Despite the fact that Mstislav Rostropovich dropped out of the War and Peace project (Izvestia wrote in detail about the conflict in the November 28 issue), rehearsals are in full swing at the Bolshoi Theater before the premiere, which moved from December 6 to December 9. Alexander Vedernikov, the chief conductor of the Bolshoi Theater, who hastily took his place at the console, considered one of the perpetrators of the scandal, found time to give his version of what happened to Ekaterina Biryukova, a music columnist for Izvestia.
Izvestia: Why was Mstislav Leopoldovich dissatisfied with the number of rehearsals?
Alexander Vedernikov: The official position of the theater is not to comment on Rostropovich's decision. There is a difference here: Rostropovich can afford any comments. We can't afford that. At least out of respect for Rostropovich. Isn't that right?
Izvestia: Probably. Although recently I really liked the transparency policy that the Bolshoi Theater demonstrates. And here there are only rumors. How many of these rehearsals were there when they started - it wasn't November 23rd, was it?
Vedernikov: He started rehearsing in March. That's what I'm saying — if we started to find out "how it was," then we would get involved in the process of clarifying the relationship. But this is obviously a thankless task, in my opinion. Because there are certain stable constants in the public consciousness...
Izvestia: One of them is that Rostropovich is not allowed to work in Russia by bad people...
Vedernikov: Well, for example. In any case, the theater took this blow upon itself. Including an informational strike. No matter what happens, we still have to take the rap. We produce a product, and no matter how anyone behaves, we must release it. I can only tell you one thing: how many rehearsals there were for "War and Peace" — usually we have two, two and a half times less at the release of any other performance.
Izvestia: "War and Peace" is a big opera. And initially, as I understand it, it was planned for your big stage — I don't understand how the "war" will fit on the small one now. Were you going to open this opera after the reconstruction?
Vedernikov: Well, you're simplifying everything a bit. The point is this: at the moment when these conversations were going on — in early 2004, of course, no one really knew when the main stage would close. Accordingly, it was quite difficult to guess when it would be opened. But all the same, we thought that one of those titles that would be good to open the stage after reconstruction could be "War and Peace" — as a domestic and epic opera. It would be illogical to open the main scene with some kind of melodrama. Then Mstislav Leopoldovich suddenly appeared, who said: "I really want to stage this opera. As soon as possible."
Izvestia: With Pokrovsky?
Vedernikov: With Pokrovsky and Grigorovich.
Izvestia: Will this production be able to be moved to the big stage later?
Vedernikov: I don't think it will make sense. The production is specially designed to overcome the lack of space. And what to overcome it on the main stage?
Izvestia: Is the director of the play Ivan Popovsky also Rostropovich's choice?
Vedernikov: Yes, we said from the very beginning that Boris Alexandrovich Pokrovsky is unlikely to be able to take part in the production. Well, what's surprising about that?
Izvestia: And he didn't take it at all?
Vedernikov: I tried to come once.
Izvestia: So what happened has nothing to do with his 1959 play?
Vedernikov: It shouldn't have been connected like that! When I read it in the newspapers, my eyes actually popped out!
Izvestia: Some other media reported that you are putting the full version, uncut.
Vedernikov: The full, two-night uncut version has never been released in Russia. This opera does not seem to have a final authorized text, because Prokofiev himself has five variants. Prokofiev did not at all assume that the whole music should be played. That's what he said: if you want to focus on this, throw out this and that. It's like an open system. In a sense, this is a similar situation to Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov. In 1959, the revision of "War and Peace" was made, not without the participation of Melik-Pashayev, which always went on at the Bolshoi Theater. And the current production is based on this version. Because when I asked Mstislav Leopoldovich which option he wanted to turn to, he replied that he would do as he used to do in the Bolshoi.
Izvestia: Will you invite Rostropovich to the premiere?
Vedernikov: Of course.
Izvestia: Do you think it will come?
Vedernikov: I don't know.
Source.
Izvestia: Why was Mstislav Leopoldovich dissatisfied with the number of rehearsals?
Alexander Vedernikov: The official position of the theater is not to comment on Rostropovich's decision. There is a difference here: Rostropovich can afford any comments. We can't afford that. At least out of respect for Rostropovich. Isn't that right?
Izvestia: Probably. Although recently I really liked the transparency policy that the Bolshoi Theater demonstrates. And here there are only rumors. How many of these rehearsals were there when they started - it wasn't November 23rd, was it?
Vedernikov: He started rehearsing in March. That's what I'm saying — if we started to find out "how it was," then we would get involved in the process of clarifying the relationship. But this is obviously a thankless task, in my opinion. Because there are certain stable constants in the public consciousness...
Izvestia: One of them is that Rostropovich is not allowed to work in Russia by bad people...
Vedernikov: Well, for example. In any case, the theater took this blow upon itself. Including an informational strike. No matter what happens, we still have to take the rap. We produce a product, and no matter how anyone behaves, we must release it. I can only tell you one thing: how many rehearsals there were for "War and Peace" — usually we have two, two and a half times less at the release of any other performance.
Izvestia: "War and Peace" is a big opera. And initially, as I understand it, it was planned for your big stage — I don't understand how the "war" will fit on the small one now. Were you going to open this opera after the reconstruction?
Vedernikov: Well, you're simplifying everything a bit. The point is this: at the moment when these conversations were going on — in early 2004, of course, no one really knew when the main stage would close. Accordingly, it was quite difficult to guess when it would be opened. But all the same, we thought that one of those titles that would be good to open the stage after reconstruction could be "War and Peace" — as a domestic and epic opera. It would be illogical to open the main scene with some kind of melodrama. Then Mstislav Leopoldovich suddenly appeared, who said: "I really want to stage this opera. As soon as possible."
Izvestia: With Pokrovsky?
Vedernikov: With Pokrovsky and Grigorovich.
Izvestia: Will this production be able to be moved to the big stage later?
Vedernikov: I don't think it will make sense. The production is specially designed to overcome the lack of space. And what to overcome it on the main stage?
Izvestia: Is the director of the play Ivan Popovsky also Rostropovich's choice?
Vedernikov: Yes, we said from the very beginning that Boris Alexandrovich Pokrovsky is unlikely to be able to take part in the production. Well, what's surprising about that?
Izvestia: And he didn't take it at all?
Vedernikov: I tried to come once.
Izvestia: So what happened has nothing to do with his 1959 play?
Vedernikov: It shouldn't have been connected like that! When I read it in the newspapers, my eyes actually popped out!
Izvestia: Some other media reported that you are putting the full version, uncut.
Vedernikov: The full, two-night uncut version has never been released in Russia. This opera does not seem to have a final authorized text, because Prokofiev himself has five variants. Prokofiev did not at all assume that the whole music should be played. That's what he said: if you want to focus on this, throw out this and that. It's like an open system. In a sense, this is a similar situation to Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov. In 1959, the revision of "War and Peace" was made, not without the participation of Melik-Pashayev, which always went on at the Bolshoi Theater. And the current production is based on this version. Because when I asked Mstislav Leopoldovich which option he wanted to turn to, he replied that he would do as he used to do in the Bolshoi.
Izvestia: Will you invite Rostropovich to the premiere?
Vedernikov: Of course.
Izvestia: Do you think it will come?
Vedernikov: I don't know.
Source.
Ekaterina BIRYUKOVA,
Izvestia. December 2, 2005
Izvestia. December 2, 2005
Conductor Alexander Vedernikov: "Rostropovich can afford any comments. We are not."
