About
“Only the one who is burning himself, is able to start a fire in someone else” Augustinus
I was born in Moscow into an average family. None of my relatives was musician but they all loved music. This is why my parents decide to enroll me in the music school at the age of nine. In fact, my parents were very committed to fostering my activities. I had the opportunity to try different things though never two things at the same time. There was a time for athletics, one for swimming…However it became obvious that I wasn’t good at sports. Nearby there was a house of the arts, which offered music classes for children. This is where I got to know the guitar first as a young boy. And today we look back at thirty common happy years.
So far I have met many people; among them have been good and very good players. They soon became my teachers. I am convinced that everyone can be your teacher at certain moment. Tough you will never forget your first teacher, just like your first love. Spending years as an eager student, I went successfully through all schools, colleges and places of apprenticeship. As far as my professors are concerned, I have always been very lucky since I was allowed to develop my preferences to the full.
I started studying in Moscow with Balalaika and Dombra Volk. This proved to be very fortunate for me as I listened to much of the Russian folk music and was influenced by it. The second studies took place in Germany – as a sort of precision work.
During my studies in Russia a balalaika luther gave me an old seven-string guitar as a present. It had just stood in a corner for several years. However, after my studies there was a special moment. While pondering about how to go on in my world of music, my eye fell on the seven-strings guitar and I knew what to do.
The seven-string Russian guitar
The seven-string Russian guitar’s heyday in Russia was early 19th century. The musician Andrei Sichra (1773-1850) brought the instrument from Poland and introduced it to his native country. As Sichra was a harpist, he chose the following pitch for the instrument, Re Sol Si re sol si re. Such is a comfortable, open pitch for arpeggio.
The seven-string guitar was welcome enthusiastically in Russia. Only shortly after, a number of great composers and guitar virtuosos such as Wysotsky, Alferiev, Zimmerman and Sarenko took the instrument to a high artistic level.
In the 20th century, the seven-string guitar disappeared from the field of classical music. However it kept on being played in the tradition of gypsy music. Among other, the guitar soloist Sergei Orechov gave a virtuoso performance.
Waltz Little Snowflake (M. Pavlov-Azancheev). I have always enjoyed playing this classic piece of music as part of the repertory for the seven-strings guitar. Published on the album Flick Flack, Film & Edit (Lennart Miketta) recorded by Kerani Music.
Variations on the folk theme “quiero ser tu sombra” with Michiel Wiesenekker as my duo partner. Translated into English, the title runs I want to be your shadow. Isn’t that romantic? Published on the album Flick Flack, Film & Edit (Lennart Miketta), recorded by Kerani Music.
Flicck Flack (by A. Vossen), played in trio together with Marijke and Michiel Wiesenekker. It was a challenge for 19 strings though we enjoyed the virtuoso piece of music by the Aachen composer Albert Vossen. Published on the album Flick Flack, Film & Edit (Lennart Miketta), recorded by Kerani Music.
Please view more video’s on my YouTube Channel!
Albums
Flick Flack (2017)
The backflip – Flick Flack in German – is an acrobatic handspring executed backwards and which demands much talent and practice. In a musical backflip i reconstructed a totally new repertory for the seven-strings guitar. Thanks to the arrangements and compositions, the instrument shows itself at its new and hitherto unknown sides. the CD may be a break of familiar patterns. However, it shows the path towards the future of the seven-strings guitar. I dedicate this CD to my first guitar teacher, Mr G.A. Fetissov.
1. Fantasie c-moll – S.L. Weiss
2. Les tendres plaintes – J.P. Rameau
3. L’Egyptienne – J.P. Rameau
4. Variationen über ein Volkslied „Mutter ich habe Kopfweh“ – M. Vysotsky
5. Silencio – B. Perrote / S. Orechov
6. Waltz „Schneeflöckchen“ – M.Pavlov – Azancheev
7. Omaggio a Francisco Tárrega – M. Lysov
8. Indifférence – A. Murena / J. Colombo
9. Variationen über das Volksthema „Quiero ser tu sombra“ – M. Lysov
10. Hora & Csardas – M. Lysov
11. Flick-Flack – A. Vossen
Maxim Lysov, 1 – 11 semistrunnaya (Russian 7-string guitar)
Michiel Wiesenekker, 9 – 10 – 11 classic guitar
Marijke Wiesenekker, 10 – 11 acoustic bass guitar
Recording: Arno Op den Camp, Kerani Music, Stein NL
Gitara Semistrunnaya (2004)
Russian gipsy pieces on the 7-stringed guitar. Gitara Semistrunnaya is recorded in collaboration with Michiel Wiesenekker (6-stringed guitar).
1. Das Herbstlaub – N.Titov (Bearb. W. Yurev)
2. I. Sokolov – Moskauer Polka (Bearb. S. Orechov)
3. Mar Djandja – Zigeunerweise
4. Zigeuner Polka – I. Sokolov (Checrnorechenskaja Datscha)
5. Walz – A. Düran
6. Csardas – V. Monti
7. Die Zigeuner ziehen – Zigeunerweise
8. Die helle Nacht – B. Bulachov
9. Die Trauerweide – B. Bulachov
Recording: Arno Op den Camp, Kerani Music, Stein NL
Concerts
November 18, 2018 at 5 p.m. – Krefeld (Germany)
Guitar, mandolin & balalaika with Marijke Wiesenekker and Roman Ortner, in collaboration with the orchestra Krefeld-Hüls e. V.
Christus Kirche
Schönwasserstraße 104
47800 Krefeld
Germany
Workshops
in Juli 2019 – Oberwesel (Germany)
Sommerkurs am Romantischen Rhein, with Marijke and Michiel Wiesenekker, Tabea Förster, Adrian Kaperien and Stefan Gymsa.
Jugendherberge Oberwesel
Auf dem Schönberg
55430 Oberwesel, Germany
in August 2019 – Lieboch (Austria)
“Giocoso XXI” internationale Sommerschule für Zupfmusik. With Natalia Marashova, Vincente Beer Demander, Peter Forgach, Olivia Artner, Haruki Noida and Marijke Wiesenekker.
Projects
I have always been a very versatile musician, here I introduce you to my projects:
Wiesenekker-Lysov-Trio
A Russian-Dutch collaboration. We offer a colourful repertory of all epochs and styles – from the baroque and classical periods to blues, polkas, and klezmer.
My trio partners are the sister and brother Marijke (mandolin) and Michiel Wiesenekker (guitar) from Amsterdam. Feel free to listen to a sample of our music here!
Balalaika and Guitar Duo
One of Russia’s most popular line-ups in chamber music.
I have met Roman Ortner in Wuppertal, were we played together in the ensemble “Wolga-Virtuose”, enjoying this a lot. Over the years this resulted in a close friendship. Every now and then we preform together sharing the love for Russian folk music with our audience.
Roman Ortner was born in Kazakhstan into a family of musicians. At the age of 15 he started his training as a balalaika soloist at the Kazakh National Academy of Music. He graduated “cum laude” as conductor and balalaika soloist from The Chelyabinsk College of Music.
Roman has been working in different chamber orchestras. And for years, he was soloist and concertmaster of “Malachite”, one of the most important Balalayka orchestras in Russia. His career has been marked by concerts all over Germany and Europe, public appearances on air and tv as well the release of a cd.
Quattro Canti
Our repertory comprises polkas, classical music, Russian romances, rags, swing and pop. I enjoy sharing the stage with Roman Ortner (balalaika), Marijke and Michiel Wiesenekker (mandolin, guitar, bass).
North Rhine-Westphalia string orchestra of senior musicians “Altra Volta”
This regional orchestra, founded in 2010, chose “Altra Volta” as its name, meaning “once again”. It describes players’ passion they have dedicated most of their lives to and which they have been exercising regularly in their home orchestra’s, aiming at executing string music also on a national level. Rehearsals take place in Wuppertal-Barmen three to four times a year for a whole day. The approximately 30 string musicians played church concerts and took part in music festivals such as the regional festival of the “Association of German String Orchestras” (BDZ), held in Wesseling, North Rhine Westfalia, and the “German Orchestra Meeting 60+” Bad Kissingen, Bavaria.
Contact
I am happy to play on your event (price on request).
Here are my contact details:
Maxim Lysov
Baumstraße.14
42117 Wuppertal
Germany
Telephone.: +49 202 27258506
Mobile.: +49 163 5926 135