IT IS 135 YEARS SINCE THE MOSCOW CONSERVATOIRE
WAS FOUNDED
(Talk with rector A. Sokolov)
The Moscow Conservatoire was founded 135 ago, it saw good and most
dramatic times. French composer Hector Berlioz announced to the world the
appearance of a new musical "phenomenon in the east of Europe".
He visited the Moscow Conservatoire in the year it was opened and was amazed
by its creative opportunities. No wonder. The founder of the 
Moscow
Conservatoire Nikolai Rubinstein, a brilliant pianist and conductor, attracted
to the organization of a new musical educational establishment most prominent
figures of Russian and Western European culture. Petr Tchaikovsky and Sergei
Taneyev were also at the cradle of the Moscow Conservatoire; and prominent
musicians of Germany, Czechia, Austria and Italy taught there. Since the
very beginning the Moscow Conservatoire has been integral part of European
culture. Many prominent musicians graduated from the conservatoire: composers
Rakhmaninov, Skryabin, Shchedrin, Gubaidulina and Denisov, conductors Kitayenko,
Svetlanov and Rozhdestvenski, pianists Rikhter, Gilels, Pletnev and Gavrilov,
violinists oistrakh, Kogan, Spivakov and Tretyakov, cellists Rostropovich
and Gutman, singers Arkhipova and Sotkilava. They brought world fame to
the Moscow Conservatoire. Today the conservatoire preserves the status
of the world's largest and most prestigious musical educational establishments.
Every year hundreds of young people apply for admission.
Rector Alexander Sokolov says that the number of young people who want
to enter the Moscow Conservatoire is growing continuously. The competition
is acute in all categories, yet traditionally it is most dramatic at the
piano department and among singers. The number of foreigners applying for
admission is also increasing with every year. No wonder. Teachers Lev Naumov,
Vera Gornostayeva, Sergei Kravchenko, Natalia Shakhovskaya and many others
enjoy high prestige in the world. Foreigners are expected to pay for tuition.
Yet this does not mean that poorly prepared persons can be admitted. Only
the best are selected after entrance examinations. The majority of foreigners
arrive from Japan and Korea; and recently an inflow of students from China
has increased.
The
Moscow Conservatoire has always been not only a school training performers,
composers and teachers but also a center of musical science. Regularly
scientific conferences, symposia and master-classes are held. Scientific
interests are versatile. Say, recently interest to modern music has been
boosted. Alexander Sokolov says that a new center of modern music was set
up under composer Vladimir Tarnopolsky. He also created an ensemble entitled
"A studio of new music" which primarily performs compositions
of the conservatoire's teachers and students and those of modern foreign
composers. The interest to ancient music does not weaken. Recently a scientific
center of the Russian church music opened. "Some 10-15 years ago,"
the rector says, " we could not even dream about this. Pride of place
is also given to materialization of projects pertaining to art groups.
Recently the permanently operating symphony orchestra and the chamber choir
have recommended themselves in the best way. As for the forthcoming events
of the season, I want to name the Sergei Rakhmaninov International Competition
of pianists and the festival devoted to Vasily Safonov, brilliant musician
and outstanding organizer, who headed the Moscow Conservatoire from 1885
to 1905."
True, the Moscow Conservatoire is facing numerous problems. The senior
officials have to tackle both economic and financial matters, like in any
other educational establishment. Say, money should be raised for opening
a publishing house. Reconstruction is in store for the White Hall which
is currently used for teaching purposes; but in future it can become a
musical saloon. All musicians and lovers of music are concerned about the
future of the Big Hall which also requires reconstruction. Alexander Sokolov
says: " This is a national asset. Clear, it deserves great care. Much
work is in store. I hope that it will not be closed, but reconstruction
work will be done by stages. The summer interval can be extended, yet during
the season concerts will be given; and gradually the hall will be put in
order."
There is no other higher musical school in the world whose concert
hall is used as a national center of academic music. The Big Hall of the
Moscow Conservatoire is Russia's main concert hall; and many world-famous
Russian and foreign soloists and art groups see it as honor to perform
there. Once in four years the Big Hall is the venue of one of the world's
most prestigious musical competitions, the Tchaikovsky International Competition,
which revealed to the world many new names of performers. Next summer a
regular 12th Tchaikovsky International Competition will be held in the
Big Hall; and students and graduates of the Moscow Conservatoire will be
among the participants .
"RUSSIAN RODIN"
(It is 125 years since the birth of sculptor
Stepan Erzya)
By Ye. Andrusenko
On 18 September, a one-man show of sculptor Stepan Erzya opened in
the Tretyakov Gallery to mark 125 years since the sculptor's birth. Works
on display were brought to Moscow from the Mordva Republican Museum of
Fine Arts. During the opening ceremony the Minister of Culture of Russia's
Republic of Mordva, Petr Tultayev, said that Stepan Erzya had made his
ethnic group and Mordva as a whole world-famous. His works and his world
renown, the minister believed, are an asset not only of the republic but
of Russia as a whole.
The sculptor's original surname was Nefedov. He belonged to one of
Mordva's ethnic groups. When a young sculptor he took a pseudonym "Erzya"
in the aspiration to bring fame to his people.
Stepan Erzya received brilliant education; first he studied at the
Moscow School of Sculpture and Painting and then in art schools of Europe.
In Paris the young sculptor visited the studio of Auguste Rodin; he wanted
to assimilate the maestro's plastic method. Like other sculptors who came
from peasant families, say, the French sculptors Antoine Bourdelle and
Aristide Maillol and Russians Konenkov and Golubkina, Stepan Erzya had
a natural bent for the hard work of stone mason. He cut his compositions
in stone making no sketches in advance. In 1909 Stepan Erzya alone represented
Russia at the world art exhibition in Venice. He was a recognized celebrity
at the international exhibitions in Nice, Rome and Paris. In 1914 the maestro
took an offer to create his personal museum in his homeland. He had to
return to Russia, which he did leaving his works in European studios. He
intended to return to Europe and continue his work, which had a successful
beginning. Yet man supposes, God disposes. The First World War broke out;
it was followed by the 1917 Revolution. The revolution brought tremendous
changes to the Russian society, many artists experienced a wish to introduce
innovations in the arts. Aspirations for gigantic projects of the time
were consonant with the inner world of the maestro who always wanted to
create something monumental. At that time the sculptor said: " Give
me people, a mountain and dynamite and I will create a worthy monument
to the revolution." He devoted monumental compositions to the revolution
and its heroes, which were unveiled on the squares of the cities of Yekaterinburg,
Baku, Batumi and Novorossisk. He, however, continued to create lyrical
ladies' portraits at the time.
In 1926 the Soviet government took a decision to sent Stepan Erzya
abroad "to spread the knowledge of the Soviet art". He came to
Paris again. Again his one-man shows were sponsored followed by positive
response in the Western press. The maestro intended to tour European countries
with his exhibition. Yet he was the national of the Bolshevik Russia; and
this did not allow him to travel freely about the world. The only country
that issued him visa promptly was Argentina. There the sculptor lived for
over 20 years creating the 20th century masterpieces. He found in Argentina
subtropical trees the wood of which ideally suited to his designs. The
male portraits are the sculptor's response to a time of social upheavals
and world wars -"Horror", "Despair", "Courage".
He met emigrants from all over the world in Argentina; he could clearly
see national traits of character and subtly reflected them in a series
of national portraits. Among those are "A Chilean Lady", "A
Parisian Lady in a Hat" and the "Head of a Mordva Woman".
What mattered for the author is not so much the nationality; these portraits
appear to be his dream of what he lacked - a peaceful life, family and
homeland. In Argentina where the maestro had students, sponsored exhibitions
and enjoyed world acclaim, he was a foreigner; for his homeland, which
refused to take him back after many years of emigration, he was also a
stranger.
He returned home only in 1950 when he got Stalin's permission. His
first and last one-man show in Moscow was sponsored in 1954. Creative activity
of the "Russian Rodin", as the sculptor was called in Russia,
proved to be a sensation for his compatriots. People queued for many hours
to get to the exhibition hall; the sculptors' studio in Moscow was the
point of attraction for Russian intellectuals. His contemporaries were
amazed by vigor and expressiveness of his sculptures such as "Lev
Tolstoy", "Beethoven", "Moses" and "Christ".
Sculptures of Stepan Erzya are the decoration of museums in Milan,
Nice, Munich, and other European cities. Several of his works are the possession
of the Russian museum in St. Petersburg and the Moscow Tretyakov Gallery.
The bulk of his collection, over 200 sculptures which, the maestro brought
to Russia, he presented to the Saransk museum in his homeland.
The current exhibition in the Tretyakov Gallery is actually the second
one-man show of the legendary sculptor in Russia. Numerous guests from
all over Russia, officials of the Italian, French, Finnish and Hungarian
embassies, keep coming the show. In keeping with his will Stepan Erzya
is buried in his native city of Saransk. His art has no boundaries; it
belongs to all of mankind .
TRIBUTE TO JULIAN SEMENOV
On October 8 the well-known Soviet-era writer Julian Semenov would
have turned 70. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he was one
of the most widely read detective authors.
"If you can't write, then don't write" - Julian Semenov liked
to repeat this phrase once said by the great Leo Tolstoy, 
and
added: "But if you cannot do without writing - then write by all means".
Semyonov is the author of numerous detective and adventure books. His characters
- pilots, geologists, militiamen, secret agents and the like - are typical
for this literary genre, most of them modeled after real persons. Semyonov
had access to archives of law-enforcement and intelligence agencies. His
best-known works are "Major Vikhr", "Petrovka-38",
"Gems For Proletarian Dictatorship" and "TASS Is Authorized
To Announce" (a thrilling novel about confrontation between the Soviet
and American intelligence services), and "17 Moments of Spring".
Written in 1970, this latter novel about a Soviet secret agent working
in the Nazi headquarters in Berlin during World War II and later Tamara
Lioznova's TV serial of the same title, starring popular actor Viacheslav
Tikhonov, with music written by Michael Tariverdiev, won Semyonov enormous
popularity.
Semyonov seldom appeared in public and hated solemn gatherings, saying
that official recognition, titles and awards were not for writers. He felt
great responsibility for each word he had written, believing that a political
detective novel could exert powerful influence on the formation of public
opinion. In 1985 he helped organize the International Association Of Political
Detective Novel that united detective writers from 67 countries, all of
them sharing Semyonov's view that detective novels must not only depict
a fight between "good guys" and the mafia, but make a feasible
contribution to this fight. TV serials based on his novels continue to
assemble large audiences .
THREE-MEMBER DUET
(reminiscences by former Olympic figure
skating champions)
An unusual book has come out in Moscow. Titled "A Three-Member
Duet", it was written by the celebrated Russian figure skaters Natalia
Bestemyanova, Andrei Bukin and Igor Bobrin.
The
duet Natalia Bestemyanova-Andrei Bukin is four-time world and five time
European champions, and the gold-winners of the 1988 Winter Olimpics. Igor
Bobrin - a four-time champion of the Soviet Union and a European champion
in the men's individual category - quit big sports at the peak of his prime.
But up to now his numbers "Paganini", "Musqueteer"
and "Sleeping Cowboy" command the admiration of figure skaters
across the world.
Married couples are not uncommon among performing figure skating duets.
But defying the established tradition, Natalya Bestemyanova married Igor
Bobrin instead of her partner Andrei Bukin. Their lives are closely entertwined.
First they trained together, now they jointly run the Theatre Of Ice Miniatures.
"A Three-Member Duet" tells a true story about their relationship,
sports and artistic achievements. Andrei Bukin recalls how they staged
"Carmen", one of their best numbers: "I was to render two
parts - the part of Jose and the part of Toreador. I knew how it feels
when a man is passionately in love. It's always fatal. And I saw a corrida.
What I felt was that it makes no difference to a toreador which woman is
with him. He just wants to show off himself. He doesn't belong to the woman
walking 
beside
him, he belongs to the crowd, to all. That's why in that part which imitates
a corrida I skate with my back towards Natasha. And in the lyrical part
I carry her in my hands".
The author's trio encountered some technical problems while attempting
to get the first part of their reminiscences published in the late 80s.
Back in those times publishing houses were reluctant to accept anyting
"more serious" than detectives or love stories. But with demand
for memoirs steadily on the rise, it finally became possible. Says Igor
Bobrin: "I don't know about the first part, which was written by Natalya
and Andrei, but as far as the second part is concerned, it was all very
simple. We just sat and talked, our conversations being recorded on a tape.
The audiomaterial was "processed" by our editor".
The editor, well-known journalist Vitaly Melik-Karayev, is a long-time
friend of Natalia Bestemyanova and Andrei Bukin. He was about the only
sports commentator to support the young duet after their unsuccessful debut
at the 1978 European figure skating championships in Vienna when they came
a disappointing 10th.
Depicting the behind-the-scenes world of big sports, the authors avoided
scandalous affairs and gossips. Their book is a token of gratitude to those
who helped them to rise to their glory: coach Tatiana Tarasova, choreographer
Lyudmila Pavlova, clothes designer Viacheslav Zaitsev, psychologist Olga
Kozlova… Says Natalia Bestemyanova: "Olga was the first to guess that
Igor was in love with me when we didn't even know about our feelings towards
each other. To me she has always been the embodiment of beauty, elegance
and wisdom" .
17.10.2001
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