Aynur Begutov - Sychra: Works for Guitar (2025)

Tracklist

01. Grand Fantasia on Motifs from the Opera Der Freischütz
02. Prelude in D Major
03. Étude in D Minor
04. Prelude in D Minor
05. Prelude in D Minor, 2nd Version
06. Prelude Favourite
07. Rondo Savoyard
08. Variations on the Russian Folk Song Amidst the Flat Valley
09. Variations on the Russian Folk Song Remember, My Beloved, Your Former Love
10. Variations on the Russian Folk Song Poor Tree Branch
11. Introduction and Thème Varié, Op. 20 (Arranged by Andrey Sychra)
12. Luchina, Luchinushka
13. Duo for 2 Violins in F Major, Op. 23 No. 4: I. Allegro (Arranged by Andrey Sychra)
14. Duo for 2 Violins in F Major, Op. 23 No. 4: II. Rondo (Arranged by Andrey Sychra)
15. Variations on a Theme of Hummel
16. Romance Singer (Arranged by Andrey Sychra)
17. Romance Talisman (Arranged by Andrey Sychra)
18. Romance Lampada (Arranged by Andrey Sychra)
19. Romance Longing for My Sweetheart (Arranged by Andrey Sychra)
20. Aria I Enclose You in My Heart from the Opera Yam (Arranged by Andrey Sychra)
21. Polonaise
22. Chorus of Girls from the Opera Romeo and Juliet (Arranged by Andrey Sychra)
23. Aria Di Tanti Palpiti from the Opera Tancredi (Arranged by Andrey Sychra)
24. Polonaise from Concerto No. 1 (Arranged by Andrey Sychra)

Andrey Osipovich Sychra (1773–1850) was born in Vilnius in 1773. As a nobleman, he was well-educated and played the guitar, harp, violin and piano masterfully. Sychra concentrated most of his creative energy on developing a playing technique and a repertoire for the seven-string guitar (tuned to a G major chord), which became known as the Russian guitar. No later than 1810, Sychra moved to St Petersburg, where he found fame and left a mark on history as the patriarch of the Russian guitar. In 1817–1845, when Sychra was at his most prolific, he created his masterpieces Four Exercises, Grand Fantasia on Motifs from the Opera Der Freischütz, Fantasia Dedicated to Count Lunin and Variations on the Russian Folk Song “Amidst the Flat Valley”, among others.

Another important contribution Sychra made to the seven-string guitar repertoire was through his transcriptions of widely popular Western European and Russian music by Mozart, Pleyel, Haydn, Beethoven and etc. These played an important role in the creation of the general concert repertoire in 19th-century Russia. Sychra’s transcriptions for ensembles with guitar were very popular among amateur musicians. The second section of this programme mainly contains Sychra’s transcriptions for various instrumental ensembles. Ensembles of two identical guitars, and those with violin or flute, were most popular in Italy, Austria, Germany and other European countries of the 19th century. Sychra’s contribution was that he also introduced guitars tuned up by a second, minor third (terz) and fourth (quart), which then became a guitar consort commonly used by Russian performers and composers.

Today, the uniquely rich Russian culture of the 19th century is an integral part of the cultural heritage of modern civilisation, in which the Russian seven-string guitar occupies its well-deserved place. The rich and diverse legacy of A.O. Sychra, as part of this culture, largely reflects artistic trends of his time, while his personal influence on the history of the guitar in Russia was as significant and important as the artistically valuable repertoire that he created for the seven-string guitar.

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