The secret of "Alexandre bouquets" was disclosed in the Presidential Library

May 31, 2018 the Presidential Library hosted the regular concert of the musical and educational project "Music of the Russian Statehood": "Alexander I - the Blessed One".

Emperor Alexander I was associated with music all his life. He played the violin well, collected flutes, and his teacher was the virtuoso Ferdinand Dietz. Under Alexander I was created the Russian Philharmonic Society, which, carrying out charity concerts, paid pensions to widows and orphaned children of musicians.

The star of the concert, which took place in the Presidential Library, was Daniel Lebhardt, representative of the new European school of piano art. The musician is officially recognized as the most promising pianist of the world. The owner of many international awards, Lebhardt played in concert halls and museums in the US, Germany and Austria. His performances are expected in the Louvre in Paris, in the Wigmore Hall in London, the Budapest Museum of Liszt. In the performance of Daniel Lebhardt, the music of the favorite composer of Emperor Alexander I - Ludwig van Beethoven - was performed.

An unexpected connection between Beethoven and Russia, according to tradition, supplementing the performance part of the program, was told about by historian and writer Alexander Myasnikov. He also uncovered the mystery of the so-called "Alexandre bouquets", the fashion for which at the beginning of the XIX century was first swept through St. Petersburg, and then the entire Russian Empire. Petersburg magazine described the birth of this fashion: "In memory of the stay of Emperor Alexander in Europe, ladies took the rule of wearing bouquets that are created from flowers, which in the initial letters of their names are Alexandre. No decent woman dares to show up in society, either in the theater or on a walk without these bouquets. "Together with the "Alexandre bouquets", the language of flowers came to Russia. Flowers allowed to initiate acquaintance, to show their interest, to hint at the fervor of feelings or, on the contrary, to utter indifference. Flower variations allowed to conduct silent dialogues and express a complex range of experiences. Sometimes flowers were even sent instead of letters. For example, hyacinth according to the number of buds "appointed" the day of the meeting, and the bell by the number of flowers "specified" the hour of the meeting.

A general romantic interest in "Alexandre bouquets" had an impact on the musical culture of the country. It was at this time in Russia when began to enter into fashion lyrical romances. "Bestsellers" of the era of Alexander I - romances of Alyabyev, Varlamov, Gurilyov sounded in the Presidential Library performed by soloists of the Mariinsky Theater Antonina Vesenina (coloratura soprano) and Maria Bayankina (soprano), whose voices became a true decoration of the evening. "Unfinished trio for violin, cello and piano" by Alyabyev was performed by Maria Safaryants, Sergei Slovachevsky and Stanislav Solovyov.

The concert was also attended by the Konstantinovsky Orchestra conducted by I. Derbilov and the “Maly Trianon” Theater.

"Music of the Russian Statehood" is a cycle of ten multimedia concerts accompanied by a fascinating narrative of the famous Russian historian, writer Alexander Myasnikov. The organizers are the Foundation of the International Festival of Classical Music "Palaces of St. Petersburg" and the Presidential Library. All the events take place in the Presidential Library.