Artist Oleg Leonidovich Lundstrem is called the king of Russian jazz. In the early 40s, he organized an orchestra, which for decades delighted admirers of the classics with brilliant performances.
Childhood and youth
Oleg Leonidovich Lundstrem was born on April 2, 1916 in the Trans-Baikal Territory. He was brought up in an intelligent family. Interestingly, Oleg Leonidovich inherited the surname from his great-grandfather. Rumor has it that great-grandfather famously served the Swiss authorities.
The Lundstrem family settled on the territory of the Far Eastern Republic. The head of the family at first worked in a gymnasium, where he taught science for children from prosperous families. Some time later, he took the post of culture department of the puppet buffer state. Here he got the opportunity to meet a lot of interesting and influential personalities.
After the birth of his younger brother Igor, a large family moved to Harbin. At first, my father taught at a local technical school, and then transferred to a higher educational institution. The head of the family was rapidly climbing the career ladder, but due to the political situation in the country, he could not take place in the profession.
The family lived in comfortable conditions until the father was repressed. Oleg, together with his brother, received a classical education. At the same time, he began to take an interest in music. He often attended concerts.
Oleg was passionately engaged in music, but his parents insisted on getting a solid education. Soon he became a student at the Polytechnic Institute. During this period of time, he takes violin lessons, and also studies musical notation in depth. Lundstrem does not yet suspect what the future holds for him.
In the mid-50s of the last century, his dream came true. The fact is that he graduated with honors from the Kazan Conservatory. Even then, he seriously approached writing musical works.
The maestro got acquainted with modern melodies after listening to Duke Ellington's record. He especially liked the sound of the composition "Dear Old South". He was struck to the core by the jazz arrangements of the American, and he wanted to do something similar.
With the support of his brother, he "put together" the first musical group. The compositions played by the duet were not recorded, so the beauty of their sound can only be guessed at.
The creative path of maestro Oleg Lundstrem
The team of the musician and his brother was called "Shanghai". The guys delighted the audience with the reproduction of popular compositions of the Soviet maestro. The band's first performances were held in a close circle of relatives, friends and jazz admirers.
Soon the team was replenished with new members, and it could already be called a full-fledged orchestra. Lundström took on the role of director and conductor. The composition "Interlude", which until that time had not been heard anywhere, aroused genuine interest among the public. Music lovers begin to closely follow the work of "Shanghai".
After gaining popularity, Oleg thought about returning to his homeland. He was satisfied with the atmosphere that prevailed in Harbin, but he was wildly drawn home. When he returned to the USSR, he faced a number of misunderstandings. In the central cities, the musical style popular abroad was not welcomed. Jazz musicians were simply scattered around the philharmonics, and the head of the ensemble began to regret that he decided to return to the country.
Soon he settled in the cultural center of Kazan. He gathered like-minded people around him, and the guys began to record instrumental compositions, which were often heard on the local radio. Sometimes Oleg organized impromptu concerts, which were most often held directly in open areas.
During this period of time, the soloists of the Lundstrem collective were Alla Pugacheva and Valery Obodzinsky. The presented performers for that period of time had neither popularity nor fans behind them.
Oleg Lundstrem: Popularity
In the mid-50s metropolitan music lovers became interested in the jazz band. This allowed the guys to move to Moscow. During this period of time, the musical works "March Foxtrot", "Bucharest Ornament", "Song Without Words" and "Humoresque" are often heard on local television. Then every second inhabitant of Russia knew the words of the compositions.
After that, the musicians began to "travel" throughout the Soviet Union. They are invited to perform at popular music competitions and festivals. The orchestra of Oleg Leonidovich became one of the first ensembles that performed in the United States of America. After performing in America, Deborah Brown joined the orchestra. Those who managed to hear Deborah's divine voice trembled with happiness.
The efforts of Oleg Leonidovich and his team did not go unnoticed. The best works of the orchestra were included in the debut LP. Soon the musicians signed a contract with the Melodiya recording studio, and released several records.
The musical composition "Sunny Valley Serenade" is one of the most famous works of the band. The work immerses listeners in a wonderful musical cycle of improvisation and fantasy.
To date, most of the archival compositions can be found on the official website of the orchestra, as well as in social networks. Thanks to this, the musical direction, which was so popular in the last century, continues to develop in the work of modern performers.
Details of the composer's personal life
He does not like to talk about his personal life. Oleg Leonidovich was monogamous and a family man. He lived with his wife Galina Zhdanova for more than 40 years. He left no heirs. Lundstrem did not say for what reasons children did not appear in the family, but the couple lived in peace, respect and harmony.
In the mid-60s, he bought a plot in the Moscow region and built a chic country house. The couple practically did not spend time alone, because in a country house, Oleg Leonidovich's brother, Igor, rented several rooms with his family.
Lundstrem's nephews followed in the footsteps of their popular uncle. One of the nephews graduated from the Moscow Conservatory, and the youngest of a large family became an outstanding violinist.
Death of maestro Oleg Lundstrem
He spent the last years of his life in the countryside. Village life influenced him well. In one of the last interviews, Oleg Leonidovich said that he felt good. Despite loud statements, in recent years he could no longer direct the orchestra on his own, and only gave verbal orders to the conductor and musicians.
In 2005, his heart stopped. As it turned out, Oleg Leonidovich suffered from diabetes. Relatives said that, despite the fact that he tried to appear healthy, lately he was weak and even had difficulty moving.
The farewell ceremony was attended by relatives, close friends and stage colleagues. Family members decided to organize a Foundation in honor of the maestro. The purpose of the organization is to support young musicians and composers.
