The Voice of Russia with an Asian Face: Sensational Results of the First Channel Show

Irina Mishina

On December 30, Alexander Gradsky was brought back to life on the First Channel. His signature act “How Young We Were” was sang by the mentor from the screen together with Alisher Karimov, whom the audience had chosen for the final. This number showed that there are no figures on the stage today equal to Gradsky in terms of voice power, artistry and charisma.

“The voice is now dead for me. Not a single "professional" can compare with Gradskiy, and if freaks like Basta are put in a chair again, this is all the more the end, " Olga writes on the First Independent Review Site of Russia.

The final caused controversy also because among the 4 finalists there was only one Slav - a pupil of Pelageya, Alexander Volkodav. But he, too, is a native of Bishkek, a graduate of the Kyrgyz National Conservatory. K.Moldobasanova (orchestral faculty).

“I watched the final of the“ Russian ”voice. Just a shock !!!! The question arises - the best voice of the country - which country ??? Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan ??? Why are foreign citizens allowed to participate in the project and not just allowed, but go to the final ...? But if you really choose among those finalists who were, then certainly Alisher ( Alisher Karimov, from the team of A.B. Gradsky - ed.) Is the winner, ” Anna writes on the First Independent Review Site of Russia.

Let me remind you: Kazakh Ernar Sadirbaev, Elina Pan from Norilsk - a girl with Korean and Moldavian roots, Uzbek from Jambul Alisher Karimov and a native of Kyrgyzstan Alexander Volkodav - reached the final. Yes, all of these finalists have really extraordinary voices. And the audience vote confirmed this: when choosing the finalists, Yernar Sadirbayev received the largest number of audience votes. The love of the audience was on the side of this particular performer. The total amount of his votes after counting was 128.5%. This is higher than all the other finalists of the "Voice". In the release comments, viewers say that they consider Ernar to be objectively stronger than other participants. In their opinion, he is much more confident on stage, besides, he is capable of any compositions, from pop music to opera arias. At the Channel One Forum, the sympathies of many were also on his side, and the audience saw this particular performer as the winner of the "Voice".

Valentina Panysheva : “Ernar Sadirbaev! Yernar has a very beautiful voice !!! I'm rooting for Yernar!

Jinnah writes: “I consider Yernar to be the strongest of the four finalists. However, I do not exclude that the team of Alexander Borisovich Gradsky can win, since, of course, many will vote out of respect for him, thus honoring his memory. "

Pelageya's pupil Alexander Volkodav got slightly fewer votes when reaching the final than Ernar Sadirbayev (108.4%). In this very semi-final, he sang the song "Black Raven", which, according to some fans, simply brought them to tears. Viewers were split roughly 50/50. Someone was rooting for Sadirbayev, someone wanted Alexander to win, considering his voice to be unique. But the super-final turned out to be unpredictable.

The only woman who made it to the final was 29-year-old Elina Pan. She was not among the favorites, Dima Bilan even abandoned her in favor of another artist, and Leonid Agutin "saved" her. In total, she received 105.7% of the audience votes before the final.

Many "bet" on Alisher Karimov, a pupil of Alexander Gradsky. Most often, the winners in the "Voice" were the participants, whose mentor was the late master. However, Karimov did not have many chances, especially he was “lost” against the background of his mentor Alexander Gradsky, in a virtual duet with whom he performed the legendary “How Young We Were”. The superfinal between Karimov and Volkodav showed the advantage of the latter.

What lessons are worth learning from all this?

On Facebook, many are outraged by the "Asian face" of the current "Voice".

Anton Savenkov : “Do Russians even appear in Golos? Or is it the Voice of Asia? "

Let's do it this way. The talent has no nationality. Talent develops where there are conditions for this. Of course, you can enroll in the vocal department at a Russian music school, but the number of places is strictly limited. The exit is a commercial department. And everything is pretty tough there. For example, at the Central Music School in Moscow, tuition costs 400,000 rubles a year. At the music school. Schubert prices are as follows: group of general musical development, children of 4 years old - 2500 rubles, children 5-6 years old - 4500 rubles; children 6 years old with an instrument - 6000 r.

Other music schools do not publish their price list, but, according to parents, training at the pop vocal department costs about 20-25 thousand rubles a month. Who can afford it? So it turns out that in the vocal art "nuggets" are making their way from the provinces and from other republics, where the commercial appetites of teachers are not so overstated. But even if the child made his way, he has little chance of getting a higher musical education in Moscow. The enrollment for the opera department at the Moscow Conservatory is very modest: 14 places for the budget, 6 places for paid education. The cost of paid education at the Moscow Conservatory, by the way, is much higher than at Moscow State University and even at MGIMO. At the Musical College. The Gnesins can be passed on a budget by gaining 87 points or more. But there are only 6 of these budget places.

The result is obvious: the leading soloists of the Bolshoi, the Stanislavsky Theater, Helikon-Opera come from the regions and from other countries. At the Bolshoi Theater, at the Mariinsky and Musical. Stanislavsky, the leading parts of the lyric and dramatic tenor Najmiddin Mavlyanov from Uzbekistan, who is now the star of the world opera stage. People's Artist of Azerbaijan Yusif Eyvazov shines at the Bolshoi. In the Helikon-opera the leading roles are played by Shota Chibirov from Vladikavkaz, at the Stanislavsky Theater - by Vladimir Dmitruk from Belarus.

As for our stage, it is almost impossible to break through the cohort of singers who come from the 90s, or even from the 80s and even 70s. This year, on New Year's Eve, even a specially prepared program "from the 90s" was prepared for the audience with their participation. Why? No talent? No votes? Yes, there is, why then arrange "Voice" and other vocal competitions? It's just that their successes have no effect on the career of young talents. So at the New Year's light, we, like 30 years ago, will hear Larisa Dolina with Sofia Rotaru and Valery Leontyev and Philip Kirkorov.