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NEW YOUTH MAGAZINE "I AND EVERYBODY"
TRIBUTE TO YURI LOTMAN
10TH ANNIVERASY OF THE KREMLIN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA UNDER MISHA RAHLEVSKY'S BATON

NEW YOUTH MAGAZINE "I AND EVERYBODY"

Itta Beratova

Pedagogues, writers and scientists who jointly created the magazine, believe that the problem of the children and youth in the Russian society is one of the most crucial nowadays. Their project has received a welcoming response of prominent representatives of the Russian culture. The famous poet Evgeny Evtushenko expects the new magazine to become a creative workshop for many young talented people, some of whom will probably become notable writers.

The author of the magazine's idea, academician Dmitry Kazimirov says the magazine aims to produce a creative space for the youth: "We publish works of young authors almost without editing and preliminary selection. If you get acquainted with these publications, you will see that the young people are thinking and sensitive and they think much our country's present and future. We'd like our magazine to be considered as an integral part of such a crucial trend as the youth guidance. By the way, the Academy of natural sciences is preparing the program entitled "Ways of the best development of the youth", which provides for a set of projects that will help the young people to orientate in the difficult situation in Russia and the world.

There are many columns in the magazine - prose, poetry, a letter about love, sport, essay, an interesting person's portrait, humor, philosophical issues and others. "I and everybody" is for those who are very eager in something and ready to share their interests with others, seek answers to eternal questions, are in love, happy or sad and lonely. The magazine is designed not only for creativity but also for communication, also with the older generation. Famous poets, philosophers, journalists, writers, musicians and sportsmen are sharing their ideas and experience with young authors in the magazine. There is also a page for small children written by authors under 10 years. Their poems and ideas were published in the first issue. This is one of them: "Newspapers can speak of false things, but who can understand it? Of course, we can! If you keep old papers you will later see if they were speaking false or true. Perhaps, we'll find an omen that will help to guess it".

The magazine "I and Everybody" is one of the first magazines publishing children's creative works, not corrected by adults. Creators of this "workshop" are sure that children must express their thoughts freely since this is the way toward true creativity.

The specialist in culturology Elmara Faustova believes children are not banal or ordinary in their literary exercises, for they are not aware of banality at all. When you meet with a 12-year old teenager, upon whom some stereotypes have been intruded, you question yourself where this child lost? Before he had his or her own unordinary outlook on life. Probably, individual abilities may not develop if pressed by mass culture.

Children and teenagers need of a special support. Of course, some can doubt artistic value of their works, but the project's authors would deny it. The greatest Russian poet Mikhail Lermontov died when he was 26. He wrote his famous poem "A lonely sail is whitening" at 16, whereas Alexander Pushkin wrote his genius historical drama "Boris Godunov" at 26 years old. These could also be called youth creativity. Why cannot such talents exist nowadays? We should provide conditions for their realization, since there are no values without the man.

Perhaps, it is not by chance that there is a main motif in most works of the magazine's first issue - the man's place in the world and his or her attitude to it. This is the major question faced by every generation. The very magazine's title "I and Everybody" was suggested by authors of the first issue.

The young poet Vitaly Pankov says the magazine is a way to demonstrate a true face of at least a part of his generation: "Many people say that there is nothing spiritual in our generation, or that we do not think about current events. But it isn't true, I can judge by my own experience. I talk with many young people in my institute and outside and know that many of them are gifted and thinking. Our magazine is the way to declare this."

TRIBUTE TO YURI LOTMAN

By Milena Faustova

February marks the 80th anniversary of the birth of the prominent Russian philologist and culturologist Yuri Lotman (1922-1993). A professor at Tartu University in Estonia, corresponding member of the British Academy of Sciences, a member of the Norwegian Royal Academy and a number of foreign scientific societies, Lotman left behind hundreds of articles and dozens of books on the history and typology of Russian culture. His interests lay with subtle mechanisms of artistry creative psychology in such spheres as theatre, pictorial arts and cinematography.

He had no official recognition in the former Soviet Union but was extremely popular in intellectual circles starting from the 1960s marked by surging interest in the theory and philosophy of culture and sociology. Lotman's ideas reasserting the freedom of scientific thought and restoring the true hierarchy of scientific and cultural values were in tune with the times.

After the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 Lotman entered Leningrad University "exsanguinated" by ideological cleansings. His scientific career started in the atmosphere of tough bans. Like the majority of his teachers, the young scholar didn't feel completely free of ideological stereotypes in humanitarian sciences but he was absolutely free of conjuncture. Lotman's works of the late 1940s-1950s have lost none of their significance, whereas folios written by some of the then acclaimed Soviet authors are hopelessly outdated.

The mid-60s were marked by a crusade against structuralism. Supporters of this philosophic and literary trend considering all forms of reality as something abstract were fell into disfavor. Lotman, at that time a professor of Tartu university in Estonia where he moved from Leningrad in 1950, was among them. Thanks to his relentless efforts Tartu university soon became one of the most authoritative linguistic centers in the former USSR. He introduced new scientific terms and new approaches to studying the meaning of words, signs, symbols and gestures. Simultaneously, he pursued his historic and literary studies in various cultural trends. Lotman was one of the first culturologists to state that culture is a "text" written by mankind. All cultural monuments - old manuscripts, architectural pieces, paintings, or music works - are the basis from which sciences stem. According to Lotman, the life of an individual is determined by the cultural experience of past centuries, the mentality and spiritual values of his country. He attached great importance to artistic intuition describing it as driving force of cultural progress.

Lotman's vast legacy ranges from articles devoted to ancient Russian literature and books about Pushkin, Lermontov, Tolstoy, Block and other outstanding Russian poets and writers to theoretic papers and academic treatises on narrow linguistic problems.

In the last years of his life he hosted a popular TV feature about culture. The program was a great success. Once a letter came an Estonian student in which there was only one line: "Lotman is the best professor".

His extraordinary personality revealed a striking combination of academicism and improvisational skills. Lotman's genius never stopped generating new ideas with outward spontaneity and ease obeying some inner law and purpose. "His only law is freedom. His freedom is governed by law" - this line by poet Vladislav Khodasevich equally applies to Lotman's personality and style.

THE KREMLIN ORCHESTRA DIRECTED BY MISHA RAKHLEVSKY CELEBRATES ITS 10TH BIRTHDAY

10 years ago a new orchestra appeared in Moscow - the KREMLIN orchestra founded by the violinist and conductor Misha Rakhlevsky, a disciple of outstanding music professors, violinist Maya Glezarova and pianist Maria Yudina. In the early 1980s Rakhlevsky directed the New American Chamber Orchestra and the Spanish Granada Orchestra. His exuberant nature manifested itself in his youth. After leaving Russia in the early 70s, he worked with Israeli, South African and Canadian orchestras, until he finally settled in Detroit, the United States. Misha is always full of new ideas. They stem from his firm belief that a musician must encourage people to listen to music.

From is first concerts the KREMLIN orchestra attracted the attention of the public and professionals. Interesting programs composed of pieces that are rarely performed in Russia, excellent performance and irreproachable sound brought the new orchestra a deserved success.

In 1991 the Swiss recording company Claves offered Rakhlevsky to record a CD series. He decided to do it with Russian musicians. Rakhlevsky found talented performers who loved to play and enjoyed chamber music. After recording two CDs the orchestra went to Spain followed by a concert in Moscow in the spring of 1992. The concert got rave reviews. "The reason why I founded an orchestra in Moscow, and not in Beijing or Prague, is that I understand everything here", Rakhlevsky said in one of his first interviews as KREMLIN's conductor. "Our strings are well-trained professionals. It's surprising how Russian music teachers can adapt a pupil to an instrument and then help him unfold his talent. It's a wonderful tradition".

Rakhlevsky-conductor easily conquers and emotionally captivates the audience. He holds that it's the first thing a musician must have. The KREMLIN's versatile repertoire boasts music by Mozart, Rossini, Brahms, Grieg, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Bartok, Stravinsky, Prokofiev and other classical and modern composers.

This season the KREMLIN orchestra gave a so-called interactive concert at the Moscow Conservatory. Listeners were offered a list of works by 18th-20th century composers, asked to choose three pieces they would like to hear and then put color chips into transparent plastic vessels. The vessels were brought out on stage - the amount of chips in each vessel indicated the ratings of the proposed pieces. The improvised program was brilliantly performed. Rakhlevsky frequently uses this witty approach, for instance in "The Eight Seasons" concerts featuring Vivaldi's music and "Four Seasons in Buenos Aires" dedicated to Astor Piazzola. KREMLIN is open to new ideas, new music and new performers. Currently playing with the orchestra are several foreign musicians, among them flutist Gulshen Tatu (Turkey), pianist Mauricio Moretti (Italy), cellist Dmitry Fershman (Holland), violinist Emmanuel Borak and harpsichord player Cotlin Machintosh (USA).

During its 10th season KREMLIN is planning to give more than 200 concerts in Moscow, record 19 CDs, conduct tours in 15 countries, including the traditional two-month annual tour in the United States. In January KREMLIN holds its own music festival - "Christmas in the Kremlin". The last one was an unexpected surprise: the orchestra played Hydn without conductor. "I am content with my present orchestra. I feel "current" flowing between us and holding us together", Rakhlevsky said when asked about his relations with performers .

20.12.2002

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