The seven-string guitar, an instrument which appeared in Russia during the late 1700s, experienced its Golden Age during the first few decades of the next century. This box set is a monument to this short-lived instrument’s life. This box set includes seven discs, which chronologically follow the instrument’s development in Russia. From the very first works for the instrument by Andrey Sichra, the “Patriarch of the Russian Guitar,” all the way through the Muscovite School of Aksinov, the St. Petersburg School, and ending with the Romantics Alexandrov, Zimmerman, and Sarenko. Most of the works here are for solo Russian Guitar, however, several chamber works have been included in which the guitar plays the prominent part. Master guitarist Oleg Timofeyev serves as soloist on this project. He also wrote the extensive scholarly liner notes included in the booklet. This is truly an innovative release, which gives listeners a chance to discover a severely neglected portion of Russian music.
