The man who became a rainbow

By Ekaterina Birukova, Openspace.ru, October 9, 2008

Batagov’s “The man who became a rainbow” (2004) – is music in which there is nothing human, but only superhuman. It is music of luminous, iridescent spheres, airless space, time with no beginning of end notwithstanding the seven “formal” divisions of the rainbow-like composition. Batagov the recluse, whose brilliant pianistic past is already a legend, is called a minimalist. Not only from the programme’s commentary about the miracles of Buddhist practices it is clear that he has not only stylistic, but also ideological reasons for this. He is so consistent and convincing that it is impossible to resist this magic.