Cellos

Rabbani Aldangor

In the orchestra since 2018

Rabbani Aldangor combines his work at the musicAeterna orchestra with his Master’s studies at the Amsterdam Conservatory under renowned cellist Pieter Wispelwey. He is an active touring musician and a laureate of numerous international competitions, such as the Almaty International music competition (Grand Prix), the J. Brahms International competition, and the S. Knushevitsky International cello competition.

Rabbani was born in 1993 in Karaganda, Kazakhstan. He is a graduate of the Moscow State Conservatory, where he had studied under prof. A.N. Seleznyov — the same professor under whom Rabbani later completed his assistantship in 2018. In 2016–2018, he also studied chamber ensemble playing under A.I. Rudin.

As a soloist, Rabbani Aldangor has performed with the “Moskovia” chamber orchestra, the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra conducted by Pavel Kogan, the Karaganda Philharmonic orchestra, the Saratov Philharmonic academic symphony orchestra, and Russian String Orchestra. In 2014–2017, he was the second concertmaster of cellos at the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra conducted by Pavel Kogan; in the 2017–2018 season, he was the acting first concertmaster at the same orchestra.

As a guest performer, Rabbani Aldangor has worked with the “Hermitage” soloist ensemble, Persimfans, Russian National Philharmonic Orchestra, and Russian String Orchestra. He has frequently performed chamber music as part of soloist ensembles at the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra. He has participated in master classes by such renowned cellists and professors as Natalia Shakhovskaya, David Geringas, Jens-Peter Maintz, Alexander Rudin, and Pieter Wispelwey.

IN A PARALLEL UNIVERSE, WHICH INSTRUMENT WOULD YOU CHOOSE INSTEAD OF THE CELLO?

In a parallel reality, I would choose an entire orchestra or a violin as an instrument. I have always admired the great violinists: Paganini, Ysaÿe, Wieniawski, and the violinists of the 20th century. Lately I've been listening to recordings that seem brilliant to me, and I'm trying to imagine the feelings of the performers in these moments, to feel the magic of these takes. I feel the same in musicAeterna: we know how to reach such heights of perfection, we are doing it, and feel it when we really succeed. I also admire electronic music. I think that in music and visual art, human fantasy has gone the furthest, and in these areas we are already far ahead of the real, tangible world.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE WORKS IN THE CELLO REPERTOIRE?

There are plenty: mostly baroque and romantic compositions, which are perfectly mixed with the music of the 20th century and contemporary music. I fall in love with every piece I work on. At a certain period of my life, something inside and around me tells me what needs to be recorded right now, what needs to be performed. It happens that you don't want to hear and play a piece, and then you fall in love again. Now I really want to revise the cello sonatas of Grieg, Beethoven and Strauss, to learn Bloch's "Shlomo". Last year there were a lot of ideas about Gabrielli's Ricercari and Caprices by Dall’Abaco, the year before that — about the music of Sollima and Chopin. I dream of performing and recording almost the entire cello repertoire. There are plenty of ideas with my own unusual "know-how" — I hope one day I'll manage to bring them all to life.

WHICH LOCATIONS IN ST. PETERSBURG AND OTHER CITIES DO YOU LIKE THE MOST?

There are places in different cities that stuck in my memory, which have their own special energy. In Moscow those would be Krasnaya Presnya Park, Tverskaya Street and White Square. In St. Petersburg, those would be Yelagin Island and the 300th Anniversary Park – everything that is north of Nevsky Prospekt. There are favourite places in Arnhem, where I lived for a while, Baden-Baden, Amsterdam. In Astana, this is a slope overlooking the river near the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation.

WHAT IS THE PERFECT WAY TO REST FOR YOU?

For me, the perfect way to rest is to sleep, to commune with nature, and to spend time with the loved ones. Sometimes I do spiritual practices.

musicAeterna orchestra events

April 25, 19:00

Tashkent | Palace of International Forums «Uzbekistan»

Tchaikovsky: Francesca da Rimini, Capriccio Italien, Romeo and Juliet

Symphony concert

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April 27, 20:00

Dubai | Dubai Opera

Tchaikovsky: Francesca da Rimini, Capriccio Italien, Romeo and Juliet

Symphony concert

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April 28, 20:00

Dubai | Dubai Opera

Richard Wagner: Ouvertures

Symphony concert

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May 26, 20:00

St. Petersburg | State Academic Capella

Dvořák: Alexander Sladkovsky and musicAeterna

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June 1, 21:00

St. Petersburg | Hermitage Museum

The musicAeterna Orchestra and Choir. Ars Vivendi

Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683–1764)
The thunderstorm scene from Act II of the opera-ballet Platée ou Junon jalouse (1745)
Act IV, Scene 4: Entry of the muse Polyhymnia from the lyrical tragedy Abaris ou les Boreades (1763)
Tambourines I, II from the prologue to the lyrical tragedy Dardanus (1739)

Antonio Lotti (1667–1740)
Crucifixus a 8 voci from Credo in F Major (before 1717)

Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741)
Concerto for Cello and Strings in C Minor, RV 401 (late 1720s)

Allegro non molto
Adagio
Allegro ma non molto

The soloist Rabbani Aldangor

George Frideric Handel (1685–1759)
Ombra mai fu (There was never a shadow), aria of Xerxes from Act I of the opera Xerxes, HWV 40 (1738)
The soloist Andrey Nemzer, countertenor
Furie terribili! (Terrible Furies!), aria of Armida from Act I of the opera Rinaldo, HWV 7a (1711/1731)
The soloist Elizaveta Sveshnikova, soprano
Piangerò la sorte mia (I will mourn my fate), aria of Cleopatra from Act III of the opera Julius Caesar, HWV 17, (1724)
The soloist Elizaveta Sveshnikova, soprano
Venti, turbini (Winds, whirlwinds), aria of Rinaldo from Act I of the opera Rinaldo, HWV 7a (1711/1731)
The soloist Andrey Nemzer, countertenor

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
Komm, Jesu, komm (Come, Jesus, come), motet for double choir in G minor, BWV 229 (before 1731–1732)
Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden (Praise the Lord, all ye nations), motet for four-voice choir, dubbing instruments and basso continuo in C major, BWV 230 (n.d.)
Erbarme dich, mein Gott (Have mercy, my God), aria of the alto No. 39 (47) from the sacred oratorio St Matthew Passion, BWV 244 (1727–1729/1736)
Soloists:
Andrey Nemzer, countertenor
Vladislav Pesin, violin

George Frideric Handel
Lascia la spina, cogli la rosa (Leave the thorn, pluck the rose), aria of Pleasure from Act II of the oratorio The Triumph of Time and Disillusion, HWV 46a (1707)
Soloists:
Elizaveta Sveshnikova, soprano
Andrey Nemzer, countertenor

Jean-Philippe Rameau
Les Sauvages/Forêts paisibles (The Savages/Peaceful Forests) from Act IV of the opera-ballet The Gallant Indies, (1725/1736)

Duration: 60 minutes