Alexandrow Ensemble - Der Chor der Roten Armee - Rodina Moja

The "Alexandrow Ensemble" was formed out of the Frunze Red Army Central House in 1928, after Marshall Voroshilov, Minister of Defence, asked A.V. Alexandrov to create a military choir. There is also a story that Stalin then asked Alexandrov to relocate the choir to Moscow. Under the name Red Army Song Ensemble of the M. V. Frunze Red Army Central House or the “Red Army Choir”, twelve soldier-performers – a vocal octet, a bayan player, 2 dancers, and a reciter – officially performed for the first time on October 12, 1928 under the direction of their conductor, Alexandr Alexandrov, a young music professor at the Moscow Conservatory. The program, entitled The 22nd Krasnodar Division in Song, consisted mainly of short musical scenes of military life, including Songs of the First Cavalry Army, The Special Far-Eastern Army, and Song about Magnitostroi.

In 1929, the ensemble visited the far eastern lands of the Soviet Union, entertaining the troops working on the Far Eastern railway.

With the goal of developing amateur art within the ranks of the army and to encourage soldiers’ interest in good music, the ensemble grew to 300 performers by 1933, comprising three different forces of a male choir, an orchestra, and an ensemble of dancers. The Red Army Choir became known as a propagator of Soviet songs, performing original compositions by composers such as Vasily Solovyov-Sedoy, Anatoli Novikov, Matvey Blanter and Boris Mokrousov.

In 1935, the choir was bestowed the Order of the Red Banner and was renamed the Red Army Red-Bannered Song and Dance Ensemble of the USSR.

Having traveled widely throughout the Soviet Union, from the Arctic north to the sands of Tajikistan, the choir performed at the International Exposition dedicated to Art and Technology in Modern Life held in 1937 in Paris, France; it won the Grand Prix, the highest honor bestowed by the jury.

During World War II, the ensemble gave over 1500 performances at both Soviet fronts, entertaining troops about to go into battle, at gun emplacements, airfields, and in hospitals.

Following the death of Alexander Alexandrov, the Ensemble was taken over by his son, Boris Alexandrovich Alexandrov. Under his leadership, the Ensemble gained fame outside the Soviet Union, making extensive tours worldwide. Boris Alexandrov retired in 1987, and was succeeded by People’s Artist of Russia Igor Agafonnikov the same year, with Anatoly Maltsev as the ensemble chief. He retired as the principal conductor in 1994; he died that year and was buried in Moscow at the Novodevichy Cemetery. He was succeeded by Victor Fedorov, the chorus master since 1986.

This album is a compilation with songs originally released in the 1940s and 1950s on shellac.

Tracklist:

1. Hymne der Sowjetunion
2. Lied der Sowjetarmee
3. Mein Heimatland
4. Lied vom Vaterland
5. Ruf der Heimat
6. Der heilige Krieg
7. Auf dem Wege
8. Sing, Soldat sing
9. Unser MG-Karren  
10. Durchs Gebirge, durch die Steppe  
11. Jugend
12. Es wird Zeit sich auf dem Weg zu machen
13. Ich ging durch die ganze Welt die Liebste zu finden  
14. Im Walde sang der Kanarienvogel
15. Feldchen, mein Feld
16. Anuschka
17. Volkstanz  
18. Wiegenlied - Guten Abend, gute Nacht

Alexandrow Ensemble - Der Chor der Roten Armee - Rodina Moja

(256 kbps, cover art included)