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The mixture of classical and jazz styles is at the heart of the 2024 edition of Les Printemps Slaves, an annual festival founded by pianists Irina Krasnyanskaya and Jean-Fabien Schneider. Jazz had a great influence on classical musicians throughout the 20th century, explains Krasnyanskaya. “These musical genres are often considered opposite, but I find them very similar,” she says.
The festival’s original name, Les Saisons Russes, was changed in 2023 to fulfil their mission, and represent all Slavic cultures. “Spring represents rebirth, optimism—the start of something completely different, which has been very stimulating,” says the co-founder. Spring has carried great significance dating back to the pagan origins of the Slavic people, popularized by Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring.
The richness of Slavic cultures is displayed via Les Printemps Slaves’s programming, which includes enhanced film screenings, poetry reading, conferences, and art exhibitions. “We maintain a multidisciplinary perspective, and are open to (programming) all artistic disciplines. We really touch on many aspects of our cultures,” says Krasnyanskaya.
The 2024 season of Les Printemps Slaves kicks off on May 7 with a gala concert at the Maison de la culture Notre-Dame-de-Grâce featuring pianists Anna Khmara, Tristan Longval-Gagné and Irina Krasnyanskaya, violinist Pavlo Khmara, soprano Ella Wilhelm, and guitarist Christ Habib. The second event will consist of a screening of Alexander Dovzhenko’s silent film, Earth—a masterpiece of Soviet cinema which depicts the beginning of collectivization in the USSR—accompanied by live music by pianist Ilya Poletaev (May 15).
On May 25, the New Generation Orchestra and pianist Matt Herskowitz will present Around Chopin, a combination of Chopin’s original music and Herskowitz’s jazz improvisations, at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal (CMM). Formed by pianists Krasnyanskaya and Schneider, the Montreal Piano Duo will present transcriptions of jazz-inspired works by Dmitri Shostakovich, Alexander Tsfasman and Igor Tsygankov on May 28, at the CMM’s concert hall.
The festival’s closing concert will take place on June 1 at the CMM’s concert hall. Violinist Olivier Thouin, clarinetist André Moisan, and pianist Jean Saulnier will perform Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat. Saulnier will also play Études by Nikolai Kapustin, a Ukrainian composer whose work is influenced by the sounds of jazz music and the music of Eastern Europe.
Krasnyanskaya emphasizes the bond created between performers and the attending public, brought together by Les Printemps Slaves. Friendships are built around gastronomy: “During the traditional reception held after the opening gala, we introduce Slavic cuisines with small bites. This allows for wonderful interactions between our artists and our audience,” she says.
Les Printemps Slaves will run from May 7 to June 1 in venues across Montreal. More information on the festival’s mission, this year’s performers, and specific events can be found on the website.
www.printempsslaves.ca
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