February 10th will always remain in the memory of the Russian people
as the day when the great Russian poet of the 19th century Alexander Pushkin
died. "Russia's poetic genius is gone..." These words said back
in 1837 when the Russian people were paying their last respects to Pushkin
are still repeated with the feeling of an irreparable loss and the genius's
immortality.
Though so much time has passed ever since, every year on February 10th
regardless of the weather people gather near the house overlooking the
Moika river in St.Petersburg where Pushkin lived and where he was dying
wounded in a duel...at the age of 37. Moscow residents on this day come
to the poet's statue situated in the centre of the city on the square bearing
his name. They may carry flowers, books of his works or their own poems
devoted to him. Some carry lit candles.... And all - with their own thoughts
about Pushkin.
Pushkin wrote in almost all genres creating the first examples of Russian
literature: from lyrics to historical drama... The analysis of his language
proves that he created the Russian literary language. He wrote for all
ages. The first fairy tales we remember from our childhood were written
by Pushkin. Pushkin's works give a clear and detailed picture of the life
of the Russian society of the 19th century. Pushkin is the "encyclopaedia
of Russian life", said Vissarion Belinsky, the famous Russian critic
of the 19th century. For Russia Pushkin is a phenomenon of literary, cosmic
and psychological scope...
Many outstanding writers tried to express their attitude to Pushkin.
Nickolai Gogol believed that Pushkin was an extraordinary phenomenon of
the Russian spirit, one of the future breed of Russians who would probably
emerge two hundred years later. And Fyodor Dostoyevsky singled out another
trait of Pushkin's character - his endless sympathy for all.
Andrei Bitov, the author of several research works about the poet,
including the novel "The House Pushkin Lived In", says: "
This was a European, may be the only one in Russia. Pushkin is the quintessence
of the European culture. Pushkin has new scenes from Goethe's "Doctor
Faustus". Here is his sympathy for all. Pushkin, the European...He
never left Russia - the tzar would not allow him to.
It's amazing, impossible to understand. But it's also strange that
Pushkin's priceless heritage has not become a truly universal treasure.
Why does Pushkin fail to cross the borders? Above all, he exists in the
realm of the Russian language. There is no translating the language of
poetry. Touch it and the magic is gone. And along with the magic, its depth
and mystery. There is some eternal death of the poet: he dies in the language,
not in a duel. He sacrifices himself to his people."
Translations of Pushkin exist, of course, some of them are really wonderful.
For example, the English translation of the novel in verse "Eugene
Onegin" done by Vladimir Nabokov. The whole world admires Pushkin.
By UNESCO's decision, the poet's 200th birth anniversary in 1999 will be
celebrated the world over. So, what does Pushkin mean to the world? The
writer Andrei Bitov produces a philosophical-psychological metaphor as
he answers the question. He believes that "by an unthinkable effort,
Pushkin created a system that may be called culturally ecological. He created
a new world, without destroying the old. Any literary existence has a violent
touch to it, it sort of enforces itself. This can be done in a noble, elevated,
and great way. As for Pushkin, he did nothing of the kind. Hidden behind
the splendor, easiness and charm, his profundity is not easy to feel. Pushkin
is our civilization as it is today. A genuine civilization is still to
be developed, as well as mentality. In this lies our horror and our charm,
too: we still live and grow like children. Pushkin was the first to go
through all the stages, including developing a culture and creating a civilization.
Within his short lifetime, he managed to cover all the stages and make
a breakthrough to three centuries ahead of his time. In Pushkin we have
found our freedom, not the freedom people are talking about, but an inner,
secret freedom. This freedom is present in his every line, in his every
gesture. It fell upon Pushkin to perform a historical miracle, an deed
equal only to what Peter the Great accomplished. This is a choice of a
historical road. Peter the Great enforced his choice. And Pushkin offered
a choice without violence. The poet in Russia is more than a poet".
Andrei Bitov believes that in Russian literature Pushkin can be compared
with Anton Chekhov. Inobtrusively, both urged the Russians to enter into
a cultivated state, into a civilization. The ideal of Pushkin and Chekhov
makes a person simpler, more modest and bashful.
"Manuscripts Do Not Burn"
By Alla Proshchenko
On a high hill in the center of Moscow, right across the Kremlin stands
one of the city's most beautiful architectural monuments, the Pashkov House,
belonging now to the Russian State Library. In the past century it housed
a public library and the Rumyantsev Museum. One of the most attractive
cultural centers in Moscow, it was frequented by many celebrities, such
as the writers Leo Tolstoy and Anton Chekhov an scientists Dmitry Mendeleev
and Konstantin Tsiolkovsky. For some time the Museum was run by the outstanding
scholar Ivan Tsvetaev, the founder of the famous Pushkin Museum of Fine
Arts.
In the 20th century, the always expanding library overshadowed the
glory of the famous Rumyantsev museum, emerging as Europe's number one
such institution, second only to the Library of Congress in Washington.
The Rumyantsev museum actually became a branch of the Library of Congress,
and an absolutely unique one too - a giant depositiory of manuscripts!
Count Nikolai Rumyantsev who gave his name to the library which just
recently marked its 170th birthday, was a state chancellor, a scholar,
a collector and a patron of the arts. He put together a one of a kind collection
of books, manuscripts and coins which he eventually bequeathed to his country.
Emperor Nicholas the First then issued a decree giving Nikolai Rumyantsev's
name to his collection which has since been known as the Rumyantsev Museum.
Back in 1828, the museum's director Vladimir Yegorov says, the collection
featured just above 700 old Slavic and other manuscripts while now it boasts
more than 50,000 items, which ranks it among the world's most unique treasuries
of manuscripts, always open to visitors.
"Thanks to our sponsors," Vladimir Yegorov explains, "we've
been able to restore, publish and republish all these masterpieces. It
often happens that manuscripsts are our only insight into our historical
and cultural past. Indeed, these scrolls are the only sourse of information
about the way things used to be back in the 9th century and the later periods
of human history. We are the proud keepers of the priceless Holy Script
of Archangel which dates back to the year 1092 and is written on pieces
of parchment... Add to these the 14th century manuscripts from Novgorod,
Japanese manuscripts written on the vulnerable rice straw paper, Vedic
and Burmese books written on palm leaves, 6th and 9th century Byzantine
manuscripts and the Apostle - the oldest piece of Greek handwriting that
goes back to the 6th century A.D.... Each of these handwritten books is
a treasured and much-studied historical and cultural monument giving us
a unique opportunity to look back in time."
Says Lyubov Skalygina, the curator of the museum's manuscripts department:
"You can look at a handwritten book through the eyes of a printer,
studying, for example, the quality of the parchment and things like that.
You can look at the way it is executed, focussing your attention on the
illumination, capitals and miniatures gracing the manuscript. Or you'll
be looking at the chemical composition of the dyes used in this or that
book. Paleographers, paleonthologists and many other experts will find
plenty of things to work on here..."
To mark the museum's 170th birth anniversary, experts working at its
manuscripts department had restored a number of manuscripts - veritable
jewels all - like the 14th-15th century Khitrovo Gospels with illuminations,
miniatures and large initials made by Andrei Rublev, and the 14th century
Gospel of Simeon the Proud, Moscow prince, that features an original binding
of silver plates. They have also published a facsimile edition of the 11th
century Archangel Gospels. All these unique things were displayed at the
Russian National Library in an exhibition devoted to the 170th anniversary
of the Rumyantsev museum.
THE OSIPOV ORCHESTRA
Nina Yakhontova reports:
The Osipov Orchestra is Russia's leading folk instruments company.
It comprises 80 musicians. The orchestra is known all over the world. It
bears the name of Nikolay Osipov, a virtuoso balalaika player, who has
led the orchestra since 1946.
The orchestra returned from Switzerland recently. Before that it toured
Cyprus and the Netherlands. The orchestra launches a concert tour abroad
every season. It is not simply successful. Its audiences often join in
a melody, particularly when it is a familiar one.
"The peak of the season is a series of concerts in our favourite
Tchaikovsky Hall," says the orchestra's director Nikolay Kalinin.
"This is where we have lived and worked, particularly in the past
few years. Our annual series of concerts is entitled "Thursday Meetings
with the Osipov Orchestra".
The company has opened a cycle of concerts given on Saturdays and entitled
"Music for Children and Young People". The first concert was
given on January 24. The young public wanted to get acquainted with the
orchestra's musical instruments. It began with psaltery - the oldest of
Russian string instruments. On the stage psaltery is placed in the very
center of the orchestra, but this doesn't mean that it is the main instrument.
Domras and balalaikas are in the lead.
Here's what Conductor Nikolay Kalinin has to say: "Our orchestra
came into existence 100 years ago as a company of balalaika players. The
world public still calls such companies "balalaika orchestras".In
the USA they refer to us as "Balalaika". In a symphony orchestra
the main group of instruments is violins. In our orchestra the main group
is domras, which are made in various sizes ranging from treble to bass.
This is a very melodious group. As for balalaikas, they are of five sizes,
their voices ranging from the highest to the lowest. They form the rhythmic
group, which does not prevent balalaikas from playing solo in many compositions."
Incidentally, in the Osipov Orchestra the percussion instruments correspond
to the similar instruments of a symphony orchestra. Besides, the orchestra
comprises flutes and oboes. This makes it possible to use arrangements
of classical compositions.There are good arrangements of works by Tchaikovsky,
Glinka, Rakhmaninov, Dvorak, Sibelius, Rossini and even Schubert. The group
of wind instruments includes old folk instruments - flutes, horns and pipes
with characteristic shrill sounds.
The new series of concerts for children and young people makes it possible
to attract young listeners to concert halls, popularize folk music and
foster love for folk instruments. Thanks to members of the Osipov Orchestra
40 new folk orchestras have emerged in Russia in the past few years. Our
company even has a center to train conductors for folk orchestras.
LEADING BOLSHOI THEATER
SOLOIST VLADIMIR MOTORIN
Larisa Roschina reports:
Vladimir Motorin is a colorful person in every respect. He is a very
tall man with a light step, shining eyes, expressive gestures and vivid
speech. It seems that nature itself created him for the stage. He has a
wonderful voice - a warm, strong and emotional bass.
"I like basses," Vladimir Motorin says. "My time has
come. According to my Professor Yevgeny Ivanov, bass emerges only at the
age of 25, and ripens by 40. Now, on the eve of my 50th birthday, I realize
how right he was. Incidentally, there were no singers in my family. When
I developed a professional voice at the age of 18, everyone was surprised."
Russia has always been famous for its basses. Very low bass voices
called profundo emerge from time to time in this country alone.
"I must say that I envy Fyodor Shalyapin most of all," Vladimir
says. "I knew little about him before I joined the Russian Academy
of Music. Eventually I became very keen on him. I collected his records
and listened to his voice all the time. His ability to reveal what his
characters felt deep in their hearts was fantastic. I also like the Russian
basses of the old, "golden" school, those who sang in the Bolshoi
Theater in the 1930s-1950s: Mikhailov, Pirogov, Reizen. Their voices were
incredibly beautiful. The contemporary singers I admire are Vedernikov
and Nesterenko.
Vladimir Motorin's career developed successfully. As soon as he graduated
from the Russian Academy of Music, he was admitted to the Stanislavski
and Nemirovich-Danchenko Musical Theater, where he sang for about 20 years.
He has sung in the Bolshoi Theater for 5 years. He performs in almost every
opera on the Bolshoi's repertoire and continues to learn new parts.
Vladimir Motorin recalls: "Many years ago, when I appeared on
the stage rarely, public performances were very important to me. My desire
to show off before my friends and girls was very great. Today what I like
better is the process of preparation. I often read the book "My Love
Is Rehearsal" by our director Boris Pokrovsky. I ponder over every
gesture, over every vocal intonation, trying to find the right image. To
live the life of my character is very exciting. This is what I love the
theater for - man of today can find himself in another historical period
and see how he would act in those circumstances. Little has changed in
human psychology, in people's attitude to life over the centuries. Today
also there are people willing to sacrifice their lives like the hero of
Glinka's opera Ivan Susanin."
Vladimir Motorin does not confine himself to opera alone. He often
performs with success as a singer of Russian folk songs and lyrics. Recently
he issued discs with Russian folk songs, lyrics and religious chants.
Vladimir Motorin has taught at the Academy of Theater for several years
now. "At the Academy I have a full class - five student singers and
a post-graduate. I am confident that pedagogical work is what my heart
and soul desire.I wish to share my experience and my knowledge of the art
of singing and acting with young people, and at the same time borrow their
youthful zest and their "fresh" outlook on opera heroes. I want
to help them develop a sacred love for music, theater and arts in general,
and comprehend their essence. Such work takes a whole life."
