Little Tragedies
Encyclopedia
Little Tragedies are a Russian language
progressive rock
, art-rock and symphonic rock
band from Russia
. Arguably the most important Russia
n progressive rock
band.
and heavy art-rock. The music of Little Tragedies is very melodic and always features a keyboard solo with an improvisation accent.
.
The group's first recording, 1, was never recorded as an album. It exists only on an amateur videotape made from the group's only concert at that moment.
Since 1995 the band was a trio: Gennady Ilyin - keyboards; Yuri Skripkin - drums; Oleg Babynin - bass. With such a line-up the group played till 2000.
After visiting Paris, Gennady Ilyin started working on the Paris Symphony. Although this album was recorded in a professional studio in Moscow and was more than once performed by the group in music schools and concert halls, it remained unrecognized until 2008 when the French
label Musea Records surprisingly released it.
1997 - the beginning of 1998. It took G. Ilyin a month to compose a fairytale ballet "Magic Shop" about a little girl's Christmas adventures. He practiced it with the band and it was performed on the stage only two and a half years later.
In the year 2000, the band released its first two albums, The Sun of Spirit and Porcelain Pavilion, on the record label Boheme Music. The albums were recorded in 1998–1999, with the additional musicians Igor Mihel (Guitar) and Yevgeniy Shukin (Audio engineering).
In summer 2000, Alexander Malakhovsky (guitar) and Aleksey Bildin (saxophone) joined the trio. With the new line-up, in 2001 the group created the last album of the trilogy to the poems of N. Gumilev, Return (the first were The Sun of Spirit and Porcelain Pavilion). The album was first released by the French
label Musea Records. At the same time the band signed with the record label MALS, the biggest progressive
music label in Russia
, and the album also became available for the Russia
n public.
In 2003 the band released their fourth album, New Faust, a double concept album
which was written back in 1997–98. In this album Faust
is not only the character of a national drama who is conflicting with the society, but he is also a man of the universe seeking ways to clean his soul and acquire a spirit.
In 2006 the band released a fifth album, The Sixth Sense. In the same year the band opened the second day of the InProg
2006 festival.
In 2007 the band released the first and later the second part of their sixth album based on Russian
translations to Chinese poetry
, Chinese Songs, with the main theme of the album being the relationship between man and nature.
In 2008 the band released Cross, which was recorded in August 2007.
In 2009 the French
label Musea Records will release the Paris Symphony, an unreleased album recorded by the band in 1997 when it featured only three members.
In August 2008 the band recorded an instrumental Christmas album called The Magic Shop, which was released on November 2009 as a free download on the band's web-site as a Christmas gift for the fans. At the same year the band's record-label MALS re-released The Sun of Spirit and Porcelain Pavilion, with bonus-tracks.
In 2009 the band finished recording a new album, called Obsessed. The album is due to be released in 2010.
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
, art-rock and symphonic rock
Symphonic rock
Symphonic rock is a sub-genre of progressive rock. Since early in progressive rock's history, the term has been used sometimes to distinguish more classically influenced progressive rock from the more psychedelic and experimental forms of progressive rock....
band from Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. Arguably the most important Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band.
Style
The band described its style as "a battery of keyboards - drums - bass; hard rhythm section support and soloing keyboards". Little Tragedies has their very own style, influenced by classical musicClassical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
and heavy art-rock. The music of Little Tragedies is very melodic and always features a keyboard solo with an improvisation accent.
History
"Little Tragedies" were founded in 1994 by the graduate of St. Petersburg Conservatory, composer Gennady Ilyin, in the city of KurskKursk
Kursk is a city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur, Tuskar, and Seym Rivers. The area around Kursk was site of a turning point in the Russian-German struggle during World War II and the site of the largest tank battle in history...
.
The group's first recording, 1, was never recorded as an album. It exists only on an amateur videotape made from the group's only concert at that moment.
Since 1995 the band was a trio: Gennady Ilyin - keyboards; Yuri Skripkin - drums; Oleg Babynin - bass. With such a line-up the group played till 2000.
After visiting Paris, Gennady Ilyin started working on the Paris Symphony. Although this album was recorded in a professional studio in Moscow and was more than once performed by the group in music schools and concert halls, it remained unrecognized until 2008 when the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
label Musea Records surprisingly released it.
1997 - the beginning of 1998. It took G. Ilyin a month to compose a fairytale ballet "Magic Shop" about a little girl's Christmas adventures. He practiced it with the band and it was performed on the stage only two and a half years later.
In the year 2000, the band released its first two albums, The Sun of Spirit and Porcelain Pavilion, on the record label Boheme Music. The albums were recorded in 1998–1999, with the additional musicians Igor Mihel (Guitar) and Yevgeniy Shukin (Audio engineering).
In summer 2000, Alexander Malakhovsky (guitar) and Aleksey Bildin (saxophone) joined the trio. With the new line-up, in 2001 the group created the last album of the trilogy to the poems of N. Gumilev, Return (the first were The Sun of Spirit and Porcelain Pavilion). The album was first released by the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
label Musea Records. At the same time the band signed with the record label MALS, the biggest progressive
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
music label in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, and the album also became available for the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n public.
In 2003 the band released their fourth album, New Faust, a double concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
which was written back in 1997–98. In this album Faust
Faust
Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend; a highly successful scholar, but also dissatisfied with his life, and so makes a deal with the devil, exchanging his soul for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. Faust's tale is the basis for many literary, artistic, cinematic, and musical...
is not only the character of a national drama who is conflicting with the society, but he is also a man of the universe seeking ways to clean his soul and acquire a spirit.
In 2006 the band released a fifth album, The Sixth Sense. In the same year the band opened the second day of the InProg
InProg
InProg is an international progressive rock festival held almost yearly since 2001 in Moscow, Russia.The festival was organised by the Russian Rock-magazine InRock....
2006 festival.
In 2007 the band released the first and later the second part of their sixth album based on Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
translations to Chinese poetry
Chinese poetry
Chinese poetry is poetry written, spoken, or chanted in the Chinese language, which includes various versions of Chinese language, including Classical Chinese, Standard Chinese, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, Yue Chinese, as well as many other historical and vernacular varieties of the Chinese language...
, Chinese Songs, with the main theme of the album being the relationship between man and nature.
In 2008 the band released Cross, which was recorded in August 2007.
In 2009 the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
label Musea Records will release the Paris Symphony, an unreleased album recorded by the band in 1997 when it featured only three members.
In August 2008 the band recorded an instrumental Christmas album called The Magic Shop, which was released on November 2009 as a free download on the band's web-site as a Christmas gift for the fans. At the same year the band's record-label MALS re-released The Sun of Spirit and Porcelain Pavilion, with bonus-tracks.
In 2009 the band finished recording a new album, called Obsessed. The album is due to be released in 2010.
Discography
- The Sun of Spirit (2000, Boheme Music)(2009, re-release, MALS)
- Porcelain Pavilion (2000, Boheme Music)(2009, re-release, MALS)
- Return (2005, Musea Records)(2006, MALS)
- New Faust (2006, MALS. Double Album)
- The Sixth Sense (2006, MALS)
- Chinese Songs (2007, MALS. Double Album)
- Cross (2008, MALS)
- Paris Symphony (2009, Musea Records)
- The Magic Shop (2009, released as a free download on the internet)
- Obsessed (2010, MALS. To Be Released)
Trivia
- The name Little Tragedies is taken from a title of a book by Alexander Pushkin.
- The concept albumConcept albumIn music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
New Faust, which was released in the year 2006, was written already back in 1997-8. - In 1988 Gennady Ilyin tried to form a band named Paradox, but that did not work-out.
- Since 1994 Gennadiy Ilyin lives in GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and comes to Russia a few times a year for rehearsals and recording sessions.
External links
- The band's official web-site
- The history of the band on their official web-site
- About the band in the Prog Archives
- An English-language interview from an Italian web-site
- English translations to the lyrics of the band
- An interview with the leader of the band on another web-site (Russian)
- History of the band on another web-site (Russian)
- An article about main Russian Progressive rock and Art-rock bands where Little Tragedies are mentioned (Russian)