Elena Frolova
{{Short description|Russian-Latvian singer (born 1969)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| image = Elena Frolova with gusli.jpg
| caption = Elena Frolova with gusli
(Photo by Margarita Kabakova)
| image_size = 250px
| years_active = 1986–present
| birth_name = Elena Frolova
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1969|10|01}}
| birth_place = {{nowrap|Riga, Latvian SSR, Soviet Union}}
| origin =
| genre = Singer-songwriter, author song, ethnic Russian music, world music
| occupation = singer, composer and poet
| instrument = Vocals, guitar, gusli
| label =
| associated_acts = Elena Kamburova, ASiA
| website = [http://www.bards.ru/archives/author.php?id=2047 Her site on bards.ru (Russian)]
}}
Elena Borisovna Frolova ({{langx|ru|link=no|Елена Борисовна Фролова}}; born 1 October 1969, in Riga) is a Russian singer-songwriter, composer, and poet. She is author and performer of songs based on poems by many Russian poets of twentieth century,Spiritual triptych Blessed are the humble in spirit published by Frolova on YouTube: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8M76sFR1pE&list=UUmfLgyx_3btxcTCmCNteoxw&index=9&feature=plcp Introduction], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWbgleKo2tQ Part 1], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GjFT1NAlS4 Part 2], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-xba127bDo Part 3] including Marina Tsvetaeva,[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAnyRhr-aGo To Anna Akhmatova], words by Marina Tsvetaeva, music by Frolova Sophia Parnok,[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOhhGa8NBQs You are neither good nor mean], lyrics my Sophia Parnok, music by Frolova Joseph Brodsky,[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YIDfzr4Uik Sonetik], words by Joseph Brodsky, music by Frolova Anna Barkova, Andrei Belyi, Varlam Shalamov, Maria Petrovykh,[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS6ZWCJ2dq8 Do not complain, my confessions are crude], lyrics by Maria Petrovykh, music by Frolova Veniamin Blazhenny,[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXiZ9G-fIYk The wheel], words by Veniamin Blazhenny, music by Frolova Bulat Okudzhava,[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzsxvEZqKak Blue balloon], song and music by Bulat Okudzhava, arrangement by Frolova and many others,[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZymLuCxC-rE Insomnia, Homer], lyrics by Osip Mandelstam, music by Vitaly Kharisov[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmN9QcO-BRA The vain lullaby], words by Marina Gershenovich, music by Frolova[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGBEdxtqHuE "I don't want to forget you..."], words by Leonid Gubanov[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQuRIdmDmBo Love is not an angle], words by Dmitry Strotsev, music by Frolova; [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAvk96qzrjE White mother], words and music by Dmitry Strotsev[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuZ7d5TnGec There], text by Tatiana Aleshina, inspired by Sodade as well as her own poetry.[http://novayagazeta-nn.ru/2007/2/solnechnaya-nit-eleny-frolovoi.html Solar thread of Elena Frolova] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012045359/http://novayagazeta-nn.ru/2007/2/solnechnaya-nit-eleny-frolovoi.html |date=12 October 2012 }} by Zakhar Prilepin, Novaya gazeta, 07-04-28 Frolova is one of few performers who uses Russian folk instrument gusli and ancient harp,[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GESNLHsUzDk&list=PLcpIAFes_O8tlwlWiAiySStan1b9D3sx6&index=21 Skyphos Songs], sound of reconstructed ancient (500 BCE) angular harp found by archeologists in Altai Mountains: music and songs by Elena Frolova on Ishtar and other "Skyphos poems" by Marina Tsvetaeva along with classical six-string guitar for the accompaniment. During 25 years of work she created more than 630 songs[https://web.archive.org/web/20090318051729/http://frolova.golos.de/ru/texte/000abcChronos.html Texts of songs by Frolova (Russian)] and published more than 40 music albums.[http://www.sobranie.org/archives/9/3.shtml The language to express the ineffable. Yelena Frolova at the crossroads of spiritual poetry and art song] by Collection, Youth Orthodox missionary and educational magazine{{Cite web |url=http://kamburova.theatre.ru/sostav/artist/frolova/ |title=Page of Elena Frolova at website of Theater of Music and Poetry by Elena Kamburova |access-date=24 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090331113131/http://kamburova.theatre.ru/sostav/artist/frolova/ |archive-date=31 March 2009 |url-status=dead }}[http://kamburova.theatre.ru/sostav/artist/frolova/14284/ Singer Elena Frolova: "I took Gusli in my hands after meeting with people of Irkutsk] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106040500/http://kamburova.theatre.ru/sostav/artist/frolova/14284/ |date=6 January 2014 }} by Irina Zheglova, Komsomolskaya Pravda, 7 February 2010]
Biography
Born in Riga, Frolova composed her first song at age of 15.[http://www.mk.ru/culture/interview/2010/05/14/488542-tolko-plakat-i-pet-audio.html Elena Frolova: There are visible and invisible cultures in Russia], by Vera Kopylova, Moskovskij Komsomolets, 15 May 2010 That was song on poem "I wrote on the slate" by Marina Tsvetaeva.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlzv4qY4fQw "I wrote on the slate" by Tsvetaeva] She was a winner of many song and music festivals, including the Second All-Union Festival in Tallinn in 1988.[http://frolova.golos.de/ru/artikelSavel.html Along the free trace of spring water] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181228052529/http://frolova.golos.de/ru/artikelSavel.html |date=28 December 2018 }}, by Natalia Savelieva, Truth and Life, a monthly journal, N3, 2002 Since 1988 Elena performed together with Vera Evushkina, in the author's duet "VerLen".[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE1JPaM7NUY Little sister], poem by Arseny Tarkovsky, music by Vera Evushkina; Concert with Vera Evushkina in 2011 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLXYu2kzY2M Part 1], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKC1-tRTeBY&list=UUmfLgyx_3btxcTCmCNteoxw Part 2] She is a co-founder and active member of creative group "ASiA", together with Tatiana Aleshina, Alexander Derevyagin and Nicholai Yakimov.{{Cite web |url=http://www.asia-plus.ru/ |title=Website of project ASIA+ |access-date=26 December 2012 |archive-date=18 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120818091708/http://www.asia-plus.ru/ |url-status=dead }} She is a member of juries in Russian art song festivals, including Grushinsky festival. During last few years, Elena made a number of tours in trio "Trilogy" with performer of Russian romance Julia Ziganshina and singer-songwriter Elmira Galeeva,[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqYvGIf1JnI "Enigma"], words by Anatoly D'Aktil, music by V.Sidorov, performance by "Trilogy", Frolova, Ziganshina and Galeeva[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij6RuXukc_Q "What is heart so..."], poem by Mikhail Matusovsky, music by Tikhon Khrennikov, performance by "Trilogy", Frolova, Ziganshina and Galeeva[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dthjhWSlUc Gazel of Remembrance], poem by Garcia Lorca, music by Vitaly Kharisov, performance by Elena Frolova and Julia Ziganshina
Since 1989, Elena Frolova worked in Moscow Theatre of Music and Poetry directed by Elena Kamburova. She is a member of Union of Russian Writers. Since 1991, she made many tours with her solo concerts in Russia, Germany, Italy, France, and Israel. Her songs on poems by Russian poets of the Silver Age and her own poetry brought her wide recognition. According to Marina Gershenovich : "The cycle of songs based on poems by Marina Tsvetaeva makes you to believe in the idea of reincarnation. The image of Marina is just as real as your own perception of reality. Coming through the music and voice of Elena, Tsvetaeva rebels, loves, tell prophecies, makes fun, and creates... One can bring back from the death someone he truly loves. Elena Frolova does it with her songs."[http://frolova.golos.de/ru/biografie.html Artistic biography of Frolova] A documentary about work by Frolova on poetry by Tsvetaeva was created by Irina Roerig{{Cite web |url=http://www.patriotinnen-film.de/enPatriotinnen.html |title=Patriots and poets: Frolova and Tsvetaeva |access-date=3 January 2014 |archive-date=3 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140103205334/http://www.patriotinnen-film.de/enPatriotinnen.html |url-status=dead }}
File:Elena Frolova playing gusli.jpg
(Photo by Margarita Kabakova)]]
In 1996, Elena has mastered a new instrument, gusli, to perform Russian folk and other songs.
Since 2002, she participates in World Music festivals and concerts in Russia, many countries around the Europe, Israel, Argentina, and Mexico. She performed in Théâtre de la Ville, Bienvenue à la Maison des Cultures du Monde and Théâtre des Abbesses in Paris, Teatro de la República in Mexico, as well as in Barcelona, Madrid, Brussels and Antwerp. Since 2008 she has been a regular guest at the Festival of Arts in Naxos.
Frolova took part in the congress "The historical experience of the Soviet Communist totalitarianism: the opposition to Gulag" in Milan in 2003 with the program on poems by Varlam Shalamov. In March 2004, she represented Russia at the First International Festival "Eurasia Diva" in Moscow.[http://www.asia-plus.ru/cgi-bin/press.cgi?id=17&sid=00f9f1bc-c8aa-4792-ac17-180783b5badb "Divas of Eurasia". A friendly festival of ethnic culture (Russian)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304054512/http://www.asia-plus.ru/cgi-bin/press.cgi?id=17&sid=00f9f1bc-c8aa-4792-ac17-180783b5badb |date=4 March 2016 }}, P.Znameny, Literaturnaya Gazeta, №10, 2004
In 2007 she published a book of her poetry, "Song for Eurydice".Elena Frolova, [http://www.ozon.ru/context/detail/id/3654029/ "Song for Eurydice"] (Russian: Песня для Эвридики), Вита Нова, {{ISBN|978-5-93898-142-3}}; 2007 Frolova also participates in creation of animated movies. She performed romance Don't wake her up at dawn... on words by Afanasy Fet in My Love by Aleksandr Petrov and composed music for animated version of The Legend of Lady Godiva[http://www.kinopoisk.ru/film/585256/ The Legend of Lady Godiva].
Poetry
Elena composed many songs on her own poetry, one of the most popular being A Straw.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JriJlHRYKMc A Straw]; [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WEnhlmr4QI Do not leave me so fast], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEwtsr7zE0Y&list=PL9328E075D6EE5AEC&index=42 When I will tire of life], YouTube records Many of her poems and songs have strong spiritual and Christian components, such as her Journey into Eden,[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkqxCIkgFEw&list=PL9328E075D6EE5AEC&index=46 Journey into Eden №2"], YouTube record a song dedicated to Francis of Assisi,[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GP5QfU54p8&list=UUmfLgyx_3btxcTCmCNteoxw "Franciscus Assisiensis"], also dedicated to Viktor Luferov, words and music by Frolova and Disciple Day.
Concerts published on YouTube
- Blessed are the humble in spirit (Introduction, Part 1, Part 2a, Part 2b, Part 3), 2010–2011, link to DVD, 2013
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXXR9wnqkY0&feature=c4-overview&list=UUmfLgyx_3btxcTCmCNteoxw Russian Romance, Selected songs], Moscow, 2011
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRdrLluo7fM&feature=c4-overview&list=UUmfLgyx_3btxcTCmCNteoxw Film-concert "Dorozhenka (That path)."], Minsk, 2006
- Road to Heaven, concert in Kazan, 2003
- Concert in Yekaterinburg, 2009, where she presented songs on poetry by Marina Tsvetaeva, Sophia Parnok and Gubanov (Part 1) and her own poetry (Part 2)
- Elena Frolova and Dmitry Strotsev, part 1 and part 2, 2006
- Ten years to duet VerLen, Part 1 and Part 2, 1998
- Concerts and interviews on TV: Music of meetings and One who came to us, Above the roof, 2010
Selected discography
- Songs on her own poetry
- Wanderer 1995
- My white sparrow, 1995
- Heaven loves you, 1997
- [http://elenafrolova.info/album/%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%B1%D0%BE%D0%BC-7/ Dear road], Russian folk songs; poetry by Sergey Yesenin and Frolova, 2002
- Travel to Paradise, 2005
- Solar thread, 2006
- Songs of heart, 2009
- Lada, Russian folk songs, Esenin and Frolova, 2009, records at [http://thankyou.ru/ thankyou.ru]
- Songs on poetry by Tsvetaeva
- Angel and lion, Tsvetaeva, Blok and Mandelshtam, 1992
- Annunciation Day, 1995 records
- My Tsvetaeva part 1 and part 2, 2002
- El sol de la tarde, 2008
- Khvanyn'-Kolyvan, 2007
- Discs with Vera Evushkina
- Verlen, 1992
- Listen by heart, 2008 (1996–1998, 2006 records)
- Oh, listen!, 2003
- [http://www.bard.ru/cgi-bin/disk.cgi?disk=3018 My love, color the green], Tsvetaeva, Esenin and others, 1995
- Dove flied, 1999
- Poetry by Joseph Brodsky: Romance of a happy man, 2010
- [http://elenafrolova.info/album/%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%BB%D1%8B%D0%B2%D0%B0%D1%8E%D1%82-%D0%BE%D0%B1%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%B0/ Clouds are passing by], 2005, poetry by Parnok, Shalamov, Blazhenny, Tsvetaeva, Gershenovich and others
- A little theater on the small planet of Earth, 2009, poetry by Andrei Belyi
- Letter, 2003, poetry by Varlam Shalamov
- Wind from Viagolosa, poetry by Sophia Parnok, 2002
- [http://www.bard.ru/cgi-bin/disk.cgi?disk=1827 A concert], 2003, songs on poems by Anna Barkova, Osip Mandelshtam, Veniamin Blazhenny, Varlam Shalamov, Anna Akhmatova and others
- [http://elenafrolova.info/album/%D0%BF%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%86%D0%B0-%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B1%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%8F/ Willow bird], songs on poems by Marina Gershenovich, Irina Ratushinskaya, Veniamin Blazhenny and others, 1999
- [http://www.bard.ru/cgi-bin/disk.cgi?disk=3016 Bright holiday of homelessness], 1995, Brodsky, Tsvetaeva, Yuri Levitansky, Mikhail Kuzmin
- Poetry by Dmitry Strotsev: part 1, part 2, link, 2002
- [http://elenafrolova.info/album/%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%B1%D0%BE%D0%BC-6/ Seconda Parte], disk in collaboration with creative group AZIA, 2002
- A concert, part 1, part 2, 2003
- [http://www.russiandvd.com/store/product.asp?sku=42568&genreid= Mandelshtam Street], 2005, songs on poetry by Osip Mandelshtam
- Stairs of love, poetry by Leonid Gubanov, 2008
- Discs with Elmira Galeeva and Yulia Ziganshina
- Trilogia, 2006
- Rosemary, sage..., 2008
- Dear Enemy, 2007, poetry by Anna Barkova
- Russian Asian, 2007, Barkova, Frolova, Parnok
- Running girl – Russian Psyche, a concert, 2009
- IZ NEDR И НА ВЕТВЬ, 2009
- Bird Tango, Brodsky, Tsvetaeva, Blazhenny, Petrova, Frolova, 2010
- A concert, 2010
- Amor mio. Αγάπη μου. My love, Folk songs, poetic translations/texts to Russian by Frolova, 2011
- A concert, 2011
- Ves, Soundtrack to the poetry collection, poetry by Strotsev, Gershenovich, Vertinsky, Gumilev, Zabolotsky, Levitansky, 2013
{{clear}}
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- [http://frolova.golos.de/ru/ Older official website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190715192058/http://frolova.golos.de/ru/ |date=15 July 2019 }}
- [http://frolova.ucoz.ru/ Unofficial (fan) website]
- [http://www.facebook.com/pages/Elena-Frolova/136346309747376 Facebook page]
- [http://vk.com/lena.frolova Page on VK]
- [https://www.youtube.com/user/ElenaFrolovaTV?feature=mhee YouTube channel]
- [http://elenafrolova.kroogi.com/?locale=ru Her site] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190726170505/http://elenafrolova.kroogi.com/?locale=ru |date=26 July 2019 }} on Kroogi
- [http://asia-plus.ru/cgi-bin/persons.cgi?id=6&sid=743464f8-06f2-4d5a-b3f5-6f6c2a29d619 Page in project «АЗиЯ»] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130205231715/http://asia-plus.ru/cgi-bin/persons.cgi?id=6&sid=743464f8-06f2-4d5a-b3f5-6f6c2a29d619 |date=5 February 2013 }}
- [http://www.bard.ru/cgi-bin/frameset.cgi?kind=disk&name=%D4%F0%EE%EB%EE%E2%E0_%C5. Discography and publications (Russian)]
- Her presentations (Russian) on [http://echo.msk.ru/programs/autor/929477-echo/#video September 2012] and [http://www.echo.msk.ru/guests/4489/ December 2014] at Echo of Moscow, hosted by Natella Boltyanskaya
- Texts of songs by Frolova (Russian) on [http://bdn-steiner.ru/modules.php?name=Poezia&go=page&pid=61601 Anthroposophy website]
{{Authority control}}
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Category:Russian women singer-songwriters
Category:Russian singer-songwriters
Category:Russian women folk singers
Category:Russian women guitarists
Category:Soviet women singer-songwriters