy with life’s challenges. However, I remember very well, whenever I was at some concert listening to a good orchestra, and good musicians, that energy of music and artists, that I could get connected to, could make me crying. The same affiliation I had for my daughter. Therefore, I probably could not have both, the daughter and playing violin at the same time.

My pain

In 2016 I took the violin in my hands again, after losing my daughter in 2015. She was 22 years old and looking forward to embrace her life.

When we suffer tremendous loss, some other blessings come to us from above to guide us the way forward. In my case it was my partner, who has charged me every day since with his love and energy and who persuaded me to take the violin and to play my love and despair out.

Back to music

Since then the violin and music became my true friends that retrieved me from my deep loss. Since the memories about my daughter lives around me in my life and the only feeling of another happiness or grieve can distract me from the thoughts about her. So strong the connection, the love and the pain has been.  Only now this connection, love and expression are present in my music two times more than it was ever before.

I wish you to be happy and to find the true meaning of existence!

Your Juliya

Dear friends, customers, music lover,

Thank you very much for keeping in touch and selecting our concert and music we play, it means a lot for us.

Unfortunately, the concert of 25 April have to be cancelled as well, as the public events yet not reopened.

We keep planning, and INGUZ-Quartet can only offer you another possible option of a concert in May, and that would be in Leiden. We  can only hope.

Frankly, I have been so fluttered to acknowledge the fact that so many of you are willing to buy tickets and to get together with INGUZ-Qurtet for lunch-concerts. It is so encouraging us, musicians, and we appreciate it a lot.

April, 25th -cancelled!

As the exuse we offer you to watch our latest small video

Leiden, 15th May.

The next planned concert taking place in Leiden, on 15th May. Shortly, tickets will be available and you who are looking for cultural socializing and “food” are welcome to this location.

We will invite you by separate news letter.

I can imagine many of you today feel not secure to get out and have the life we have used to have before the outbreak of CORONA-19, but there also those who are missing cultural life and seeking for the opportunities to go out.

Frankly, I have been so fluttered to acknowledge the fact that so many of you are willing to buy tickets and to get together with INGUZ-Qurtet for lunch-concerts. It is so encouraging us, musicians, and we appreciate it a lot.

Concert, 28th March – cancelled!

But unfortunately the official news are not promising a lot, and we have had to cancel our  concert that been planned on 28th March in Barthkapel, The Hague.

April, 25th

Instead we have arranged an extra day in April, 25th, in Barthkapel. So, it is a great opportunity for you to have a little breath and to indulge yourself with what you deserve.

See more information here 25 April, Barthkapel, The Hague

Book your ticket 25 April , Barthkapel, The Hague

Leiden, 15th May.

The next planned concert taking place in Leiden, on 15th May. Shortly, tickets will be available and you who are looking for cultural socializing and “food” are welcome to this location.

We will invite you by separate news letter.

New Arrival

In the meanwhile INGUZ-Quartet has recorded String Quartet No.8 by D.Shostakovich and Langzame Satz by A.Webern. The record will soon be available on the website to buy.

Would you have any questions I will be happy to hear from you.

Sincerely yours,

Juliya Belyanevich on behalf of INGUZ-Quartet and INGUZ Artists.

2021 We are back!

After winter Corona pandemic lockdown,  INGUZ Artists have returned to their vocation!

We are back to perform our art and to record new albums with even more beautiful chamber music. 

Piano program

Certainly the piano going to take a rival part in the program of INGUZ Artists, which obviously would make our activity more interesting and varied: Piano concerto with String Quartet, Piano Trios, Piano Quartet, Piano Quintet.

L.Beethoven

Program 2021 designed and dedicated partially to Beethoven as the extended year to celebrate his 250th birthday anniversary (2020). 

With this regards, INGUZ Artist agreed to go for: Beethoven’s String Quartet No15, Piano Concerto No1, Piano Trio No5

A.Dvorak

This year Dvorak would celebrate his 180th birthday anniversary. 

Thank to this star and as an extra bonus INGUZ Artists decided to commit to his Piano quintet No2.

We keep exploring and indulging you

INGUZ Artists keep exploring repertoire of hidden and forgotten germs of music: Mahler’s Piano Quartet, Granados’s Piano Quintet..

and indulging you in Slavic passion: Borodin’s String Quartet No2; Glinka’ Piano Trio Pathetique, Arensky’s Piano Trio No1, Gretchaninov’s Piano Trio No1 and String Quartet No2.

See on our concerts. Follow concert agenda and stay happy and healthy in 2021.

What makes Beethoven of who he is?

Beethoven’s String Quartet No10, known also as Harp quartet,  hypnotises and conquers from the very beginning.

String Quartet No 10 as well as the rest of composers’ later matured works is undeniably beautiful, deep in its sonority and typically Beethovens, where he managed in just a few notes to put so much dynamics and sense, that it hypnotises and conquers from the very beginning. And somewhat this String Quartet is concealed and simply overshadowed by three younger and the 5 elder string quartets. Perhaps Beethoven himself did not value this composition that much, because of the sombre memories and because of it was his first string quartet written in 1809 after 6 months of a mental pauza.

Beethoven’s 250^th birthday celebration

On top of that, the way INGUZ Quartet included Beethoven’s String Quartet No10 to the program is also purely mysterious. As a matter of fact it became fist Beethoven String quartet in the repertoire of INGUZ-Quartet, it was warmed received by audience and it was offered to Audience in the year of Beethoven’s 250^th birthday celebration as a tribute to art of genius.

The composition has been recorded during December 2020 at the WestVest church in the Netherlands using a Blumlein microphone setting using 2 AKG C 414 XLII microphones and an array of Neumann KM184 microphones at 4-meter height to record the tonal characteristics of the church.

Juliya Belyanevich en Ephraim van IJzerlooij spelen een gevarieerd programma van Bach tot hedendaagse muziek.

Programma

Maurice Ravel, een Franse componist, schreef zijn sonate voor viool en cello ter nagedachtenis van Claude Debussy. Na diens dood in 1918 zocht hij nieuwe oriëntatie en versobering van zijn stijl. De keus voor de bezetting van slechts twee strijkinstrumenten getuigt al van reductie en versobering. Hij beschouwde dit werk als een keerpunt in zijn artistieke bestaan.

Arthur Honegger was een Zwitserse componist en scheef zijn duo voor viool & cello in 1932. Hij was de componist die worstelde met brutale diatonische tonen van de nieuwe-eeuw trend en bekend stond als een maestro in het balanceren van de prachtige elegantie en stijl. Zijn Duo is minder zwaar dan Ravels Sonate, maar boeit door een goede balans tussen lirische en unisono uitspraken, afgewisseld met meer dramatische en duivelse secties. Honegger bagatelliseerde de naam van deze compositie en noemde het Sonatine vanwege zijn overtuiging dat de muziek filosofische diepgang ontbeerde.

Eva Mees-Christeller studeerde compositie in Parijs bij de beroemde componist  Arthur Honegger. Zij schreven beiden een sonatine voor viool en cello.

Ephraim van IJzerlooij begon naast het cellospelen op zijn twaalfde ook met componeren. Hij schreef o.a. 7 Planetenzuilen voor cello solo en Pieces Classique voor viool en cello.

Inguz Quartet in November 2020 going into another journey of Slavic music extravaganza.

Nevertheless, the composition has endless swirl of harmony and colours, so philosophical and emotional, so romantic and yes, purely Russian, String Quartet Nr.1 is overshadowed by its step later String Quartet Nr.2

When Borodin began sketching out his 1^st String Quartet in 1873, he wanted to produce something identifiably Russian rather then follow German traditions slavishly. However, still the composition takes a predominantly Classical (yes, German) form: 4 movements with Andante and Scherzo in the middle.

This time it has been planned a program with Borodin String Quartet Nr.1 – Slavic composition very little known in the Netherlands. Perhaps because it is more complex with density of ideas and the extensive use of counterpoint.

Borodin produced Russia’s first great piece of chamber music.