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By Olga Fyodorova
...June 1949. Young pianists are having their graduation exams at the Moscow
Conservatory...
Naum Shtarkman is the next to play... Look at all this crowd gathered to
hear him play!
Yes, I’ve heard the name... They say he’s a fine player...
Fine?! He’s the best around! The best to come along since Richter!
Who’s his teacher?
Konstantin Igumnov, a great pianist and a great teacher too... Getting
into his class was a mission impossible, but not being kicked out was even
more difficult. Loafers and mediocrities had no chance with him, no way!
Shtarkman was one of his favorites; they say he has taken so much after
his teacher, more than any one else...
Igumnov died two years ago, didn’t he? And who has Shtarkman been studying
with ever since?
No one. All our leading professors kept asking him to join their class,
but Naum turned them all down deciding to stay true to his teacher and
his traditions. Well, so he is graduating all on his own...
Gee! I can imagine all these professors giving him hell for turning them
down!
Slim chance! Not Shtarkman, whose playing is absolutely out of this world!
He’s going to get top marks, I’m absolutely sure about that!
Naum Shtarkman was born in September 1927 in a small town in Ukraine. His
phenomenal talent cropped up early on and before very long, the wonder
boy was going to the best music school and studying with the finest teacher
they had there.
A poetically minded daydreamer, Naum was open to everything that had to
do with wide-eyed romanticism...
A great fan of Chopin, Schubert, Liszt, Grieg and Tchaikovsky, Naum Shtarkman
never rushed to fall in line with the times and always preferred lyrical
outpourings to revolutionary drive. He played romantic music when entering
the Moscow Conservatory and he remained true to his passion during the
graduation exams...
A noble mind full of exquisite finesse, Naum spent most of his time honing
his technical skills. A great sound recordist, Konstantin Igumnov taught
him special methods of making the piano sound like a drum kit and the next
moment – as a sonorous instrument singing in many voices...
Graduating from the Conservatory with honors, Naum Shtarkman quickly joined
the Moscow Philharmonic Society as a lead pianist and spent most of his
time touring the country. Competitions came later on...
His first big success was at the Chopin International Competition in Warsaw,
Poland. Following up his initial success with a top award won at a piano
contest in Lisbon, he later became a bronze winner of the 1st Tchaikovsky
International Competition in Moscow...
Starting a busy international career in the mid 50’s, Naum Shtarkman has
been riding high ever since...
Some criticized his interpretations as dated and bringing back the traditions
of the laid-back and slow-moving 19th century. Shtarkman always sought
to create an intimate atmosphere during his concerts engaging the listener
in a slow-moving conversation, never trying to overwhelm the audience with
virtuosic flash but, instead, relating to each and every one sitting down
there, in the darkened hall...
It looked as if the pianist was a little aloof of what was going on, taking
an outside view of the unfolding musical canvas and admiring the beautiful
melodies that were coming out from under his fingertips...
Always trying to expand his repertoire, Naum Shtarkman played J.S. Bach
and Beethoven, liked modern composers but, in the end of it, invariably
got back to his beloved romantics feeling overjoyed and relaxed, just like
a traveler coming home after a long journey...
Open hearted, friendly and extremely tactful and reasonable, Naum Shtarkman
ultimately made a great teacher too, adored by his and not only his students
who never miss a chance to drop in to learn more from this outstanding
master...
Naum Shtarkman has been a great influence on his son who, even though studying
with another teacher, always tried to take cue from his father...
Always on the lookout for a new musical ground, Naum Shtarkman has been
giving a series of concerts at the Moscow Philharmonic society. Billed
as Naum Shtarkman Plays, the concerts are meant for people from across
the social spectrum, from kids to seniors. The maestro ushers his listeners
into the world of high classicism, providing brief descriptions of the
composers whose music he is going to play, reading from their letters,
memoirs and delving deep into the history of each composition. His lectures
are always instructive and fascinating, both to laymen and seasoned connoisseurs.
When he starts playing, as if to back up his words with music, the audience
listens in with bated breath...
Combining chamber performances with concerts played with the best symphony
and chamber orchestras around, Naum Shtarkman is much admired by conductors
for his amazing ability to coax out of his instrument sounds that are amazingly
consonant with the orchestra. Shtarkman is always easy to play with because
he infuses his interpretations with poetic inspiration and youthful energy
we all admire so much in art...
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