We are remembering the noteworthy music dates of the month of February. Let me remind you that this is a leap year, so we have a relatively unique opportunity to mark the birthday of great Italian opera Master Gioachino Antonio Rossini.He was born 220 years ago, on February 29th, 1792.

Rossini wrote 39 operas, and many of them to this day gather full houses at leading theaters of the world. But at the same time he left behind a mystery: why, at the peak of his popularity, he sharply reigned in his Destiny and in the last 40 years of his life wrote practically nothing?  The Maestro himself joked it off: “He who begins early, ought to wrap it all up early, too”.  But are there many such examples?

In Russia the illustrious Italian was always treated with huge respect. For already 2 centuries his music has been an inspiration for performers and a joy for audiences. His melodies, like expensive champagne, fire up one’s blood….

Another memorable date linked with the music theatre. 135 years ago they first staged at the Moscow Bolshoi theatre Tchaikovsky’s ballet Swan Lake.

Prior to Tchaikovsky none of the leading classical composers addressed ballets. While Tchaikovsky, to the moment of writing Swan Lake, was already author of several large-scale symphonic works, operas and the celebrated 1st Piano Concerto.

He borrowed the story-line for the ballet from folk tales of various countries, including the German legend about a girl who has been turned by an evil sorcerer into a swan. Also at work here were his personal childhood memories about the lake in the Urals town of Votkinsk, on the banks of which stood the Tchaikovsky family homestead.

To the author’s huge disappointment, the first production of Swan lake did not enjoy any success. Julius Reisinger’s choreography was not noted for particular originality. Not even the remarkable music could save the production. It was Marius Petipa who transformed the ballet into a veritable masterpiece. However, his production took place already after Tchaikovsky’s demise.

Lyubov Orlova, an iconic Russian cinema actress, whose voice and image became a symbol of an entire epoch was born on February 11th 110 years ago.                              

Lyubov Orlova could have become a pianist (she played the piano beautifully), could just as well have devoted her life to ballet (she studied at a choreographic studio), or went on to become an opera vocalist (she took lessons of classical vocals). But a providential encounter with film director Grigori Aleksandrov transformed Orlova into a film star. Hardly surprising their creative alliance soon developed into that of husband and wife.

Lyubov Orlova has to her credit not all that many cinema roles, but each one was a revelation. More often she appeared in musical comedies, however frequently her characters, as though in defiance of the amusing story line, fleshed out to acquire social clout, leaving behind something of a historical imprint. Of course, the songs they sang conformed to the image: they were imbued with pathos and patriotic sentiments, celebrating the soviet way of life.

A remarkably beautiful woman, Lyubov Orlova did everything to ensure that’s how she’d be remembered. Well, she accomplished this: to this day she is remembered as stunningly beautiful, youthful and an idol of generations.

February 2nd is the 70th birth anniversary of popular singer Lev Leshchenko. A graduate of Moscow’s Theatrical Institute, he was training for an opera career, but already in his student years, having tastes the fruits of fame as a vocalist, he was tempted to stay on in the pop-music genre. A pleasant voice, debonair manner and admirable taste quickly turned him into a star. Leshchenko has succeeded in retaining his hold on this status for a long time.  At the age of 70 he is still seen both on variety stage and on TV screens. It’s symbolic that the artist marks his jubilee up on stage, with a program that has brought together all of his most popular hits of various years.

And now, after Lev Leshchenko, we shall recall a once very popular soviet singer Maya Kristalinskaya. This February its 80 years since her birth. (The singer only lived to be 53).

Kristalinskaya never boasted a particularly lusty voice; nor did she possess stunning looks… But the audiences warmed to her at once, won over by her warmth, sincerity, and that special charm that only a select few have.

Maya started out in amateur theatricals. (She studied at the Aviation Institute, then worked at an aircraft design bureau). But finally choosing songs over planes, she became a permanent feature at all prestigious variety shows. The country’s best composers wrote expressly for her, Alexandra Pakhmutova among them. Her song Tenderness became Maya Kristalinskaya’s visiting card.

And wrapping up our program is a tribute to the 50th anniversary of Maxim Leonidov: actor, singer, composer and guitarist.  He first asserted himself at 20, when he became leader and song-writer for the beat-quartet “Secret”. His band enjoyed tremendous popularity, and when it fell apart, Maxim discovered he was quite self-sufficient as a soloist. His concerts gather stadiums, he tirelessly records new albums, has his own band. But on rare occasions he assembles his old “Secret” line-up, just to experience once again that incredible love that a fanatically devoted audience is capable of showing their overwhelming favorites.