The new lyrical cycle which M. Kosarev Stanislav Gromov's concerts fulfil our eternal need for beauty. When a beautiful person with a beautiful voice sings beautiful songs, this "tautology" does not seem out of place. His concert program is well assembled and while he deserves an award for this area of his art, it is merely the topping on the cake. Before the audience is a singing actor. He stands virtually motionless, arms full and sings to his own accompaniment on the guitar. His voice undergoes a series of transformations and softly exudes a wave of warmth in Russian romances. It displays instrumental versatility in jazz ballads, where the artist's voice is overlaid with an emulative coloring reminiscent of the instruments in a jazz band. Gromov himself sets classical poetry to music, which mainly consists of his own works. And even though he humbly refers to his compositions as "musical readings of poetry", they can rightfully be termed musical interpretations. Stanislav enjoys a good reputation in professional circles, but he is not yet considered a celebrity. The main reason for this is because he refuses to sing pop music, sticking to his own style. The other reason, which is probably the most important, is that nowadays serious and real art has to follow an arduous path in Russia to reach success. A. Sokhrina
O. Isaeva
S. Kirichenko His songs were first broadcast on foreign radios. Only at a later time were his performances publicized in leading Russian newspapers and magazines. He was spoken of, however, in the Eighties, by Leonid Utesov. Stanislav Gromov is a performer endowed with a rare vocal gift and stage presence. He found his way to fame in a way that typifies many other of Russia's celebrities. It has been a long and painstaking road. He was born in Chita and raised in Samara. I.Lukyanova
On one occasion he told me that his talent as a musician surfaced much later than usual among his peers. This is the way it happened. He enrolled at Music School at a late age and the same thing is true for his admission to the Workshop of Variety Art. A Davydova
Moscow His music conveys an amazing depth, power and variety of tonal dimensions. The listener is enveloped in a vortex of dazzling sonic effects. His strong, yet mellow and pleasant voice completely captivates the audience with a full range of feelings and emotions. Different people tend to react to his art in nearly the same way. They observe a respectful silence so as not to miss a single note, bar or word. This type of collective reaction likely stems from the fact that most people are tired of low-brow commercial music, where one performer is virtually indistinguishable from the next. Even the voices of these vocalists seem to be a lackluster repetition of one another, and the listener yearns for some genuinely sincere music which is a work of love, which can be listened to again and again regardless of mood or surroundings. This is the kind of music which Stanislav Gromov composes. His albums were released abroad, although he began his musical career as singer and composer in Russia. Gromov consistently mesmerizes his audience through his prodigious inner strength, unusual energy and magnetic personality. He is also a great story teller, possesses a keen sense of humor and compels his interlocutors to focus on what he is trying to say. Gromov admits he has a complex personality which is not easily understood by his friends and relatives, since "I make excessive demands of myself and other people I associate with both in my everyday and professional life. Admittedly, this does not appeal to everyone. Therefore it usually turns out that people accept me both as a human being and as a musician. There's no middle ground here." E. Yegorova |
debuted at Moscow's Central House of Artists is called "Monologue of an Unknown Artist". Stanislav took part in it both as composer and performer. He engaged in a meaningful dialog with his audience. In 1980 Leonid Utesov made Gromov known to the public at large by asking him to sing a solo performance with the RSFSR Variety Orchestra. And every time this vocalist takes the stage I cannot help but recall the words spoken by the Master on that occasion: "There is every reason to believe that a brilliant future is in store for this performer".
He can create the illusion of an orchestra using only his voice and a single instrument. The listener is surprised, for example, to hear a filigree falsetto voice phase in a "violin" following a deep bass baritone. "The guitar is my orchestra." - says the musician. I would only one thing to this: "He is a one-man band!"
Stanislav knows how to command an audience. His own destiny has left an indelible imprint on his creative works. He lost his mother at an early age. Once people questioned whether or not he would be able to make it as a musician and there was no talk of his personal charisma. This has prompted Gromov to consider the meaning of life on many occasions. Perhaps this is why he treats philosophical themes in music so cogently. He has learned to work honestly and with self-denial, which means giving a small part of himself to his audience at every concert. It is better to go on stage as an unknown individual and leave as a celebrity, Gromov claims, i.e. a celebrity that people will willingly listen to again some other time.
He started college at a later age than usual after studying and reaching many accomplishments on his own. Stanislav knew exactly how he was going to sing. His manner blends lyricism, refined acoustical accompaniment and a subtle interplay of poetry and musical arrangement.
In 1993 he received an offer from a French businessman by the name of Monsieur Pratt to release his first solo compact disk in Paris. The recording equipment was set up in a Catholic cathedral. The CD was scheduled to be finished within 10 days. But the recording was completed in three days. The album included songs set to the words of the Russian poet V. Khodaseyevich, K. Balmont and the vocalise "Paris by Night", written in a cafe at Champs Elysees and the "Road to Rouan", which was composed during train trip. This CD is obviously intended for listeners who are conversant in and fond of the Russian language. There are many such people in Europe. There are even more in Russia, but as yet there are no plans to market Gromov's CD in Russia. Perhaps some time before long . . .
When Stanislav Gromov takes the stage his audience is involuntarily captivated. The artist is tall and looks fashionable in his black and white suit with long flowing hair down to his shoulders. He is somewhat reminiscent of a demon who rivets the attention of his audience with a magic velvety voice. The overtones of his deep penetrating voice give a special expressive force and passion to his lyrics, which unlocks the philosophical secret of being. Romances and blues, jazz compositions and ballads, as well as his musical renditions of the poetry of Shakespeare, Shelley, Balmont, Khodasevich and Davydov all sound refreshing and original to the ear.
His magical talent is still unknown to a large number of music lovers in Russia. Stanislav Gromov does not perform very often in Moscow music halls, since most of these venues do not meet his stringent requirements as a professional musician. As a matter of fact, each and every solo performance is thoroughly rehearsed, well thought out, arranged and requires a tremendous amount of involvement on the part of all those who attend his magnificent productions.