February 22 Programme

alexey steele presents

CLASSICAL UNDERGROUND
February 22, 2010
Where ARTS meet series

J.S. Bach. Brandenburg Concerto No. 3
i Allegro
ii Adagio
iii Allegro
Yuliya Barsky - piano

Mikael Oganesyan - piano

F. Schubert
Liebesbotschaft

Du Bist Die Ruh

Nachtstuck
Sam McElroy - baritone

Anastasia Nemirovich-Danchenko - piano

P. Vladigerov. Chant
Bulgarian Rhapsody Vardar
Moni Simeonov -violin

Pepi Pilibossian - piano

R. Schumann - From Symphonic Etudes op.13
Theme
The Five posthumous Variations
Finale

Eduardo Delgado - piano

INTERMISSION

Inaugurating CU Poetry Showcase
John Tottenham reading from The Inertia Variations

M. Ravel / M. Oganesyan - La Valse
Mikael Oganesyan - piano

P. Schoenfield - Cafe Music
i. Allegro con fuoco
ii. Andante moderato
iii. Presto
Yana Reznik - piano
Indira Rachmatulla - cello
Nigel Armstrong - violin

*****
CLASSICAL UNDERGROUND SHOWCASE
focusing on a classical art form of serious contemporary representational art

CU Painters: Jeremy Lipking, Tony Pro, Ignat Ignatov, Christopher Pugliese (finding refuge with us from the freeze of New York), Joseph Todorovitch (his debut with CU) and myself - will paint live one of our favorite CU musicians, Yana Reznik. The final stretch of this live session will overlap by about an hour with the time of your arrival till the beginning of the program, so you will have a rare glimpse at how painting is being done and how each one of us will catch our sense of Yana.

Feb 22 is sold out

Dear friends,

Thank you all for your reservations! We are sold out!

February 22 event invitation

Dear Friends,

As we travel together on the journey which is Classical Underground, there is one central thing that we believe makes it such a unique sensation - a rare intimate connection between different forms of classical expression. As each over-compartmentalized field of ART is going through some major transformation recently, together in a deeply interconnected state, the ARTS are truly the heart and soul of our times that pack some indispensable power. With this in mind, we think our next event will open a new territory in this enchanted land.

The fierce contingent of CU painters – Jeremy Lipking, Tony Pro, Christopher Pugliese (finding refuge with us from the freeze of New York), Joseph Todorovitch (his debut with CU) and myself - will paint live one of our favorite CU musicians, Yana Reznik. The final stretch of this live session will overlap by about an hour with the time of your arrival till the beginning of the program, so you will have a rare glimpse at how painting is being done and how each one of us will catch our sense of Yana.

clockwise: Tony Pro, Jeremy Lipking, Alexey Steele en plein air

If that was not enough, we are finally adding a dimension to CU we long hoped for – in a spirit of comrades- in-arms we are joining cultural forces with our great new friends at Forth Magazine to inaugurate our first poetic showcase! We are honored and pleased to have John Tottenham as part of our program, just wait till you hear his reading!

Of course, the mother lode of musical talent awaits us with Nigel Armstrong, Yuliya Barsky, Eduardo Delgado, Sam McElroy, Mikael Oganesyan, Pepi Pilibossian, Indira Rachmatulla, Yana Reznik, Moni Simeonov performing. Celebrate with us as always the undying, indestructible and unsuppressible spirit of ART!

As always to RSVP please use the Paypal button below - chairs are first-come first-served - and please do not forget about the potluck! The doors open at 7 p.m. to catch the live painting session before the music starts at 8 p.m.

We are sold out.

LA's progressive literary magazine puts Classical Underground in a spotlight

WE HIT THE NEWS AGAIN!
We are in January / February issue of Forth Magazine

LA's progressive literary magazine puts Classical Underground in a spotlight

Didn't we always say that the ARTS should all stand for what they are together? Classical Underground is the place WHERE ARTS MEET. Click here to read and watch Alexey's interview about the concepts behind Classical Underground as well as what ART means for him personally.

Forth Magazine * jan feb 2010

Some experts from the article:

"...even though Classical Underground started as a deceptively casual affair, it is a serious part of Alexey's vision for the future of art..."

"It makes sense that Alexey has chosen giant canvases and huge ideas that refuse containment and control."

"At a CU performance, musicians are made to feel free to try new variations, new arrangements, even new compositions, and each month is a completely different experience..."

"Alexey is thrilled that his underground can offer people more than the joy of a finished product - the thrill of process and experiment...the audience is drawn by nothing other than the hunger for the experience."

"It is underground because we are not supposed to exist," he explains. "Things in our capitalist society have to have a commercial function, and we do not. We have no purpose to exist, and it's liberating."

"Alexey sees CU as a building block, a brick in a new artistic legacy being constructed out of the remnants of Modernism and post-Modernism."

"Since we've collectively deconstructed everything to the point that nothing exists, we can reassemble in any way we want, in any way we NEED really, not as a point of habit, but as a point of NEED. That's Classical Underground."

"...trying to contain a giant in three pages of words is a loosing battle, as futile as trying to do justice to that laugh..."

****
Classical Underground expresses its deep appreciation to Sofyia Goldshteyn for such an insightful and elegantly articulated piece.

After concert notes

How fortunate we all were last night as it was certainly absolutely unforgettable benchmark for our Classical Underground. The intimacy of live music-making between Boris Andrianov, Liza Andrianov, Roberto Cani, Yana Reznik …you simply had to be there to know, as it was purely experiential.

Boris Andrianov proves once again – “Classical” can rock you and shake you to the depths of your foundation…that’s what the real ART does and ART can only be HIGH. - Alexey




Was amazing! Thank you for bringing together such great talents. I adore music and have not seen a live performance in a while, what a rush of sensations.
See you next time. - Anahita

A TOTALLY AWESOME CU ALEXEY !!! MANY, MANY, MANY THANKS ALWAYS ...! - Kirk

Indeed an incredible performance...!!! A concert to be remembered!!! - Ignat



That was the most amazing night... - Christina

Dear Alexey and Olga,
The evening with Boris Andrianov and Friends was spectacular. He is an astonishing virtuoso, and everyone played impeccably. The Shostakovich trio was heartbreaking—a reminder of a terrible time for his (and your) country.

Thank you for all you do to keep the true spirit of music and art alive in LA. Affectionately, - Judith

For more photographs from the event please go to Picasa - courtesy of Michael Herf and Alexey Steele.

December 3 Programme

alexey steele presents
CLASSICAL UNDERGROUND
December 3, 2009
Friends in Town Series

P.Tchaikovsky Nocturne

M.de Falla Suite populaire Espagnole
El Pano Moruno
Nana
Cancion
Polo
Asturiana
Jota

M.Bruch Kol Nidrei

G.Sollima Alone (cello solo)

S.Rachmaninov 3 romances
V molchanii nochi tainoi
Kak mne bolno
Vesennie vodi

G.Sollima Lamentatio

N.Paganini Variations on One string on a theme by Rossini's opera Mose in Egitto

D.Shostakovitch Trio N.2 e minor in 4 movements


Performed by:

Boris Andrianov (cello)
Elizavetta Andrianov (piano)
Roberto Cani (violin)
Yana Reznik (piano)


CLASSICAL UNDERGROUND SHOWCASE
focusing on a classical art form of
serious contemporary representational art

MEXICO - THE LAND OF MYTH

previewing works of CU painters
IGNAT IGNATOV, JEREMY LIPKING
and ALEXEY STEELE
from a recent Mexico trip

We just came from the most incredible painting excursion alone with our east coast compadres to San Miguel de Allende and we decided to share with you some of the material we brought back. It was a remarkable trip of artistic camaraderie and inspiration, excitement and all-out nutty fun, of discoveries and stimulating exchanges - all fueling our very own joint cultural insurgency in the name of ART.

Ignat Ignatov, Street Corner 12" X 9"


Jeremy Lipking "Doll seller" 8" X 6" oil



Alexey Steele "Shoeshiner. San Miguel Jay" 65" X 26"

It was an extraordinary trip... It was absolutely enormous experience...it shook me to the ground depths... What true to the core, solid and grounded characters...still somehow untouched by the all-avergizing militant consumerism of "empty can" worshipers... I saw enormous in their raw, authentic strength and unpolished beauty themes and images...

Everything that ART as TRUTH is all about - lays bare right there...south of our border...

Mexico...what a mythic land of so real people and so true characters...humble without subservience, proud without arrogance...how much we've lost in a name of "consumer"

Viva Revolucion de Arte!!!

Alexey

Rex and Classical Underground on ABC Eyewitness News

by Adrienne Alpert, KABC

MALIBU, Calif. (KABC) -- Thanks to music, a teen with severe disabilities discovered an extraordinary talent. And with it, what could have been a very limited life has enlightened thousands.

Cathleen Lewis was told her son might never walk or talk. Rex was born blind and mentally impaired 14 years ago. He developed autistic symptoms. But at age 2, he was given a piano.

Rex cannot read music. He can play exactly what he hears. He is one of the world's very few musical savants. Rex learned all of "Rhapsody in Blue" in five hours. He has music teachers and hours of practice, and his technique, his improvisation, are growing more sophisticated every day.

Rex performed at Classical Underground earlier this month, a progressive venue. He and his mother travel frequently for his performances. She speaks, delivering a message of inspiration.

"Rex is my greatest teacher. He's taught me to stop just chasing after 'things,'" said Cathleen.

Cathleen walked away from a career in finance and now teaches visually impaired children when she and Rex aren't on the road.

"He gets such joy when he plays for people. You should see his face. It's like plugging him into an electrical socket. He lights up like he's been given a shot of adrenaline," said Cathleen.

And while audiences are clearly moved by this boy whose world revolves around music, Cathleen has written a book describing her life with Rex and the music that transformed them.

"There's no giving up, I'm on a fascinating ride. It's not just not giving up. It's 'enjoy the ride,'" said Cathleen.

Rex doesn't carry on a conversation, but he has opinions. When asked whose music he likes best, he answers, "Mine."

He goes to public high school where he receives special education. And just recently, a breakthrough.

"Out of the blue, last year, he had his hand on a page of Braille, and all of a sudden, he was reading Braille. Six years later," said Cathleen.

With his heightened sensitivity, Rex couldn't touch Braille, until now. And he is broadening his musical abilities by learning how to sing.

Music opened Rex's curiosity about the world. There is no telling where it might take him.

(Copyright ©2010 KABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)