The vocal-instrumental ensemble "Ariel" refers to those creative teams that are commonly called legendary. The team turns 2020 in 50.
The Ariel group still works in different styles. But the band's favorite genre remains folk-rock in the Russian variation - stylization and arrangement of folk songs. A characteristic feature is the performance of compositions with a share of humor and theatricality.
The beginning of the creative biography of the team of VIA "Ariel"
Chelyabinsk student Lev Fidelman created a group of musicians in 1966. At the end of 1967, during a festive concert, the debut of the young team took place. But the musicians performed only three songs, as the director of the school intervened, forbidding them to continue the performance. But this failure did not lessen the enthusiasm of the guys. Valery Parshukov, who was then the producer of the group, suggested the name "Ariel".
So that the valiant Soviet censorship would not encroach on this name, Parshukov explained that the ensemble received such a name in honor of the hero of the novel Alexander Belyaev. The group's repertoire included songs by The Beatles, but with Russian lyrics. Moreover, the musicians wrote the words themselves.
In 1970, the Komsomol activists of Chelyabinsk decided to hold a competition of three well-known groups. The organizers invited VIA "Ariel", "Allegro" and "Pilgrim". Members of the Pilgrim group did not appear at this meeting.
As a result, it was decided to create an ensemble, which was left with the proud name "Ariel". Valery Yarushin was entrusted to lead them. Since then, November 7, 1970 is considered the day of the creation of the team.
Contests, wins...
In 1971, the qualifying round of the contest "Hello, we are looking for talents" took place. The team had the main question - what to perform in the competition program? The guys understood that they would not be allowed to sing Western songs. But the Komsomol-patriotic ones did not want to sing.
Yarushin offered to perform two songs - "Oh frost, frost" and "Nothing sways in the field." The proposal was not accepted at first, but Valery managed to convince his colleagues. The performances took place in the Chelyabinsk Sports Palace "Youth" in the presence of 5 thousand spectators. It was a success! VIA "Ariel" became the winner.
The next stage took place in Sverdlovsk. The group "Ariel" was a participant, and no one doubted the victory. But among the contestants was the Yalla team from Tashkent. The Ariel group had no chance of winning, everything was decided by the national question. The team "Yalla" took 1st place, "Ariel" - 2nd. This loss greatly influenced the ambitions of the artists. Feldman could not stand it and left the team. Sergey Sharikov, keyboardist from the Pilgrim group, came to the vacant seat.
The team continued to diligently rehearse and prepare for the competition - the Silver Strings festival. The festival was held in the city of Gorky and was dedicated to the 650th anniversary of the city. More than 30 teams from different parts of the country participated in the competition.
Here, one composition "to choose from" was allowed to be performed in English. For the competition, Lev Gurov composed a masterpiece - a song about the soldiers who died at the front "Silence". Valery made an arrangement and a solo for the organ.
In addition to the composition "Silence", the ensemble performed the songs "The Swan Lagged Behind" and Golden Slumbers. The group "Ariel" won the victory together with the trio "Skomorokhi" with Alexander Gradsky. And the song "Silence" won a special award for citizenship themes.
Valery Slepukhin left for the army. He was replaced by the young Sergei Antonov. And in 1972, another musician appeared in the team - Vladimir Kindinov.
The group "Ariel" was invited to Latvia to the traditional music festival "Amber of Liepaja". For this event, Valery wrote a paraphrase on the theme of the song "They gave to the young." According to the author, this is the best that he has created in the style of folk-rock.
Ariel has become a professional team
The team "Ariel" made a sensation and won the "Small Amber" prize for winning in its category. Raimonds Pauls after the end of the competition congratulated the team and invited them to record a record at a studio in Riga. It was an interesting creative process in which the musicians "plunged headlong".
Meanwhile, in Chelyabinsk, an order was being prepared to expel students Kaplun and Kindinov for being two days late for classes. And this is just three months before graduation.
Through difficult paths, they were able to achieve recovery. But with the condition that the guilty create the ensemble "Youth of the Urals", forget about the group "Ariel", and not let Yarushin "on the threshold." A difficult period began in the life of the team. I had to sing in restaurants, study tavern hits and Caucasian folklore.
But in 1973 something happened that is hard to believe. In May, the Literary Gazette published an article by Nikita Bogoslovsky "A difficult but easy genre ...". The author reflected on the modern stage, criticized many. But there were only laudatory words about the Ariel group. In Chelyabinsk, this article had the effect of a "bombshell".
A meeting was held in the Regional Committee on an acute issue - where did the Ariel ensemble disappear to? The leaders of the Chelyabinsk Philharmonic invited Yarushin for a serious conversation and offered to work for them on staff. Ariel has become a serious professional team.
"Gold composition"
In 1974 the ensemble left Kindinov. Rostislav Gepp ("Allegro") joined the team. Boris Kaplun, who had served, soon returned. In September 1974, the "Golden Composition" of the team was formed for 15 years. These are Valery Yarushin, Lev Gurov, Boris Kaplun, Rostislav Gepp, Sergey Sharikov, Sergey Antonov.
In 1974, the team became the winner of the All-Russian competition for young pop artists. This success opened up great prospects for the team - concerts, tours, recording records, work on television.
In 1975, the group "Ariel" with Alla Pugacheva and Valery Obodzinsky recorded songs for the musical film about the landing troops "Between Heaven and Earth". Music by Alexander Zatsepin. Then a record with songs from this film was released, which was sold in huge numbers.
In parallel with the film, they worked on the first disc - a giant, with the unpretentious name "Ariel". The disc was sold out from store shelves.
Ariel tour times
Then there were tours to Odessa, Simferopol, Kirov and other cities. And the long-awaited foreign trip - the GDR, Poland, Czechoslovakia. The team participated in the Soviet song contest in the city of Zielona Gora. The band's performance was well received.
In 1977, the album "Russian Pictures" was released. For more than two years, he lost only “According to the Wave of My Memory” (David Tukhmanov) in the charts for more than two years.
At this time, the team toured a lot - Ukraine, Moldova. Baltic.
In the spring of 1978, the premiere of the rock opera Emelyan Pugachev took place in Chelyabinsk. The success was resounding, performances took place all over the country. The press wrote only rave reviews.
The authority was strengthened and the popularity of the ensemble continued to increase. In the ratings, the Ariel group was second only to VIA "Pesnyary". The touring geography has expanded. At the end of 1979, the team went to Cuba as a participant in the youth festival.
In 1980, the team performed at the cultural events of the Moscow Olympic Games. And he was also an invited guest at the Spring Rhythms - 80 festival in Tbilisi.
The ensemble has toured extensively and successfully. In 1982, the musicians performed at venues in the FRG and the GDR. This was followed by tours - Vietnam, Laos, France, Spain, Cyprus.
In the late 1980s, a difficult situation developed in the team. Disagreements led to an inevitable ending. In 1989, Valery Yarushin resigned of his own free will from the Philharmonic and Ensemble.
VIA "Ariel" continued to work. In 2015, the team celebrated its 45th anniversary with a gala concert with the Ariel-45 program by releasing a double DVD.
In 2018, a big concert was held at the Kremlin Palace dedicated to the band's anniversary date - 50 years on stage. There was a reunion of the new composition of the Ariel and Golden Composition groups. Unfortunately, Lev Gurov and Sergey Antonov passed away.
