Rosgvardia Academic Song and Dance Ensemble

The Rosgvardia Academic Song and Dance Ensemble, formerly known as the MVD Ensemble, is an official academic ensemble of the National Guard of Russia and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation (Russian MVD). Established in 1939, the ensemble carries on the tradition of choirs and ballets of the Soviet Red Army, with singers, musicians and dancers.[1]

This article is about Ministry of the Interior choir. For Russian armed forces choir, see Alexandrov Ensemble.

History

The MVD Ensemble was born to serve and sustain the Soviet state. Its task was to lift the morale of the exhausted troops, and it did so by glorifying the revolutionary ideal, allowing people to re-live the spirit of the October Revolution and the storming of the Winter Palace.

The Alexandrov Ensemble, under the patronage of the Ministry of Defense, was founded in 1928, and The MVD Ensemble under that of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in 1939 but dissolved until 1974.[2]

Ensemble MVD was established in 1939 under the direction of Alexander Vassilivitch. General Victor Eliseev[3] recreated the ensemble in 1974 when he joined as chief of choir, then becoming director of MVD Ensemble in 1985.

The Ensemble's repertoire is composed of traditional Russian music, sacred music, opera arias and popular music, such as "Katyusha", "Kalinka", "Kernina", "Ave Maria".

Since the 1980s, The Ensemble MVD has performed on all continents after modernizing their repertoire. Ensemble MVD has realized more than seven thousand performances in several languages, and more than 20 million viewers worldwide. In this way, Ensemble MVD met Pope John Paul II[4] in Rome, or opening the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.

The MVD Ensemble in 2007

It is the only military unit of the MVD having received the "Star Platinum", on the avenue dedicated to great Russian artists, and it counts fifty of its artists that have received the supreme title of "Emeritus Artist of Russia".

In 2014, the MVD Ensemble and Chorus opened the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, on request of their french producer Thierry Wolf,[5] singing a cover of Daft Punk's "Get Lucky". On December 29 of the same year, the group released a video cover of Pharrell Williams's "Happy".[6]

General Viktor Eliseev
Main article: Viktor Yeliseyev
Yeliseyev in 2017
Yeliseyev with North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the 2019 Russian-North Korean Summit.

Viktor Eliseev was born 9 June 1950, in Moscow. He studied music and was graduated Major promotion of "Government Music Institute" in 1976. He joined the corps of the Ministry of the Interior in 1973, and become director of The Red Army Choir MVD in 1985. He was elected "Man of the Year for the Culture" in 2007, and winning in China in 2009.

Collaborations

Vincent Niclo

The young French tenor Vincent Niclo wanted to record an album of great opera arias. He sent some songs to Thierry Wolf, impresario of the Ensemble[7] MVD, and General Eliseev was interested. The Choir then invited Niclo on their French tour in March 2012 in which he sang two songs from the album Ameno and the French anthem, the "Marseillaise".

The 2012 album Opera Rouge was rewarded with Triple Platinum Award for 300 000 copies sold.[8]

Niclo was invited to sing with Ensemble MVD at Kremlin in Moscow on 10 November 2012, to the occasion of the anniversary of the Russian Revolution of 1917.[9] He is the first French artist invited to sing at this venue.

In March 2013, The Ensemble MVD invited Niclo again on their tour of France, Switzerland and Belgium.

Collaboration between the Ensemble MVD and Niclo continued when Thierry Wolf produced the album O Fortuna[10] in October 2013 in Germany.[11]

Julia Migenes

During the French issue, 300 choirs for Christmas was broadcast on 25 December 2012, on the French channel TF1, the American soprano Julia Migenes performed with Vincent Niclo and the Red Army Choir the title "Libiamo" from Verdi's La traviata on the album Opera Rouge.[12]

Celine Dion

For the release of her new album, Celine Dion broadcast a show on 24 November 2012 on French TV, where she performed her biggest hits with un guests. On this occasion Ensemble MVD and Vincent Niclo interpreted "All by Myself" near her.[13] She invited Niclo to open the seven concerts that she gives in Paris and Anvers in November and December 2013.[14]

Notes and references
  1. https://www.rt.com/russia/447375-police-chorus-last-christmas/amp/
  2. All Red Army Choir's history on this French book: Ce Choeur qui fait battre le notre, Deltamedia Publishing, 2008
  3. http://fr.nextews.com/15f30e16/
  4. General Eliseev with the Pope John Paul Archived 2014-11-03 at the Wayback Machine
  5. interview Victor Eliseev and his producer
  6. "Red Army Choir gets 'Happy' with amazing Pharrell Williams cover". RT. RT. 2015-01-02. Retrieved 2015-01-03.
  7. https://www.leparisien.fr/culture-loisirs/l-armee-rouge-ne-manque-pas-de-choeurs-14-10-2012-2231193.php
  8. More 300 000 copies sold for Opera Rouge
  9. Les Choeurs de l'Armée Rouge MVD (21 November 2012). "Les Choeurs de l'Armée Rouge & Vincent Niclo au Kremlin (Moscou) - Non Ho Mai". Retrieved 25 December 2016 – via YouTube.
  10. http://www.mediabiz.de/musik/news/universal-label-panorama-nimmt-chor-der-roten-armee-unter-vertrag/337651/6309
  11. O Fortuna was released on Deutsche Grammophon in Germany on October 18, 2013
  12. Les Choeurs de l'Armée Rouge MVD (6 February 2013). "Les Choeurs de l'Armée Rouge, Vincent Niclo & Julia Migenés - Libiamo Ne' Lietit Calici". Retrieved 25 December 2016 – via YouTube.
  13. Red Army Choir and Vincent Niclo interpret "All By Myself" near Celine Dion on French TV on November 24, 2012
  14. On her website, Celine Dion announces 7 shows with Red Army Choir and Niclo on November and December 2013
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