Irina Kulikova - La Forêt ~ Drie Rivieren

World premiere recording by award-winning guitarist Irina Kulikova of “La Forêt ~ Drie Rivieren” (The Forest ~ Three Rivers), 2 suites for classical guitar, by composer Mark Van Overmeire.

2 suites for classical guitar
Recorded by world famous guitarist Irina Kulikova.
Produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Norbert Kraft.

AVAILABLE ON

TRACKS

1. La Forêt 1. Sous les arbres (Under the trees)
2. La Forêt 2. Le cri et bruit des animaux (The calls and sounds of animals)
3. La Forêt 3. Courant de cascade (Waterfall stream)
4. La Forêt 4. Le son du vent et des feuilles (The sound of wind and leaves)
5. La Forêt 5. Les oiseaux chantent tôt le matin (Birds sing early in the morning)
6. La Forêt 6. Les belles couleurs de l'automne (The beautiful colors of autumn)
7. Drie Rivieren 1. Kronkelend door de jungle (Winding through the jungle)
8. Drie Rivieren 2. Langs de Vallei der Koningen (Passing by the Valley of the Kings)
9. Drie Rivieren 3. Doorheen de lichtstad (Through the city of light)

Irina Kulikova
guitar

All music composed by Mark Van Overmeire

LINER NOTES

It is my great pleasure to introduce to you the world premiere recording of 2 suites for classical guitar, “La Forêt“ (The Forest) and “Drie Rivieren“ (Three Rivers), interpreted on this recording by the wonderful Irina Kulikova.

The common theme of the 2 suites is nature, the inspiration both nostalgic, conjuring up experiences of the past; and onward looking, with many questions lingering in my mind about the challenges we face to protect nature in the coming years.

“La Forêt“ (The Forest) takes me back to childhood memories. In the neighborhood where I lived as a young child. there were some woods. I must have been around 10 years old. One day when strolling by myself in the woods I discovered a tree cabin high up a tree. I could not resist and climbed my way up to the tree cabin. It was magical. I sat down and had an amazing view and felt that the world belonged to me. That memory and the way I felt that day has stayed with me.

The six movements of “La Forêt“ (The Forest) take you on an outing in the great outdoors, a beautiful forest with all its mysteries and secrets for you to discover at your own leisure. Under the trees, you hear the calls and sounds of animals; the sound of wind and leaves keep you company while you follow a picturesque stream and take in the forest in all its beauty.

“Drie Rivieren“ (Three Rivers) is an homage to three ancient and iconic rivers that have witnessed life since the beginning of time.

The suite starts with “Kronkelend door de jungle” (Winding through the jungle) which is an ode to the Amazon river (Brazil). A river boat winds slowly through the rainforest. Colorful birds fill the sky singing beautiful melodies. The sun is setting.

This is followed by a more royal experience with “Langs de Vallei der Koningen” (Passing by the Valley of the Kings). Here we are traveling back in time on The Nile (Egypt) where we are witnessing, from some distance, a ceremony of the pharaohs, the coronation of the "gold king" Tutankhamun perhaps.

We end our journey in Paris (France) on the Seine. The lights have just come on in the city; we see the Eiffel Tower in the distance; music reaches our ears from the many cafe’s and we enjoy a romantic evening out with our loved one. It’s a night that we will cherish forever.

Mark Van Overmeire composer
February 2021

REVIEWS

Fanfare Archive - Colin Clarke (April 2021)

VAN OVERMEIRE La Forêt. Drie Rivieren • Irina Kulikova (gtr) • KRAMUSICA 003 (40:40)

Winner of the 2008 “Alhambra” International Guitar Competition, Russian guitarist Irina Kulikova has been featured in a number of releases, including a fascinating program on Naxos as a result of that win of Bach (Cello Suite No. 1, arranged for guitar by Kulikova herself), Sor (the Fantasy, op. 7), Castelnuovo-Tedesco (Sonata, op. 77, “Ommaggio a Boccherini”), Gallardo Del Rey (California Suite) and Tárrega; there is also a second Naxos Laureate disc (after winning the Michele Pittaluga competition, also in 2008). Her actual debut album was released in 2005 on Naxos. In 2014 Naxos released her fourth album, Reminiscences of Russia, featuring music by Konstantin Vassiliev, Sergei Rudnev, and Victor Kozlov. Most recently, in 2020, she released the album It’s About the Touch.

On those previous releases, Kulikova exhibited a rare intelligence and sensitivity. Her own transcription of the Bach C-Major Cello Suite, BWV 1007, for solo guitar is absolutely magical, while she offers a real sense of stylistic awareness in Sor’s op. 7 Fantasy without quite eclipsing memories of Sor expert Lou Marinoff (Phoenix: see my interview in Fanfare 40:1). Kulikova’s stylistic range does indeed seem to be notably broad: Her performance of Leo Brouwer’s Variations sur un thème de Django Reinhardt on the 2008 Laureate Naxos disc (the Pittaluga win) is both utterly beautiful and possessed of a real grasp of Brouwer’s sophisticated processes.

Born in Chelyabinsk, Russia, Irina Kulikova is something of a Wunderkind. She was touring Russia by the age of 12. She studied at the Salzburg Mozarteum University and the Gnessin Academy, Moscow, plus the University of Maastricht; she has been based in the Netherlands since 2007, and has won First Prize in six major competitions.

On the current album, Kulikova plays music by the Belgian composer Mark Van Overmeire (who currently resides in Las Vegas). Van Overmeire studied guitar, percussion, and classical harmony in his home town Bruges and jazz harmony at the University of Ghent. Here we have world premiere recordings of his two highly atmospheric and refined guitar suites. The first, La Forêt, begins with a gentle evocation of the scene with “Sous les arbres” (Underneath the trees) before populating the forest with creatures in the charming “Le cri et bruit des animaux” (The calls and sounds of the animals). Kulikova’s delicacy and sensitivity is a thing of beauty in itself, as is her awareness of the power of carefully considered articulation. The intimate recording supports the gentle aura of the music; the idea of a “waterfall cascade” (“Courant de cascade,” the third movement) is purpose-built for the guitar, of course, and indeed sings sweetly here under Kulikova’s fingers; a more Impressionistic breeze wafts through “Le son du vent et des feuilles” (The sound of wind and leaves), while birds sing cheerfully in dotted rhythms in “Les oiseaux chantent tôt le matin” (Birds sing early in the morning). The more reflective “Les belles couleurs de l’automne” (The beautiful colors of fall) brings this nicely balanced suite to a thoughtful close.

The neighboring Suite consists of three (longer) movements: in Dutch, it is entitled Drie Rivieren (it means what you think it does, Three Rivers). The title, and the individual movement titles, are all given in Dutch this time. The first, which translates as “Winding through the jungle,” is certainly (presumably deliberately, given the title) circuitous in its thought-processes. Kulikova sustains the argument well, as she does in “Passing by the Valley of the Kings” with its beautiful, held-breath silences, absolutely a vital part of the music itself. The final “Through the city of light” (I assume that’s referring to Paris, and the river is the Seine) has a most jaunty gait—yes, somewhat Gallic in demeanor, and certainly carefree, even if the ending feels just a touch sudden.

One wonders if Kulikova herself has a resonance with Nature; after all, she chose Konstantin Vassiliev’s Three Forest Paintings on her Reminiscences of Russia Naxos disc, and they are not a million miles away from the atmospherics of the present recording. Given her Naxos presence, it is quite a surprise that this is the first listing Kulikova will enjoy in the Fanfare Archive; but I, for one, would enjoy hearing more of her. Perhaps she could fill some of the gaps in the Sor discography? Just a thought.

This is a disc of well-constructed music that introduces a major guitarist; the recordings (Florida for La Forêt, Belgium for Drie Rivieren) are equally excellent.

CREDITS

"La Forêt" (The Forest) recorded by Grammy Award-winning producer Norbert Kraft on December 11, 2019, at the Fellowship Church of Englewood, Florida, USA.

"Drie Rivieren" (Three Rivers) recorded by Patrick Lemmens on October 9, 2020, at Galaxy Studios, Mol, Belgium.

Cover Photo; iStockPhoto.com/drnadig
Booklet Photo: Shutterstock.com/g/tarras
Photo Irina Kulikova by Yana Feldman
Photos at Galaxy Studios by Wouter Fellendans
CD Package and Booklet Design by Mark Van Overmeire

Irina Kulikova plays a 2019 Simon Marty spruce guitar on “La Forêt” and a 2007 Simon Marty cedar guitar on “Drie Rivieren“
Irina uses Savarez strings

From Irina:
To Tony and Irmgard Leswell, who during my study years gave me a warm home in the beautiful Alps of Austria

Session production, mixing, and editing by Norbert Kraft

Executive Producer: Mark Van Overmeire

Release date: March 2, 2021

Total playing time: 40'40"

Kramúsica 003

© 2021 Mark Van Overmeire (BMI)
℗ Kramúsica Records