A peasant girl (middle) wearing a brocade sarafan in 1909. A simple black sarafan

A Sarafan (Russian: сарафан, from Persian sеrāрā^{[citation needed]}) is a traditional Russian long, trapeze-shaped jumper dress (pinafore) worn as Russian folk costume by women and girls.

Chronicles first mention it under the year 1376, and since that time it was worn well until the 20th century. It is now worn as folk costume for performing Russian folk songs and folk dancing. Plain sarafans are still designed and worn today as a summer-time light dress.^[1][2]

It was the dress worn by peasant girls and women in the central and northern part of Russia until the 20th century. Russian women from the upper and middle classes stopped wearing traditional Russian costume in the 18th century, during Peter the Great's modernization of Russia, apart from the kokoshniks as part a court dress (although the clothing style of Russian aristocrats differed greatly from those of commoners). It is now worn as folk costume for performing Russian folk songs and folk dancing.

Sarafans could be of single piece construction with thin shoulder straps over which a sleeveless vest, called a "dushegreya" is sometimes worn, giving the shape of the body of a smaller triangle over a larger one. It comes in different styles such as the simpler black, flower- or check-patterned versions formerly used for everyday wear, or the elaborate brocade versions formerly reserved for special occasions. The head-dress usually worn with the sarafan today in folk performances is the kokoshnik, although in the past a head scarf tied under the chin or at the back of the head was part of everyday dress.

Plain sarafans are still designed and worn today as a summer-time light dress without the traditional Russian blouse. They can be worn during folk music and dance performances and are produced as souvenirs.^{[citation needed]}

References[link]

External links[link]

• Sarafan photos

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James Last in 2006

James Last (also known as "Hansi") (born Hans Last, 17 April 1929, Bremen, Germany) is a German composer and big band leader. His "happy music" made his numerous albums best-sellers in Germany and the United Kingdom. His composition, "Happy Heart", became an international success in interpretations by Andy Williams and Petula Clark. According to the British Hit Singles & Albums book, he has reportedly sold in excess of seventy million albums worldwide.^[1]

Early life[link]

Last's father was an official at the public works department of the city of Bremen and he grew up in the suburb of Sebaldsbrück. He learned to play the piano from the age of 12, then switched to double bass as a teenager. His home city was heavily bombed in World War II and he ran messages to air defence command posts during raids. At 14 he was entered in the Bückeburg Military Music School of the German Wehrmacht.^[2]

After the fall of the Nazis, he joined Hans-Gunther Österreich's Radio Bremen Dance Orchestra in 1946. In 1948, he became the leader of the Last-Becker Ensemble, which performed for seven years. During that time, he was voted as the best bassist in the country by a German jazz poll for three consecutive years, from 1950–1952. After the Last-Becker Ensemble disbanded, he became the in-house arranger for Polydor Records, as well as for a number of European radio stations. For the next decade, he helped arrange hits for artists like Helmut Zacharias, Freddy Quinn, Lolita, Alfred Hause and Caterina Valente.

Work[link]

Last first released albums in the U.S. under the titles The American Patrol on Warner Brothers around 1964. He also released a series of nine albums in a series called Classics Up To Date vols. 1–9 which served up arrangements of classical melodies with strings, rhythm and wordless chorus from the mid 1960s through the early 1970s. Last released an album, Non-Stop Dancing, in 1965, a recording of brief renditions of popular songs, all tied together by an insistent dance beat and crowd noises. It was a hit and helped make him a major European star. Over the next four decades, Last released over 190 records, including several more volumes of Non-Stop Dancing. On these records, he varies his formula by adding different songs from different countries and genres, as well as guest performers like Richard Clayderman and Astrud Gilberto. He also had his own successful television series in the 1970s with guests ABBA and Lynsey de Paul.

Though his concerts and albums are consistently successful, especially in the UK, where he had 52 hit albums between 1967 and 1986, which made him second only to Elvis Presley in charting records,^{[citation needed]} he has had relatively few hit singles. In the UK, his only chart singles were "The Seduction", the theme from American Gigolo (1980) composed by Giorgio Moroder, and "Biscaya" from the album Biscaya. In the US, where "The Seduction" became a Top 40 hit, peaking at No. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 22 on the Adult Contemporary chart in May 1980, Last was somewhat more successful on the singles charts. In 2003, his song "The Lonely Shepherd" which features the pan flute of Gheorghe Zamfir appeared on the soundtrack of the Quentin Tarantino movie Kill Bill: Vol. 1.^[3]

He has won numerous popular and professional awards, including Billboard magazine's Star of the Year trophy in 1976, and has been honoured for lifetime achievement with the German ECHO prize in 1994. His song "Music from Across the Way" (recorded by Andy Williams in 1972) is a melody with a classical feeling and was a worldwide hit; it is the only other Last single apart from "The Seduction" to reach the U.S. Hot 100, where it peaked at No. 84 (and No. 18 on the Adult Contemporary chart) in late 1971. (His only other U.S. chart single was a double-sided entry featuring remakes of The Village Stompers' "Washington Square" and Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Proud Mary", which reached No. 22 on the Adult Contemporary chart in early 1971.)

Last has a large fan base in Europe and elsewhere. His trademark is big band arrangements of pop music hits; his series of party albums is equally well known. Over the course of his career, he has sold well over 100 million albums.^[4] In the United States, Last's music was a staple of the mainly instrumental-based Beautiful Music radio format for years.

European concert dates for April 2011 have been advertised.^[5]

Personal life[link]

Last divides his time between Florida and Germany. He gives much credit to his wife and son, who help with his music.

Discography[link]

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See also[link]

• James Last Orchestra
• List of best-selling music artists

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: James Last

• Official website

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Paul Mauriat (4 March 1925 – 3 November 2006) was a French orchestra leader, conductor of Le Grand Orchestre de Paul Mauriat, who specialized in the easy listening genre. He is best known in the United States for his million selling remake of André Popp's "Love is Blue", which was #1 for 5 weeks in 1968. Other recordings for which he is known include El Bimbo, "Toccata" and "Penelope."

Biography[link]

Mauriat was born and grew up in Marseille, France. His father was a postal inspector who loved to play classical piano and violin. Mauriat began playing music at the age of four and enrolled in the Conservatoire in Paris at the age of 10, but by the time he was 17, he had fallen in love with jazz and popular music. During World War II, Mauriat started his own dance band and toured concert halls throughout Europe. In the 1950s he became musical director to at least two well-known French singers, Charles Aznavour and Maurice Chevalier, touring with them respectively.

In 1957, Mauriat released his first EP Paul Mauriat, a four track RGM release. Between 1959–1964 Mauriat recorded several albums on the Bel-Air record label under the name Paul Mauriat et Son Orchestre, as well as using the various pseudonyms of Richard Audrey, Nico Papadopoulos, Eduardo Ruo and Willy Twist, to better reflect the international flavour of his recordings. During this period, Mauriat also released several recordings with Les Satellites, where he creatively arranged vocal backing harmony for such albums as Slow Rock and Twist, (1961), A Malypense (1962) and Les Satellites Chantent Noel (1964).

Mauriat composed the music for several French movie soundtracks (also released on Bel-Air), including Un Taxi Pour Tobrouk (1961), Horace 62 (1962) and Faits Sauter La Banque (1964).

He wrote his first song with André Pascal. In 1958 they were prizewinners in the le Coq d'or de la Chanson Française with Rendez-vous au Lavendou. Using the pseudonym of Del Roma, Mauriat was to have his first international hit with Chariot, which he wrote in collaboration with friends Franck Pourcel (co-composer), Jacques Plante (French lyrics) and Raymond Lefèvre (orchestrator). In the United States the song was recorded as I Will Follow Him by Little Peggy March and became #1 on the Billboard charts in all categories for three weeks in 1963. In 1992 the song was featured prominently in the film Sister Act starring Whoopi Goldberg. More recently, Eminem included an extract in his song, Guilty Conscience.

Between 1967 and 1972 he wrote numerous songs for Mireille Mathieu; Mon Crédo (1,335,000 copies sold), Viens dans ma rue, La première étoile, Géant, etc. — to name but a few — and contributed 130 song arrangements for Charles Aznavour.

In 1965 Mauriat established Le Grand Orchestre de Paul Mauriat, and released hundreds of recordings and compilations through the Philips label for the next 28 years. In 1994 he signed with Japanese record company Pony Canyon, where he re-recorded some of his greatest hits and wrote new compositions. Mauriat recorded many of these albums in both Paris and London, utilising several English classical musicians in these recordings.

In 1968 his cover of the Andre Popp/Pierre Cour tune “L’Amour Est Bleu” (“Love Is Blue”) became a number 1 hit in the U.S.. The song spent five weeks at the top of the charts. Two other Mauriat singles also made the charts in the U.S - “Love in Every Room” and the title theme from the movie "Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang". “Love Is Blue” was the first instrumental to hit number 1 on the Billboard charts since the Tornados hit with “Telstar” in 1962 and the only American number-one single to be recorded in France. The success of the song and the album on which it appeared, Blooming Hits, established Mauriat as an international recording star.

In 1969, Mauriat started his first world tour with his Grand Orchestra, visiting countries like the United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Brazil and other Latin American countries.

In 1974 Mauriat released an entire album that paid homage to his musical roots. Classics in the Air features classical music, like Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor”, and Pachelbel’s “Canon”, given the “Mauriat” spin.

For several decades, some of Mauriat's compositions served as musical tracks for Soviet television programmes and short movies, such as the 1977 animated Polygon (film), "In the world of animals" (V mire zhivotnykh) and "Kinopanorama", among others.^[1].

Mauriat retired from performing in 1998. He gave his final performance in the Sayonara Concert, recorded live in Osaka, Japan, but his orchestra continued to tour around the world before his death in 2006. Mauriat's former lead pianist, Gilles Gambus, became the orchestra's conductor in 2000 and led successful tours of Japan, China, and Russia. Gambus had worked with Mauriat for more than 25 years. In 2005, classical French Horn instrumentalist, Jean-Jacques Justafre conducted the orchestra during a tour of Japan and Korea. The Paul Mauriat Grand Orchestra ceased to exist after the Maestro's death in 2006.

Paul Mauriat had a special relationship with Japan, where he toured most throughout his lifetime. For this reason, Mme Irène Mauriat, Paul Mauriat's widow and only heir, authorised an exceptional concert tour led by Mr. Justafré which took place in late 2009, under the title "Merci Paul: Paul Mauriat Memorial Concert". This was the only tour authorised by Paul Mauriat's widow after his death. Mauriat was very popular in Japan and many of the CD’s of his recordings available now are Japanese imports.

After this tour, in order to avoid any confusion, Mme Irène Mauriat issued a public declaration to remind fans that Paul Mauriat left no musical successor. No other orchestra is authorised to use his name. When Paul Mauriat retired from the stage, he remained fully in charge of his orchestra's artistic direction — choice of conductors, musicians, programmes, etc. He never delegated this role, and it was his wish that the orchestra's life would end with his own.

Paul Mauriat died on 3 November 2006 in Perpignan, France, age 81.

Career and awards[link]

Relative to his peers, Paul Mauriat has one of the largest recording catalogs, featuring more than 1,000 titles just from his Polygram era (1965–1993). He was awarded the Grand Prix (Grand Prize) from the French recording industry, a MIDEM trophy, and in 1997 won the prestigious distinction of Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres from the French Ministry of Culture. He sold over 40 million albums worldwide and held 28 tours in Japan from 1969 to 1998.

In the early to mid-1980s, Paul Mauriat appeared in several Japanese coffee and wine television commercials, which featured music from his orchestra.

A line of saxophones are named for Paul Mauriat, known as P. Mauriat Saxophones.

His 1967 single recording "Love is Blue", and the 2006 album Blooming Hits, each sold over one million copies. The single was awarded a gold disc by the Recording Industry Association of America in March 1968.^[2]

Discography[link]

Singles[link]

• "Puppet on a String" (1967)
• "Love Is Blue" (U.S. #1, 1968; AC #1, 1968)
• "Love in Every Room" (U.S. #60, 1968; AC #7, 1968)
• "San Francisco" (U.S. #103, 1968; AC #16, 1968)
• "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" (U.S. #76, 1969; AC #24, 1969)
• "Hey Jude" (U.S. #119, 1969; AC # 24, 1969)
• "Je T'aime Moi Non Plus" (AC #35, January 1970)
• "Gone Is Love" (AC #32, September 1970)
• "Apres Toi (Come What May)" (AC #21, 1972)
• "Taka Takata" (1972)

Albums[link]

See also[link]

• Faites sauter la banque! (film, 1964)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Paul Mauriat | About the composer and conductor
• Ma Musique – O Maestro que Encantou o Mundo
• 2009 Merci Paul: Paul Mauriat Memorial Concert
• Paul Mauriat Official Fan Club
• Gilles Gambus Fan club
• N. American home of P. Mauriat Saxophones
• Paul Mauriat – Todo por la Musica
• INTERVIEW TO MADAME IRÈNE MAURIAT, 17.10.2010
• PaulMauriat.RU ~ Russian fan club
• SERGE ELHAIK (Sep 2002). Paul Mauriat - Une vie en bleu. ISBN 978-2-9518922-0-0.

For the Kyrgyz politician, see Ivan Rebrov.

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Ivan Rebroff
Background information
Birth name	Hans-Rolf Rippert
Born	(1931-07-31)July 31, 1931 Berlin, Germany
Died	February 27, 2008(2008-02-27) (aged 76) Frankfurt, Germany
Genres	International music
Occupations	Singer
Instruments	Vocals

Ivan Rebroff

Ivan Rebroff

Ivan Rebroff (31 July 1931 – 27 February 2008) was a German singer, allegedly of Russian ancestry, with an extraordinary vocal range of four and a half octaves, ranging from the soprano to bass registers.^[1]

Rebroff was born in Berlin as Hans-Rolf Rippert. He was famous for singing Russian folk songs, but also performed opera, light classics and folk songs from many other countries. He was known on stage for his gusto. He performed over 6,000 concerts in his career, including a two-year seven-day-a-week stint at the French opera, singing, among other greats, Fiddler on the Roof. Rebroff still performed 12 shows in 14 days when he was well into his seventies, such as on an Australian tour.

Ivan Rebroff described himself as international, the "connection between East and West". He became a citizen of Greece and lived on the Greek island of Skopelos in the Sporades.

He died in Frankfurt after a long illness. Four days after his death, his brother Horst Rippert, who is nine years his senior (and by his own accounts shot down Antoine de Saint Exupéry), claimed part of Ivan's vast fortune.^[2]

LP Discography[link]

Unknown Year[link]

• Favourites from Mother Russia
• Ivan Rebroff (Includes Lara's Theme and other Popular Melodies)

1968[link]

• Folk Songs from Old Russia (Volksweisen aus dem alten Russland)
• Folk Songs from Old Russia Volume II (Volksweisen aus dem alten Russland 2)
• Original russische Liebeslieder
• Na Sdarowje (Ivan sings about Vodka and Wine)
• Slawische Seele (Compilation album shared with Tatjana Ivanow & Dunja Rajter)

1969[link]

• Beim Klang der Balalaika, Au son des Balalaikas (French version of Beim Klang der Balalaika)
• Abendglocken (Compilation)
• Russische Weihnacht mit Ivan Rebroff
• A Russian Christmas (English version of Russische Weihnacht?)
• Un Violon sur le toit (Soundtrack of French production of Fiddler on the Roof)
• Russische Party ("Live" album)
• Festliche Weihnacht (with Regensburger Domspatzen - Boys' Choir)
• A Festive Christmas (Festliche Weihnacht re-issue)

1970[link]

• Somewhere My Love (English language versions)
• Kosaken müssen reiten (German language versions)
• Ivan Rebroff (Compilation?)

1971[link]

• The Best of Ivan Rebroff (Compilation)
• Ivan Rebroff Sing vir Ons (South African Album-Gold Disk Award)
• Vir Jou Suid-Afrika (South African album)
• Ivan Rebroff (Opera)
• Kalinka (Soundtrack from L'Homme qui vient de la Nuit)
• Mein Russland, Du bist schön (German language versions)
• Starportrait (Compilation)
• Zwischen Donau und Don (with Dunja Rajter)

1972[link]

• Erinnerungen an Russland (Russian language versions)
• The Best of Ivan Rebroff Volume II (Compilation)

1973[link]

• Lieder der Welt (Folk songs from around the world)
• Mein Altes Russland (lushly arranged Russian folk songs)
• 25 Greatest Russian Melodies (Compilation with Tatiana Ivanov (2 duets))
• 20 Greatest Hits (Compilation)

1974[link]

• Russische Party 2 ("Live" album)
• Memories of Russia

1975[link]

• Ivan Rebroff at Carnegie Hall (Live at Carnegie Hall)
• Reich Mir Die Hand
• Russische Lieder Von Liebe und Tod

1977[link]

• Midnight in Moscow (Russian language versions)
• Komm mit nach Hellas (German language versions of Greek songs)

1978[link]

• Mitternacht in Moskau (German version of Midnight in Moscow)

1979[link]

• Ave Maria
• Die Ivan Rebroff Versameling (Compilation of South African tracks)

1980[link]

• Zauber einer großen Stimme — 20 unvergängliche Welterfolge
• Zauber einer großen Stimme — Seine größten Welterfolge
• Die schönsten Lieder dieser Welt (Ivan Rebroff singt 20 unvergängliche Melodien)
• Katharina und Potemkin (TV Musical/Operetta)

CD Discography[link]

2002[link]

• Meine Reise um die Welt
• The Great Ivan Rebroff

2003[link]

• Seine Größten Welterfolge
• Best of Ivan Rebroff
• Golden Stars

Compilation albums[link]

• Festliche Weihnachten
• The Art of Ivan Rebroff
• The Best of Russian Folk Songs Vol. 1
• The Best of Russian Folk Songs Vol. 2
• Erinnerungen an das letzte Jahrhundert (Memories of the Last Century)
• Der Zarewitsch
• Die Fledermaus (As Prince Orlofsky, with Carlos Kleiber & Bavarian State Orchestra)
• Weihnachten mit Ivan Rebroff
• Die schönste Stimme Rußlands
• Kosakenträume

Notes[link]

1. ^ The Guinness book of records, 1993
2. ^ "Heimlicher Bruder will Millionen-Vermögen" (29/2/09) in Aktuelle Nachrichten - Bild.de

External links[link]

• Official web site
• Ivan Rebroff Fan Page