World-acclaimed troupe opens Border Concert series

By WAYNE BARRON

Another season of the Border Concert series was launched in finest style last Friday night when Barynya hit the stage at Backus Auditorium. The Russian folk dance and music ensemble put on a lavish, high-energy show that had the audience cheering.
Barynya, consisting of 10 musicians and dancers, played traditional Russian instruments and performed the ethnic Cossack, Ukrainian and Gypsy dances with an enthusiasm that left the audience breathless.
Founder and Artistic Director, Mikhail Smirnov, introduced each selection with wit and self-deprecating humor, noting that most Russian folk songs are either about love or food. He sang several folk songs a cappella to illustrate the variety of styles in the Russian folk tradition.
The show featured several songs that are familiar to Western audiences, such as “Dark Eyes,” “Volga Boatmen” and “Moscow Nights.” But it was a hauntingly beautiful interpretation of “Lara’s Theme” from the movie “Dr. Zhivago,” played on the balalaika and accordion, that seemed particularly to resonate with the audience.
“By The Long Road,” a popular Russian song written over 200 hundred years ago, was sung by virtuoso tenor, Alexander Menshikov, and was immediately recognizable as the hit pop tune of the late 1960s, “Those Were The Days.”
Barynya’s six dancers whirled and twirled their way across the stage in a remarkable show of acrobatics. Each dance involved a complete change of costume, resulting in stunning visual display.
Barynya proved to be a great opener for the new concert season, leaving many in the audience wondering how this show can be topped in the remainder of the series.