May 6 is Eugen Doga’s mom’s birthday

May 6 is Eugen Doga’s mom’s birthday. The Maestro wrote this text a year ago, on May 6, 2015, about his mom.

In the Mirror of Moments. Part 8.

This note modifies one of the most tragic Doga's songs — A Human Voice (lyrics by Robert Rozhde-stvensky). This is an antiwar song, an appeal to people to linger and perceive the wonder of the land. Had the song been written in an 'alarm' manner, it would not be so impressive. A free flowing melody is the beauty itself, like our planet, its nature and people on it with all their love and striving for happiness. The tenderness and delicacy of the song make it sound like a whisper amidst a chaos, and all this strikes one much more than loudness of alarm-bells.

In the Mirror of Moments. Part 7.

"When composing I always try to find a definite shape. I believe that there is some mysterious moment of coincidence. If I can find and express it in my music, the listener will respond to it and perceive it as an echo of his own emotions.

In the Mirror of Moments. Part 6.

It was the time when he cherished the idea of Luchaferul ballet. He wrote music to some scenes, but put this work aside for a while.

In the Mirror of Moments. Part 5.

Here in Moldavia Doga formed into a composer, moulding his self against the hardships of life and throughout a long period of artistic growth. And here he started his unrestrained creative ascent, having cleared himself of all influences, to become a master of his own theme and vision.

The composer's attitude to his creation does not coincide with the regard of musical critics depicting him as a man who has established himself at the apex of his fortune. He would be more willing to compare himself to a small boy, having climbed up a high tree, tempted by the best fruit at the top. The ground is far away down, and thin branches are swaying under his weight, and the fruit are seductive and calling. And there is no way backwards...

In the Mirror of Moments. Part 4.

And his life did start to gain speed at last. His scooter broke down in the most inappropriate place — opposite the Opera House. Among a dozen of idlers, who watched Doga's attempts to make the scooter go, there was Georgiy Vode, a beginning poet and film-di­rector, as young as Doga himself. He was agonizingly trying to place the lad's face and at last recognized him as the author of the songs popular with students. Vode came up to the composer smeared up with oil and asked if he didn't mind having a go at films.

In the Mirror of Moments. Part 3.

The concert in which N. Chepraga, M. Ivanush and — a beginner then — A. Lazariuk performed Ye. Doga's songs came to an end. Then there were flowers, asking for authographs, and Doga, his face helpless and naive, was standing among this tumult. He was being shot for TV, congratulated by his famous collea­gues, who were telling him something kind and reassu­ring, touching him by the elbow. Doga was beginning to be appraised for his ownness, to be assumed as himself.

In the Mirror of Moments. Part 2.

Certainly, it was a kick out: a small revenge for having been asked stereotyped questions again and again. And he rightly regarded himself wider than such questions supposed him to be. Certainly, it could not but evoke regret and vexation that Melodia recording firm was lagging behind some Western companies in producing his discs; that his symphonic, vocal, choral and chamber-instrumental music was played in concerts so seldom; that a real appreciation was gained only by several songs and musical pieces, such as: / Dreamed I Reared the Sound of Rain..., My White City, Waltz for the film A Hunting Accident, Ballade for Ion Drutse's play The Birds of Our Youth, and a few more, pitilessly exploited in TV and radio programmes.

In the Mirror of Moments. Part 1.

Elena Shatohina. 1989. 

Though summer was still in full swing and there could hardly be any inkling of autumn in the air, it started raining repeatedly after the sunset. The music of rain was in the trembling of wet glossy leaves, it was heard in the tyres' rustling of the cars, that moved slowly through the downfall of rain.

The daylight has faded in the room, and only a 'noble' grand piano still bears vibrant specks of light on its varnish. The lid of the piano is open, as might a case of a typer or any other working tool be, ready to call the master in the most inappropriate time of the day or night. Slightly stooping, the composer walks to and fro, carefully skirting the angles of the piano, as if indifferent to the instrument, but still never forgetting about it. He is like an actor, not engaged in the scene, who is seemingly indifferent to the stage director, but ne­vertheless watchful and sensitive to his tiniest call and wish.

Queen Margo

…It’s amazing how man works: he is mostly directed towards the future but a huge part of him is left in the past. Only a small portion of him lives in the present. My work for the film ‘Queen Margo’ allowed me to take my creative imagination far back into the past, to events of many centuries ago. It was a fortunate opportunity since the breath of our ancestors is still alive in all of us. Our brain and our muscles are driven by the impulse of the blood of warriors, winegrowers, shepherds, love-struck and disappointed youth of the Carpathian and the Apennine mountains, the Pyrenees… 

Genius of Romanian literature Mihai Eminescu

Mihai Eminescu was born on January 15, 1850 in the village of Botoșani, Romania. The poet would later be referred to as the beacon, “the morning star of Romanian literature.” His poetry is now renowned all over the world, printed in countless editions. His poems have been translated into seventy languages and some of them have become folk songs. Hundreds of books have been written about his life and death; memorials in his honor have been erected and streets named after him. The year 1989, the 100^th anniversary of Eminescu’s death, was declared ‘International Eminescu Year’ by UNESCO and he was also named ‘poet of the year’ in 2000.

Unfortunately, the poet neither received such acclaim nor enjoyed fame during his lifetime.

Despite the fact that Mihai Eminescu’s contemporaries were impressed by the broad scope of his education, his intelligence, the richness of his poetic style and the unique harmony present in his poetry, Eminescu’s life was filled with depravation, wandering, hostile attitude towards him, ceaseless work and poverty.