A publication “The Organs of Belarus” was presented in the library, on September 25.
The authors of the encyclopedia, representatives of the publishing house, organists-experts, specialists from the Belarusian State Academy of Music, journalists, and also all who are interested in organ music gathered in the "Diamond of Knowledge".
Vladimir Andrievich, the director of the publishing house “Belarusian Encyclopedia named after Petrus Brovka” made a speech of welcome. He noted that “The Organs of Belarus” was the first detailed catalog of “the king of musical instruments” ever published in Belarus. The encyclopedia includes scientific papers and colorful illustrations, the names of outstanding musicians and composers, organ masters, as well as technical characteristics of each instrument described in the publication.
Elena Dolgopolova, the first deputy director for user service and ideology of the National Library of Belarus, expressed her appreciation for the cooperation with the publishing house and the hope for further fruitful partnership.
In a solemn atmosphere, Vladimir Andrievich handed over a copy of the “The Organs of Belarus” to the National Library of Belarus.
During the presentation, chairman of the Belarusian Fund of Culture Tadeush Struzhetsky, the book compiler Alexander Burdelev, photographer at the publishing house “Belarusian Encyclopedia named after Petrus Brovka” Anatoly Dribas, and teachers at the Belarusian State Academy of Music Svetlana Nemogay and Olga Savitskaya also addressed the audience.
The event was brightened up by the performance of Ekaterina Nikolaeva, a winner of the 11th International Festival of Organ Music and teacher in piano and organ at Minsk State College of Arts.
The book was commissioned and financially supported by the Ministry of Information of the Republic of Belarus. The idea of the preparation and release belongs to the publishing house "Belarusian Encyclopedia named after Petrus Brovka".
The publication “The Organs of Belarus” is part of series “The Encyclopedia of Rarities”. The writing team worked jointly with chairman of the Belarusian Fund of Culture Tadeush Struzhetsky and head of the Belarusian State Academy of Music Ekaterina Dulova. The book is peer-reviewed by known researchers and practitioners from Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russian and Ukraine.
The study took almost a year, including 39 days of the expedition. The mathematician-organist, compiler of the book Alexander Burdelev, along with the photographer Anatoly Dribas, drove 13 thousand kilometers in search of the surviving copies of the "king of musical instruments". As a result, 123 organs were found, mostly in the western part of the country. Now the compiler plans to put information on the Internet and make the list up-to-date. Probably, someday new facts will open, because archival research can be conducted for decades.
Similar studies have been conducted in Poland, Lithuania and Russia, and similar books have been written. The Belarusian part of the organ history has so far remained the missing puzzle.
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