Vladimir Spivakov: “In music there is everything that is in space”
The chief conductor and artistic director of the State Chamber Orchestra “Moscow Virtuosos”, the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia Vladimir Spivakov told Kultura.RF portal about how to succeed the beginner violinist, how different is the musical audience in Russia and abroad and what discoveries happened on II International Violin Competition in Ufa.
– Vladimir Teodorovich, from September 17 to September 21, the International Violin Competition was held in Ufa. More than 700 thousand people watched its webcast on our portal.
– Yes, I thank your portal for opening the doors to the concert hall of the city to so many people. Especially the city in which I was born by luck. After two contusions in the Great Patriotic War on the Ukrainian front, my father ended up in Ufa and worked there as an engineer. They even gave me a certificate in which it was written that “Teodor Vladimirovich Spivakov worked as a foreman at workshop No. 1” at an engine factory for our bomber. This is the fate. This is very valuable to me.
– What do you remember the second competition? Which of the young artists opened this time?
– First, of course, you need to note a rather high level of performers. Now young people are faster than us born in the USSR. They have more information, and they seize everything with incredible speed. The previous competition in Ufa was won by a 15-year-old boy from Sweden – Daniel Lozakovich. This gave him, one might say, a space launch. He is playing everywhere now, and different companies are fighting for him to come. In 2019, together with the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia under my management, Daniel will be the soloist in the United States. And the girl who won this contest, Maria Duenas from Spain, is also 15 years old.
I noticed her earlier when she was 11 years old. In the capital, under the patronage of the mayor’s office, every year the children’s festival “Moscow meets friends” is held. Every year he collects children from more than 40 countries. I believe that it is necessary to preserve the cultural field, so many children come from the former republics of the Soviet Union. Moreover, some of these countries are in political confrontation, for example, Armenia with Azerbaijan, Russia and Ukraine. But children are not to blame. They come to Moscow and feel great. You look and think: “What happiness! That’s how politicians would treat each other! ”And they all speak Russian. And some, I myself wonder how it turns out, they understand each other at such an elevated, kinetic level – Chinese children talk to Russians or to children from Uzbekistan. Perfectly find a common language – this is amazing.
And Maria Duenas came to me through this festival. Records of her performances were sent to my foundation from Spain. The video was watched by the commission, found the girl talented. They showed me, I said: “Yes, let him come.” Maria Duenas played then “Spanish dance” by Manuel de Falla. I came, I summoned her to my office of foreign music, saying: “Tell me how you live? Where? ”It turned out that she is from a large family and lives somewhere near Granada, very modestly. Mother in several jobs. Dad out of work. Life is not easy everywhere. I asked, “Where are you going to study?” She answered uncertainly. I sent her to Professor Boris Kushnir, who studied with me at the Moscow State Conservatory with the wonderful Professor Boris Vladimirovich Belikov. And she went to him at the Vienna Conservatory. Three years of practical work for free, although it is not typical for Western teachers. This is more characteristic of our teachers, who understand that talent needs to be cherished and educated, to help in every possible way. And Maria Duenyas won the Yury Yankelevich International Violin Competition in Omsk, where she also received a violin. For young talents, tools are simply a gift from above. After all, such a violin, her family may never have been able to buy. And now the second one. So now she has some kind of material base. In addition to a truly remarkable talent.
– And in Spain itself, Maria Duenas was immediately noticed?
– When I was about a year ago at the invitation of Her Majesty Queen Sofia in Spain, we gave a charity concert for the children of Africa. And the queen took me in intermission. We are on good terms with the royal house of Spain: for three years with the orchestra “Moscow Virtuosi” I worked under the patronage of Prince Philip of Asturias, now the king. At that concert we performed Mozart’s Coronation Mass. And now, at half-time, Queen Sophia came up with the words of one of the numbers of this Mass. I was amazed. And then she added: “When I was a girl in Greece, I sang it in a choir. Since then, I remember. We talked almost all these 20 minutes. And then I told the queen about Maria Dueñas. And later it turned out that a few months later, Maria received an invitation to come to the palace and play there.
