SEMI-ACOUSTIC AT KURYOKHIN CENTER

What a great performance and album!

For those who don't know, Roz Vitalis is a great Russian project led by composer and keyboard player Iván Rozmainsky, who back in the early 00s worked as a one-man-band, however, with the years he has surrounded himself with great and talented musicians who have helped him to release a considerable amount of records, and to offer another great number of concerts.

Now in this 2024 Rozmainsky and co. have released a wonderful live album whose title is "Semi-acoustic at Kuryokhin Center", and when I listened to it for the first time I felt surprised it didn't include any song from their latest studio release, but then I realized this concert was recorded in february 2023, prior to that studio release, which saw the light until october.

This is a wonderful performance where we can appreciate songs played in a unique way, with even some different arrangements, songs taken from Roz Vitalis' extended discography, but in particular from their 'The Hidden Man From The Heart', 'Lavoro D'Amore' and 'Patience of Hope'. The album starts with 'Blurred' and since the first moments we can feel that acoustic essence, with a sound that ranges from folk to prog, made by an amalgam of synths, strings and a wonderful clarinet played by AndRey Stefinoff, who greatly adds colorful sounds with his instrument. It is great to hear audience applauses at the end of the tracks, seem it was an intimate concert.

The clarinet continues to take over in 'Jungle Waltz', however I also love the acoustic guitar and bass, along with the percussion (cajón or box drum) which are clearly not drums, so the sound might be quite different from the studio song, however, it makes it a unique performance. I love its changes and how classical music is also present in Roz Vitalis' music, but also that we can feel embraced by different moods, by dark atmospheres, some tension, but also bright passages and beauty. The clarinet & keyboard combo in the final part is a killer! 'The Hidden Man of The Heart' has also an exquisite performance here, first with delicate sounds and then with a bit more intensity for some seconds. One can easily close the eyes and feel embraced by its sound, I imagine people who attended had a wonderful and peaceful time.

Piano opens the gates to 'Lavoro D'Amore', then strings and winds join with delicacy, and a minute later after a brief change, keyboards mark a new proggy sound which is very colorful and dreamy, clarinet playes the same notes and together create a great synergy. Later a guitar solo appear and makes the song even better, with a disarming and heartfelt sound. 'Forbearing One Another in Love' is a solo performance by Rozmainsky with his piano, I am not sure but I think is an original composition (or improvisation) for this concert, play in a delicate and classical oriented way. This piano piece leads to 'Mother of All Rain', a great song release in 2012. Here I'd like to appreciate the work of long-time collaborator Vladimir Semenov-Tyan-Shansky who does an extraordinary effort with both, acoustic and electric guitar, changing the song's direction and atmospheres with his instruments.

'Recovery' is a very nice song that I believe has not been included in any studio album yet, but was included in a live record. The sound is so gentle, with some folkish and eastern flavors. 'Patience of Hope' is also greatly performed here, the sound is so charming, first with the piano and then when clarinet, bass, guitar and percussion, a longer song that has so many interesting changes in tempo and mood, very proggy. 'Ascension Dream' start is very subtle, first piano, then bass notes and lastly acoustic guitar, then after one minute percussion join and all together change the rhythm and the atmosphere, turning it into a joyful track. The final part is very emotional, though.

'Passing Winter' is another piano track that has not been included in a studio album yet, but it is great to hear these clean and passionate performances, music that touches our soul. 'Ending' has a curcial world and yeah, we might think it would be sensible to finish a concert or album with that title, just as it finishes the studio album it belongs. The performance here is delicate as well, so both old and new Roz Vitalis' fans could appreciate it. And last but not least, the band delight us with 'Passing Over', the longest track here, and a challenging song with some changes in time and mood, a nice example of progressive song with a soft and delicate sound, and with a great work of all musicians, including Yury Khomonenko on percussion and Max Lokosov on bass, who I hadn't mentioned before.

Well, it is an exquisite album, to be honest, and I thank the band for releasing it. Hope one day I could see Roz Vitalis on stage.

Enjoy it!

Over the last few years we have been fortunate enough to receive quite a few live albums from Roz Vitalis, and here we have another, which was recorded in February 2023 at the Kuryokhin Center in St. Petersburg. The hall provided the band with certain limitations, such as not being able to use a full drumkit, which meant that Yury Khomonenko could only use a cajon and a cymbal - but keyboard player Ivan Rozmainsky, in addition to synthesizers used the hall's upright piano. The line-up was completed by Vladimir Semenov-Tyan-Shansky (guitar), AndRey Stefinoff (clarinet) and Max Lokosov (bass), with the set being mainly based on tracks from 'Patience of Hope' (2012), 'Lavoro d'Amore' (2015) and 'The Hidden Man of the Heart' (2018). There are also two pure piano pieces which have yet to be recorded and another, "Recovery", which has appeared on another live release but has yet to be recorded in the studio.

Roz Vitalis have long been one of my favourite Russian prog bands, based around the keyboards of Ivan Rozmainsky which often have a very classical bent and a quite different approach to many modern progressive bands. There can be quite strong RIO/avant influences in their music, alongside the classical, yet they rarely feel Russian and there is little in the way of folk influences. It is not mainstream, but it is not "out there" either and unlike many within the prog genre they are a band who are always instantly recognisable. Ivan often puts himself at the back, providing support, while woodwind often takes the melodic lead, so this always feel like a full band effort as opposed to a keyboard player with some supporting musicians.

There is a lightness within, a hidden beauty through these times of strife and troubles. Ivan has been leading this band for more than 20 years now, and they are still producing music which refuses to conform and is always looking for new pastures. The arrangements are complex and interweaving, dynamic and passionate, feeling real and never over produced or commercialised. Fresh and exciting, this is progressive classical music from the heart and long may they continue.