<Translated automatically, it will be edited later>
Tomorrow and the day after tomorrow at the Moscow Conservatory there will be a festival "Universe — Svetlanov!"
There has never been anything like this before: 13 concerts in all halls of the university in honor of the 90th anniversary of one of its most famous graduates.
"The Universe" — because Evgeny Svetlanov was not only a great conductor, but also a great pianist, he considered himself primarily a composer, tracing the origins of his vividly Russian intonation to Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov.
And the poster contains the names of the greatest musicians of our time: pianist Boris Berezovsky, violinist Vadim Repin, cellists Alexander Knyazev and Alexander Rudin, singers Bogdan Volkov and Peter Migunov…
Among them is the outstanding Russian conductor Alexander Vedernikov, who will come to give a master class for his young colleagues.
The son of the great opera bass Alexander Filippovich Vedernikov and the famous organist Natalia Nikolaevna Gureeva, Vedernikov Jr. was doomed by the very fact of his birth to a special relationship with music.
Before he reached the age of 30, the young graduate of the Moscow Conservatory found himself in demand in the best opera and ballet theaters in the world, and from 2001 to 2009 he was the musical director of the Bolshoi, where he staged operas from the classic "Eugene Onegin" to the experimental "Rosenthal's Children".
Then I did not find understanding from the management in my desire to make the theater less bureaucratic, the troupe more mobile and not so overloaded with little—able age-old "people's artists". But he turned out to be in great demand in the West, now he heads the Royal Danish Opera. And he remains faithful to the Svetlanov tradition, which he considers himself a follower of.
He has judged the performances of young colleagues at three international competitions named after Svetlanov. At the last one, held in Paris, our conversation took place about the Russian conducting school, its Svetlanov tradition, and what it's like to make music in a world of rules established by the Russian bureaucracy.
— When I was being formed as a person and a musician, it was the heyday of Yevgeny Fedorovich's art, — Alexander Alexandrovich began, — and we, students of the conservatory, tried to use every opportunity to get involved in it. Fortunately, it was not necessary to go far — just cross the courtyard between the academic building and the Great Hall…
Evgeny Fedorovich was clearly aware of his super—task — to play Russian music as widely as possible, and not only textbook music, but also one that, in his opinion, was unfairly underestimated - for example, Myaskovsky's symphonies. In terms of the scale of what has been done, this is really a musical universe.
— What is the idea of your master classes at the upcoming Svetlanov festival? Would you dedicate them to Svetlanov's repertoire?
— Of course, the mainstay will be what he loved and was unsurpassed in — this is Russian music of the second half of the XIX and early XX centuries. But I would formulate the main goal as follows: to give an idea of how a modern conductor can achieve success in his profession and, moreover, remain true to himself.
It should be understood that the activity of a conductor in Russia has its own characteristics. He has a wide range of responsibilities, many of which are not even directly related to music. For example, it is necessary to take care of good relations with the authorities, because there is no other serious source of financing for philharmonic art in our country, and a symphony orchestra, in principle, cannot be a profitable enterprise.
But it should become an important cultural dominant of the city where you happen to work. So that it is known more widely, throughout the country, and possibly beyond its borders. So that bright soloists and conductors come on tour. There are not many philharmonic halls in Russia operating at this level. The sample is Yekaterinburg, which carries a huge educational burden.
Another Russian difficulty is that it is almost impossible to achieve interaction between several teams. Let's say you want to do an opera production, but you don't have enough money for it. You offer a co-production of three or four theaters, but they will tell you: according to the law, money can be allocated to one team for a specific job, and he has no right to share it with anyone. You have been given funds — please report to the performance. And not a quarter or a third of the performance.
Of course, when you really need to, you get out. For example, you arrange a job as a lease for a foreign production, import it for six months, then you must definitely take it out so that customs does not find fault. That's why, by the way, all our co-productions at the Bolshoi Theater were only with foreign groups.
Or such a legislative absurdity: none of our cultural institutions can have several founders. Although all the largest theaters in the world — for example, La Scala — are established by the state, the city, the district, and private foundations. And this significantly expands their legal and financial capabilities.
— Are there any such oddities at the Royal Danish Opera, where you are now the chief conductor?
— These are not. There, for example, you should not deal with administrative issues, but only provide the theater, so to speak, with your creative face, proving the high creative level of the troupe with your direct work.
On the other hand, this is a difficult team, if only because there are essentially three different theaters here under the supervision of one general manager: opera, ballet and drama.
Recently, the opera received a new building built by a patron of the arts — and then the intendant became concerned: we do not have so many people and money to fill two stages. He was reassured: let's add. But instead, on the contrary, both money and staff were cut, and a number of choristers had to be reduced.…
— Do you manage to put something Russian on the Danish stage?
— My repertoire is defined for the entire term of the contract signed for the 2020-2021 season inclusive. And I already know everything I'm going to conduct.
This year there will be a new production of Puccini's Turandot and the American John Adams opera Nixon in China — which, by the way, will arrive at the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Theater in the fall of 2020, not without my input and under my direction.
In a year's time, I will conduct a new production of Carmen, Simone Boccanegra and Parsifal.
As for Russian music, a couple of years ago I conducted Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District. But Russian opera in Denmark is not as popular as, for
— Does the Royal family go to the Royal Opera?
— Of course! She has already come three times in my memory… I was even instructed that if the queen came to the performance, you should bow first to her, then to the others.
— Are there any thoughts of resuming cooperation with the Bolshoi Theater?
— I had offers from them, but I don't feel that they are able to get them out themselves. That's why I've rejected everything so far.
— What kind of Russian work are you proud of in the West? And not Russian at all?..
— I am proud that five years ago I held in Montpellier a very successful concert performance of Glinka's "Life for the Tsar". And, of course, Wagner's "Ring of the Nibelung", which we made this spring at the Odense Symphony Orchestra.
— What are you planning to do with your father's memory?
— A concert in memory of Alexander Filippovich with the State Register is scheduled for December 23, 2019.
Source.
Tomorrow and the day after tomorrow at the Moscow Conservatory there will be a festival "Universe — Svetlanov!"
There has never been anything like this before: 13 concerts in all halls of the university in honor of the 90th anniversary of one of its most famous graduates.
"The Universe" — because Evgeny Svetlanov was not only a great conductor, but also a great pianist, he considered himself primarily a composer, tracing the origins of his vividly Russian intonation to Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov.
And the poster contains the names of the greatest musicians of our time: pianist Boris Berezovsky, violinist Vadim Repin, cellists Alexander Knyazev and Alexander Rudin, singers Bogdan Volkov and Peter Migunov…
Among them is the outstanding Russian conductor Alexander Vedernikov, who will come to give a master class for his young colleagues.
The son of the great opera bass Alexander Filippovich Vedernikov and the famous organist Natalia Nikolaevna Gureeva, Vedernikov Jr. was doomed by the very fact of his birth to a special relationship with music.
Before he reached the age of 30, the young graduate of the Moscow Conservatory found himself in demand in the best opera and ballet theaters in the world, and from 2001 to 2009 he was the musical director of the Bolshoi, where he staged operas from the classic "Eugene Onegin" to the experimental "Rosenthal's Children".
Then I did not find understanding from the management in my desire to make the theater less bureaucratic, the troupe more mobile and not so overloaded with little—able age-old "people's artists". But he turned out to be in great demand in the West, now he heads the Royal Danish Opera. And he remains faithful to the Svetlanov tradition, which he considers himself a follower of.
He has judged the performances of young colleagues at three international competitions named after Svetlanov. At the last one, held in Paris, our conversation took place about the Russian conducting school, its Svetlanov tradition, and what it's like to make music in a world of rules established by the Russian bureaucracy.
— When I was being formed as a person and a musician, it was the heyday of Yevgeny Fedorovich's art, — Alexander Alexandrovich began, — and we, students of the conservatory, tried to use every opportunity to get involved in it. Fortunately, it was not necessary to go far — just cross the courtyard between the academic building and the Great Hall…
Evgeny Fedorovich was clearly aware of his super—task — to play Russian music as widely as possible, and not only textbook music, but also one that, in his opinion, was unfairly underestimated - for example, Myaskovsky's symphonies. In terms of the scale of what has been done, this is really a musical universe.
— What is the idea of your master classes at the upcoming Svetlanov festival? Would you dedicate them to Svetlanov's repertoire?
— Of course, the mainstay will be what he loved and was unsurpassed in — this is Russian music of the second half of the XIX and early XX centuries. But I would formulate the main goal as follows: to give an idea of how a modern conductor can achieve success in his profession and, moreover, remain true to himself.
It should be understood that the activity of a conductor in Russia has its own characteristics. He has a wide range of responsibilities, many of which are not even directly related to music. For example, it is necessary to take care of good relations with the authorities, because there is no other serious source of financing for philharmonic art in our country, and a symphony orchestra, in principle, cannot be a profitable enterprise.
But it should become an important cultural dominant of the city where you happen to work. So that it is known more widely, throughout the country, and possibly beyond its borders. So that bright soloists and conductors come on tour. There are not many philharmonic halls in Russia operating at this level. The sample is Yekaterinburg, which carries a huge educational burden.
Another Russian difficulty is that it is almost impossible to achieve interaction between several teams. Let's say you want to do an opera production, but you don't have enough money for it. You offer a co-production of three or four theaters, but they will tell you: according to the law, money can be allocated to one team for a specific job, and he has no right to share it with anyone. You have been given funds — please report to the performance. And not a quarter or a third of the performance.
Of course, when you really need to, you get out. For example, you arrange a job as a lease for a foreign production, import it for six months, then you must definitely take it out so that customs does not find fault. That's why, by the way, all our co-productions at the Bolshoi Theater were only with foreign groups.
Or such a legislative absurdity: none of our cultural institutions can have several founders. Although all the largest theaters in the world — for example, La Scala — are established by the state, the city, the district, and private foundations. And this significantly expands their legal and financial capabilities.
— Are there any such oddities at the Royal Danish Opera, where you are now the chief conductor?
— These are not. There, for example, you should not deal with administrative issues, but only provide the theater, so to speak, with your creative face, proving the high creative level of the troupe with your direct work.
On the other hand, this is a difficult team, if only because there are essentially three different theaters here under the supervision of one general manager: opera, ballet and drama.
Recently, the opera received a new building built by a patron of the arts — and then the intendant became concerned: we do not have so many people and money to fill two stages. He was reassured: let's add. But instead, on the contrary, both money and staff were cut, and a number of choristers had to be reduced.…
— Do you manage to put something Russian on the Danish stage?
— My repertoire is defined for the entire term of the contract signed for the 2020-2021 season inclusive. And I already know everything I'm going to conduct.
This year there will be a new production of Puccini's Turandot and the American John Adams opera Nixon in China — which, by the way, will arrive at the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Theater in the fall of 2020, not without my input and under my direction.
In a year's time, I will conduct a new production of Carmen, Simone Boccanegra and Parsifal.
As for Russian music, a couple of years ago I conducted Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District. But Russian opera in Denmark is not as popular as, for
— Does the Royal family go to the Royal Opera?
— Of course! She has already come three times in my memory… I was even instructed that if the queen came to the performance, you should bow first to her, then to the others.
— Are there any thoughts of resuming cooperation with the Bolshoi Theater?
— I had offers from them, but I don't feel that they are able to get them out themselves. That's why I've rejected everything so far.
— What kind of Russian work are you proud of in the West? And not Russian at all?..
— I am proud that five years ago I held in Montpellier a very successful concert performance of Glinka's "Life for the Tsar". And, of course, Wagner's "Ring of the Nibelung", which we made this spring at the Odense Symphony Orchestra.
— What are you planning to do with your father's memory?
— A concert in memory of Alexander Filippovich with the State Register is scheduled for December 23, 2019.
Source.
Alexander VEDERNIKOV, Chief Conductor of the Bolshoi Theatre: Svetlanov is the end of an era, the end of a certain aesthetic, the end of a style that, in general, ended even earlier, but Svetlanov continued it anyway — in spite of the new era. And he was great at it. Svetlanov is one of the most integral figures. For him, art was always in the first place. And although he was, in a good way, the conductor of the Soviet officialdom, he was completely free from such manifestations when music mixes with the conjuncture and forms some new, rather toxic substances. Several of his compositions are reference works. This is primarily Russian music, especially Rachmaninoff. But he was a very enthusiastic person. And in different years Mahler, Elgar, and more recently Wagner appeared in his life. People like Svetlanov form a cultural space, and with his death, this space is very clearly deformed. We were left without a patriarchal conductor, and no one even claims this place.
Source.
Source.
From an article by Ekaterina BIRYUKOVA,
Izvestia, May 5, 2002
Izvestia, May 5, 2002
Evgeny Svetlanov has long been a part of history
ClassicsMusicNews ru, November 10, 2018
Alexander Vedernikov: “Evgeny Fedorovich was clearly aware of his super task”
