Famous conductors of our time. Famous conductors

1. Hello! I am an educator additional education, teacher of choral class, voice and piano. I work in the center of children's creativity of the Avtozavodsky district of Nizhny Novgorodon the basis of school No. 63with an in-depth study of music.
2. Let me present to your attention a computer presentation "Russian conductors of our time"
3. First I will tell you who a conductor is.
   "Conductor" is a French word and means "to lead". Accordingly, a conductor is the leader of an orchestral, operatic, and choir collective.Conducting is one of the most difficult types of musical performance. The conductor owns the artistic interpretation of the work. The choral conductor needs to monitor the order of the choir, the correct and simultaneous pronunciation of the text, the correct removal and introduction. Conducting, as an independent profession, appeared in the second half of the 19th century. The conductor is the soul of the ensemble!
4. A conductor can lead a choir group, as well as an opera and symphony group. In another way, the conductor of the choir is called the choirmaster.
5. I want to introduce you to some Russian conductors of our time.
6. Pavel Kogan is one of the most famous conductors in our country. His creative career began over 40 years ago. Kogan was born into a musical family. His parents, Leonid Kogan and Elizavet Gilels, are violinists. Kogan's debut as a conductor took place in 1972 with the State Symphony Orchestra of the USSR. Since 1989 he has been Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra. Kogan also works with the best orchestras in the world. The conductor is a laureate of the State Prize of Russia and bears the title of People's Artist of Russia. In addition to the award, Kogan has many Russian and international awards.
7. Gergiev Valery Abisalovich was born on May 2, 1953 in Moscow. Grew up in North Ossetia. At the age of twelve he entered the Leningrad Conservatory as a conductor. As a student, he participated in the Herberg von Karajan International Conducting Competition in Berlin. There he took an honorable second place. After graduating from the conservatory, Gergiev was accepted as an assistant at the Kirov Theatre. In 1978 he conducted Prokofiev's opera War and Peace. Later, Gergiev directed the State Symphony Orchestra of Armenia. In 1988 he took the place of the chief conductor of the Kirov Theatre. Gergiev organized his own festival dedicated to Mussorgsky's operas, later thematic festivals under the direction of the conductor became a tradition. Gergiev is also Principal Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra. He is the owner of international and Russian awards.
8. Spivakov Vladimir Teodorovich was born in 1944 in the city of Ufa. His mother, Ekaterina Osipovna Weintraub, graduated from the Moscow Conservatory in piano. In 1955, Spivakov studied at the music school at the Moscow Conservatory. In 1968 he graduated from the conservatory, and in 1970 he completed postgraduate studies under the guidance of Yuri Yankelevich. In 1979 he founded the Moscow Virtuosi chamber orchestra, and he still directs it to this day. Spivakov is also the head of the music festival in Colmar. In 2001, Vladimir Teodorovich organized the Moscow International Festival in Moscow. He has worked with many American and European orchestras. In 1994 he establishedVladimir Spivakov International Charitable Foundation . He is an Honored Artist of the RSFSR, People's Artist of the USSR, People's Artist of Ukraine, etc.
9. Bashmet Yuri Abramovich was born on January 24, 1953 in Rostov-on-Don. He studied at the Lviv Special Music School. In 1976 he graduated from the Moscow Conservatory. He is the creator of the Moscow Soloists chamber orchestra. Yuri Bashmet is also a violist. Since 1996 he has been a professor at the Moscow Conservatory. In 1996creates and heads the "Experimental Viola Department" at the Moscow Conservatory. Since 2002 he has directed and conducted the New Russia State Symphony Orchestra. He has worked with the Berlin, New York Philharmonic, Chicago and London Symphony Orchestras. He is a People's Artist of the USSR and a laureate of four State Prizes of the Russian Federation.
10. I want to end my methodological report with a quote from Valery Filatov “If the choir does not have a conductor, everyone tries to “shout” the other”
    The conductor, it's like a hint, it's like a magic wand that tells with gestures where and who needs to join, where to pause, he seems to help the orchestra (choir), inspires him and gives his positive energy.
11. Thank you for your attention!

Carlos Kleiber named the best conductor of all time.
According to a survey conducted by the English magazine BBC Music Magazine, Carlos Kleiber recognized as the best conductor of all time. The survey was conducted among 100 leading conductors of our time, such as Sir Colin Davis, Gustavo Dudamel, Valery Gergiev, Maris Jansons and others, to identify which of their colleagues they admire the most (who is their inspiration). Carlos Kleiber, the Austrian maestro, who only performed 96 concerts and about 400 opera performances in his 74 years, was ahead of Leonard Bernstein and Claudio Abbado, who came in second and third respectively.

Susanna Mälkki, Finnish conductor of the French Ensemble Intercontemporain and one of the survey participants, commented on the results: "Carlos Kleiber brought incredible energy to music... Yes, he had about five times more rehearsal time than today's conductors can afford, but he deserves it because his vision of music is amazing, he knows exactly what he wants and his attention to the smallest detail is truly inspiring."

So, Top 20 Conductors of All Time according to a BBC Music Magazine poll conducted in November 2010 and published in March 2011.

1. Carlos Kleiber (1930-2004) Austria
2. Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) USA
3. (born 1933) Italy
4. Herbert von Karajan ((1908-1989) Austria
5. Nikolaus Harnoncourt (born 1929) Austria
6 Sir Simon Rattle (born 1955) UK
7. Wilhelm Furtwangler (1896-1954) Germany
8. Arturo Toscanini (1867-1957) Italy
9. Pierre Boulez (born 1925) France
10. Carlo Maria Giulini (1914-2005) Italy
11. John Eliot Gardiner (born 1943) UK
12.
13. Ferenc Fricsay (1914-1963) Hungary
14. George Szell (1897-1970) Hungary
15. Bernard Haitink (born 1929) Netherlands
16. Pierre Monteux (1875-1964) France
17. Evgeny Mravinsky (1903-1988) Russia (USSR)
18 Colin Davis (born 1927) UK
19. Thomas Beecham (1879-1961) Great Britain
20. Charles Mackerras (1925-2010) Australia

Curriculum vitae:
Carlos Kleiber (full name Carl Ludwig Kleiber) is an Austrian conductor. Born July 3, 1930 in Berlin, the son of the famous conductor Erich Kleiber. Grew up in Argentina, 1949-1950. studied chemistry in Zurich. He began his musical career in 1951 as a tutor in Munich. Kleiber's debut as a conductor took place in 1954 in Potsdam. Then he worked in Dusseldorf, Zurich and Stuttgart. In 1968-1973. worked at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich and remained its guest conductor until 1988. In 1973 he performed for the first time at the Vienna State Opera. He performed at La Scala, Covent Garden (since 1974), the Metropolitan Opera (since 1988) and other theaters; participated in the Edinburgh Festival (since 1966). He collaborated with the Vienna and Berlin Philharmonic Orchestras. The last performance of the conductor took place in 1999. He died on July 13, 2004 in Slovenia.

L.V. Beethoven. Symphony No. 7 Op.92.
Royal Orchestra Concertgebouw (Netherlands). Conductor Carlos Klaiber.

Itay Talgam

Renowned Israeli conductor and consultant who helps leaders from business, education, government, medicine and other fields to become "conductors" of their teams and achieve harmony through collaboration.

Itay Talgam argues that leadership skills are universal, and the communication styles of a conductor with an orchestra are in many ways similar to the relationship of a boss with employees in a company. But there is no universal principle for organizing such relationships. The author shares his observations about the methods of orchestra management that were observed by great conductors and divides them into six conditional categories.

1. Dominance and control: Ricardo Mutti

The Italian conductor Ricardo Mutti is attentive to details and very meticulous in managing the orchestra both in rehearsals and in performances. All the nuances of the game are concentrated in his gestures: he notifies the musicians of the changing tone long before they have to rebuild. Mutti controls every step of his subordinates, no one and nothing is left without his attention.

Total control is due to the fact that the conductor himself feels pressure from the top management: the board of directors or the constantly present spirit of the great composer. Such a leader is always subject to condemnation from the ruthless super-ego.

The dominant leader is unhappy. His subordinates respect him, but do not like him. This was especially clearly demonstrated by the example of Mutti. Between him and the top management of the Milanese opera house "La Scala" there was a conflict. The conductor outlined his demands to the authorities, if they were not met, he threatened to leave the theater. He hoped that the orchestra would take his side, but the musicians said they had lost confidence in the leader. Mutti had to retire.

Do you think this conductor's stand is a throne? For me, this is a desert island where loneliness reigns.

Ricardo Mutti

Despite this, Ricardo Mutti is considered one of the greatest conductors of the 20th century. Itay Talgam says that at the seminars on personnel management, most of the students said that they would not want such a leader. But to the question: “Is his leadership effective? Can he force subordinates to do their job?" Almost everyone answered in the affirmative.

The dominant leader does not believe in the ability of employees to organize themselves. He takes full responsibility for the result, but requires unquestioning obedience.

When it works

This tactic is justified in the presence of problems with discipline in the team. The author gives an example from Mutti's biography and talks about his experience with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. This is a wonderful team, but the style of his work was formed at the junction of European, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cultures. The diversity of traditions has led to a lack of formal discipline within the orchestra.

At that moment, when Mutti's stick was frozen in the air in anticipation of the first notes, one of the musicians decided to move his chair. There was a creak. The conductor stopped and said: “Gentlemen, I don’t see the words “chair creak” in my score.” From that moment on, only music sounded in the hall.

When it doesn't work

In all other cases, and especially when the work of employees is related to. Mutti's management style excludes the presence of errors, and in fact they often lead to new discoveries.

2 Godfather: Arturo Toscanini

The star conductor Arturo Toscanini showed maximum participation in the life of the orchestra at rehearsals and on stage. He was not shy in expressions and scolded the musicians for their mistakes. Toscanini became famous not only for his talent as a conductor, but also for his professional temper.

Toscanini took every failure of his subordinates to heart, because the mistake of one is the mistake of all, especially the conductor. He was demanding of others, but no more than of himself: he came to rehearsals in advance and did not ask for privileges. Each musician understood that the conductor was sincerely worried about the result, and was not offended by insults for inaccurate playing.

Toscanini demanded full dedication from the musicians and expected impeccable performance. He believed in their talent and was collected at concerts. It was evident how proud he was of his "family" after a successful performance.

An important motivator of the employees of such a team is the desire to work well “for the father”. Such leaders are loved and respected.

When it works

In cases where the team is ready to accept the three basic principles of family culture: stability, empathy and mutual support. It is also important that the manager has authority, is competent in his field, and has professional achievements. Such a leader should be treated like a father, so he should be smarter and more experienced than his subordinates.

This principle of management is often resorted to when the team is going through difficult times. During the period of strengthening of trade unions, large companies introduce slogans from the category "We are one family!" The management strives to improve working conditions, gives employees the opportunity to receive additional education, holds corporate events and provides subordinates with a social package. All this is aimed at motivating employees to work for the sake of the authorities who care about them.

When it doesn't work

In some modern organizations, where relationships between people are sometimes more important than formal hierarchy. In such groups, deep emotional involvement is not implied.

Such a management principle requires not only the authority and competence of the leader, but also the ability of subordinates to justify the expectations placed on them. Itay Talgam talks about his experience of studying with the conductor Mendy Rodan. He demanded a lot from the student and perceived his every failure as a personal defeat. This pressure, coupled with swearing, oppressed the author. He realized that such a teacher would help him get a diploma, but would not bring up a creative person in him.

3. According to the instructions: Richard Strauss

The author says that many of the managers present at his seminars were only amused by Strauss's behavior on stage. Visitors chose him as a potential leader only on the basis that with such a boss, you can not really bother yourself with work. The conductor's eyelids are lowered, he himself looks distant and only occasionally casts glances at one or another section of the orchestra.

This conductor does not aim to inspire, he only restrains the orchestra. But if you look closely, it becomes clear what is the basis of such a management principle - following instructions. Strauss is not focused on the musicians, but on the notes, even if the orchestra plays his work. By this, he shows how important it is to strictly follow the rules and clearly perform the work, not allowing one's own interpretations.

It should be understood that the lack of interpretation and discovery in music is not bad at all. This approach allows you to expose the structure of the work, to play it the way the author intended.

Such a leader trusts subordinates, requires them to follow instructions and believes that they will be able to comply with them. This attitude flatters and motivates employees, they gain self-confidence. The main disadvantage of the approach is that no one knows what will happen if a situation arises that is not specified in the instructions.

When it works

This principle of control works in different cases. Sometimes it is the most comfortable for calm professionals who are used to working according to the letter of the law. Sometimes it is simply necessary to provide employees with mandatory instructions, for example, when different groups of subordinates interact.

The author gives an example of his experience with the orchestra and the rock band Natasha's Friends. The problem arose due to the fact that the musicians from the group came to the end of the second hour of a three-hour rehearsal. They were sure that nothing would stop them from devoting the rest of the day to music, not thinking about the fact that orchestra rehearsals were subject to stricter time frames.

When it doesn't work

The principle of management based on following instructions does not work where the ability to create and create new ideas should be encouraged. Like absolute obedience to the leader, following the instructions implies the absence of mistakes leading to new discoveries. It can also deprive employees of professional enthusiasm.

The author gives an example from the biography of the conductor Leonard Bernstein. The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, under his direction, rehearsed the finale of Mahler's symphony. When the conductor gave the signal for the entry of the brass, there was silence in response. Bernstein looked up: some of the musicians had left. The fact is that the end of the rehearsal was scheduled for 13:00. The clock was 13:04.

4. Guru: Herbert von Karajan

Maestro Herbert von Karajan barely opens his eyes on stage and does not look at the musicians. He only expects his subordinates to magically consider his desires. This was preceded by preliminary work: the conductor carefully explained the nuances of the game at rehearsals.

The guru did not give the musicians a time frame or set the rhythm, he only listened attentively and conveyed to the orchestra the softness and depth of the sound. The musicians were perfect for each other. They themselves became interdependent conductors and improved their skills of playing together over and over again.

Such an approach speaks of the arrogance of the leader: he acts bypassing the accepted postulates and is always sure of success. At the same time, team members are much more dependent on each other than on the instructions of the leadership. They are vested with the power to directly influence the results of work. They have an additional responsibility, so being in such a team for some can be a psychologically difficult test. This management style is similar to Mutti's dominance in that the leader is also unavailable for dialogue and imposes his vision of the organization on subordinates.

When it works

When the work of the team is connected with the creativity of employees, for example, in the field of art. American artist Saul LeWitt hired young artists (several thousand in total), explained concepts and gave some guidance. After that, the subordinates went to create without Levitt's control. He was interested in the result, not submission in the process. A sensible and wise leader, he understood that joint creativity only enriches the project. This is what made him the most exhibited artist in the world: in his entire life he held more than 500 solo exhibitions.

When it doesn't work

In each team, the appropriateness of this management principle depends on many individual factors. This approach often leads to failure, which is why, for example, Cadbury & Schweppes created the Cadbury Corporate Governance Code, which describes procedures designed to protect the company from the excessive ego of the leader and convey important information to all participants in the process.

The author also tells an instructive story from his own experience. He wanted to start his work with the Tel Aviv Symphony Orchestra with a high-profile innovation. Itai Talgam divided the string section into quartets and placed the wind instruments between them. He suggested that in this way each of the musicians could feel like a soloist. The experiment failed: the participants were unable to communicate, being far from each other, so they played extremely poorly.

5 Leading Dance: Carlos Kleiber

Carlos Klaiber dances on stage: stretching out his arms, jumping up and down, bending over and swaying from side to side. At other times, he leads the orchestra with only his fingertips, and sometimes he just stands and listens to the musicians. On stage, the conductor shares his joy and multiplies it. He has a clear vision of the form and leads the musicians, but he does it not as a leader, but as a solo dancer. He constantly requires subordinates to participate in interpretations and does not load his instructions with details.

Such a leader manages not people, but processes. It provides subordinates with scope for innovation, stimulates them to create on their own. Employees share power and responsibility with the leader. In such a team, it is easy to correct a mistake and even transform it into something new. "Dancing" managers value ambitious employees, preferring them to those who are able to conscientiously perform their work according to instructions.

When it works

A similar principle applies when an ordinary employee may have more relevant information than the boss. As an example, the author cites his experience of working with agencies to combat terrorism. An agent in the field must be able to make decisions on his own, sometimes violating direct orders from the command, because he has the most complete and up-to-date knowledge of the situation.

When it doesn't work

When employees are not interested in the fate of the company. The author also claims that such an approach cannot be artificially imposed. This will work only if you are able to genuinely rejoice in the success of the employees and the result of the work.

6. Searching for Meaning: Leonard Bernstein

The secret of Leonard Bernstein's interaction with the orchestra is revealed not on stage, but off it. The conductor did not want to separate emotions, life experience and aspirations from music. For each of the musicians, Bernstein was not only a leader, but also a friend. He invited not a professional, but a person to work: in his orchestras, first of all, individuals perform, listen to and compose music, and only then subordinates.

Bernstein posed the main question for musicians: “Why?” This was: he did not force him to play, but made the person himself want to play. Everyone had their own answer to Bernstein's question, but everyone equally felt their involvement in the common cause.

When it works

The dialogue of management with employees and giving meaning to their activities will benefit any organization where the work of team members is not brought to a set of similar actions. An important condition for this is that employees must respect the leader and consider him competent.

When it doesn't work

Itay Talgam talks about a situation when he tried to apply the Bernstein method, but met only misunderstanding on the part of his subordinates. The reason was that many of the musicians of the Tel Aviv Symphony Orchestra were much older and did not know him at all. The first rehearsal didn't go well. "Something's wrong," Talgam told the orchestra. - I just don't know what. Tempo, intonation, something else? What do you think? What can be fixed? One of the older musicians stood up and said: “Where we came from, the conductor didn't ask us what to do. He knew what to do."

In The Ignorant Maestro, Itay Talgam not only talks about the management principles of great conductors, but also reveals three important qualities of an effective leader: ignorance, giving meaning to voids, and motivational listening. The author talks not only about what a leader should be like, but also about the role of subordinates in work communications. There is no universal principle of management; each effective leader develops it independently. And you can learn something and adopt some techniques from the six great conductors that are written about in this book.

The Soviet era was generous with talents. The names of brilliant Soviet pianists, violinists, cellists, singers and, of course, conductors have entered the history of world culture. At this time, a modern idea was formed about the role of the conductor - leader, organizer, master.

What were they like, the musical leaders of the Soviet era?

Five portraits from the gallery of outstanding conductors.

NIKOLAY GOLOVANOV (1891–1953)

Already at the age of six, during a walk, Nikolai tried to conduct a military orchestra. In 1900, the young music lover was admitted to the Synodal School. Here his vocal, conducting and composing abilities were revealed.

Having already become a mature master, Golovanov will write with great love about the years of study: “The Synodal School gave me everything - moral principles, life principles, the ability to work hard and systematically, instilled sacred discipline.”

After several years of work as a regent, Nikolai entered the composition class of the Moscow Conservatory. In 1914 he graduated from it with a small gold medal. Throughout his life, Nikolai Semenovich wrote spiritual chants. He continued to work in this genre even when religion was proclaimed "the opium of the people."

Fragment of the performance of Tchaikovsky's overture "1812"

In 1915 Golovanov was admitted to the Bolshoi Theatre. It all began with a modest position as assistant choirmaster, and in 1948 he became chief conductor. Relations with the famous theater were not always smooth: Nikolai Golovanov had to endure many insults and disappointments. But it was not they that remained in history, but brilliant interpretations of Russian opera and symphonic classics, bright premieres of works by contemporary composers and the first radio broadcasts of classical music in the USSR with his participation.

Conductor Gennady Rozhdestvensky recalls the master like this: “He couldn't stand the middle. Indifferent middle. And in nuance, and in phrasing, and in relation to the case.

Although Golovanov did not have students-conductors, his interpretations of Russian classics became models for young musicians. Alexander Gauk was destined to become the founder of the Soviet conducting school.

ALEXANDER GAUK (1893–1963)

Alexander Gauk studied at the Petrograd Conservatory. He studied composition in the class of Alexander Glazunov, conducting - in the class of Nikolai Tcherepnin.

In 1917, the musical and theatrical period of his life began: he worked at the Petrograd Theater of Musical Drama, and then at the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theater.

In the 1930s, symphonic music was at the center of Gauk's interests. For several years he led the symphony orchestra of the Leningrad Philharmonic, and in 1936 he headed the newly created State Symphony Orchestra of the USSR. He did not miss the theater, he only regretted that he did not have a chance to stage his beloved Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades.

A. Honegger
Pacific 231

In 1953, Gauk became the chief conductor of the Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra of the USSR State Radio and Television. This work was very intense and interesting. The orchestra played programs, as they say, live. In 1961, the maestro was "politely" retired.

Joy for Gauk was pedagogical activity. Evgeny Mravinsky, Alexander Melik-Pashaev, Evgeny Svetlanov, Nikolai Rabinovich - they were all students of the maestro.

Evgeny Mravinsky, already a renowned master himself, will write to his teacher in a congratulatory letter: "You are our only conductor who carries the traditions of a real great culture."

EUGENE MRAVINSKY (1903-1988)

Mravinsky's whole life was connected with St. Petersburg-Leningrad. He was born into a noble family, but in difficult years he also had to deal with “non-noble” affairs. For example, work as an extra at the Mariinsky Theatre. An important role in his fate was played by the personality of the head of the theater - Emil Cooper: "It was he who introduced into me that" gran of poison ", which for the rest of my life connected me with the art of conducting."

For the sake of music, Mravinsky left the university and entered the Petrograd Conservatory. At first, the student was diligently engaged in composition, and then became interested in conducting. In 1929, he came to Gauk's class and very quickly mastered the basics of this complex (or "dark" as Rimsky-Korsakov used to say) business. After graduating from the conservatory, Mravinsky became an assistant conductor at the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theatre.

In 1937 the first meeting of the conductor with the music of Dmitri Shostakovich took place. Mravinsky was entrusted with the premiere of his Fifth Symphony.

At first, Shostakovich was even frightened by the conductor’s method of work: “About every measure, about every thought, Mravinsky made me a real interrogation, demanding from me an answer to all the doubts that arose in him. But already on the fifth day of our joint work, I realized that this method is definitely the right one.”

After this premiere, Shostakovich's music will become a constant companion of the maestro's life.

In 1938, Mravinsky won the First All-Union Conducting Competition and was immediately appointed head of the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra. Many of the orchestra's artists were much older than the conductor, so they did not hesitate to give him "valuable instructions". But very little time will pass, a working atmosphere will be established at the rehearsals, and this team will become the pride of the national culture.

Rehearsal of the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra

Not so often in the history of music there are examples when a conductor has been working with one group for several decades. Yevgeny Mravinsky led the Philharmonic Orchestra for half a century, his younger colleague Yevgeny Svetlanov led the State Orchestra for 35 years.

Dmitri Shostakovich, Symphony No. 8

EVGENY SVETLANOV (1928–2002)

For Svetlanov, the Bolshoi Theater was native in a special sense of the word. His parents are soloists of the opera troupe. The future maestro made his debut on the famous stage at a tender age: he played the little son of Cio-Cio-san in Puccini's opera Madama Butterfly.

Almost immediately after graduating from the conservatory, Svetlanov comes to the Bolshoi Theater, mastering all theatrical classics. In 1963 he became the chief conductor of the theatre. Together with him, the troupe goes on tour to Milan, to La Scala. Svetlanov brings "Boris Godunov", "Prince Igor", "Sadko" to the judgment of the demanding public.

In 1965, he headed the State Symphony Orchestra of the USSR (the same one that was once led by his teacher Alexander Gauk). Together with this group, which became academic in 1972, Svetlanov implemented a large-scale project - "Anthology of Russian symphonic music on record". The significance of this work was very precisely defined by the musical director of Radio France, Rene Goering, who worked a lot with the conductor: “This is a real feat of Svetlanov, another testament to his greatness.”

M. Balakirev, symphony No. 2, final

Working with GASO, the conductor does not forget about the Bolshoi Theatre. In 1988, the production of The Golden Cockerel (directed by Georgy Ansimov) became a real sensation. Svetlanov invited the "non-opera" singer Alexander Gradsky to the super-complex part of the Astrologer, which added even more originality to the performance.

Concert "Hits of the outgoing century"

Among the most important achievements of Yevgeny Svetlanov is the familiarization of a wide range of listeners with the music of the outstanding composer Nikolai Myaskovsky, which was very rarely performed by Soviet orchestras.

The return to the concert stage of little-known compositions has become one of the key tasks for maestro Gennady Rozhdestvensky.

GENNADY Rozhdestvensky (Born in 1931)

Conductors who play instruments or compose music are not uncommon. But conductors who can talk about music are rare. Gennady Rozhdestvensky is a real unique person: he can tell and write in a fascinating way about musical works from different eras.

Rozhdestvensky studied conducting with his father, the famous conductor Nikolai Anosov. Mom, singer Natalya Rozhdestvenskaya, did a lot to develop her son's artistic taste. Not yet graduating from the conservatory, Gennady Rozhdestvensky was admitted to the Bolshoi Theater. His debut was Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty. In 1961, Rozhdestvensky led the Grand Symphony Orchestra of the Central Television and Radio Broadcasting. At this time, the conductor's repertoire preferences emerged.

He mastered the music of the 20th century with great interest, and also introduced the public to "non-hit" compositions. Musicologist, doctor of art history Viktor Zukkerman admitted in a letter to Rozhdestvensky: “I have long wanted to express deep respect and even admiration for your selfless, perhaps even selfless activity in performing either undeservedly forgotten or little-known works.”

A creative approach to the repertoire determined the work of the maestro with other orchestras - well-known and not so well-known, youth and "adults".

All aspiring conductors dream of studying with Professor Rozhdestvensky: for 15 years he has been the head of the Department of Opera and Symphony Conducting at the Moscow Conservatory.

The professor knows the answer to the question “Who is a conductor?”: “This is a medium between the author and the listener. Or, if you like, some kind of filter that passes the flow emitted by the score through itself, and then tries to convey this to the audience.

The film "Triangles of Life"
(with fragments of the conductor's performances), in three parts

Music section publications

By the wave of a hand

Valery Gergiev. Photo: Michal Dolezal / TASS

Top-5 Russian conductors.

Valery Gergiev

The staff of an authoritative classical music magazine once set out to find out when Maestro Gergiev sleeps. We compared schedules of tours, rehearsals, flights, press conferences and gala receptions. And it turned out: never. It turns out that he also does not eat, does not drink, does not see his family and, of course, does not rest. Well, in working capacity - the key to success. This is the only way to become one of the most demanded and most popular conductors in the world - such as Valery Gergiev.

At the age of 7, Valera was brought by her parents to a music school. The boy looked very preoccupied and kept looking out the window. Still, he was distracted from football, and there ours lose! After listening, the teacher turned to his mother: “It seems to me that he has no hearing. Maybe he will become Pele ... ”But you can’t deceive a mother’s heart. She always knew that her Valera was a genius, and she made sure that he was accepted into a music school. A month later, the teacher took his words back. The triumph of the young musician, who left Vladikavkaz for Leningrad, to the conservatory, was the victory at the Herbert von Karajan Competition - the most prestigious of all. Since then, Gergiev knows the value of victories - and, as he can, takes care of young and talented musicians who are nearby.

At 35, he is the artistic director of the Mariinsky Theater! Unthinkable: a huge colossus with two troupes - opera and ballet - and an excellent symphony orchestra, inherited from Yuri Temirkanov, is at your disposal. And you can play any music you want. Even Wagner, so dearly loved by Gergiev. Valery Abisalovich will stage Der Ring des Nibelungen in his theater - all four operas running on four nights in a row. Today, only the Mariinsky Theater can do it.

But the tacit competition with Moscow is still going on. A new stage was built for the Bolshoi, closed for reconstruction - and Gergiev is building a new concert hall in St. Petersburg, without a single state penny (Mariinsky-3), then - the luxurious New Stage of the Mariinsky-2.

Gergiev conquered Moscow seriously and for a long time at the beginning of the 2000s, when he founded the Easter Festival here and, of course, headed it. What happened in the capital on Easter Sunday! Bolshaya Nikitskaya was blocked by the police, on the way to the Great Hall of the Conservatory there were solid media faces, they didn’t just ask for an extra ticket - they pulled it out of their hands for any money. Muscovites yearned for good orchestras so much that they were ready to pray for Gergiev, who, with his orchestra, provided them not only with quality - sometimes there were revelations. And so, in general, continues to this day. Only now it is no longer a few concerts, as in 2001, but 150 - throughout Russia and even beyond its borders. Big man!

Vladimir Spivakov. Photo: Sergey Fadeichev / TASS

Vladimir Spivakov

Professor Yankelevich gave the talented student of the Central Music School Volodya Spivakov the very violin with which he would make his musical career. Tool of the Venetian master Gobetti. She had a "heart attack" - a wooden insert on her chest, and the violin makers believed that, in fact, it should not sound. But not with Spivakov. “Vovochka, it’s good to sell violins with you: any pan begins to sound in three minutes,” an old violin maker once told him. Much later, through the efforts of his wife Sati, Vladimir Teodorovich will have the coveted Stradivarius. The violinist Vladimir Spivakov conquered the world with Gobetti: he won several prestigious competitions and toured all the best stages of the planet on tour, not disdaining, however, the hinterland, including the Russian one - the audience was also waiting there.

The brilliant violinist conquered the whole world. But in the mid-70s, at the height of his career, he began to study the profession of a conductor. The elder of the conducting school, Lorin Maazel, asked if he had lost his mind. Why does he need this if he plays so divinely. But Spivakov was adamant. His great teacher Leonard Bernstein was so captivated by the student's perseverance and talent that he gave him his conductor's baton. But it's one thing to learn how to conduct, another thing is to find a team for this. Spivakov did not look for it, he created it: in the spring of 1979, the Moscow Virtuosos chamber orchestra appeared. The orchestra quickly became famous, but before official recognition, the musicians had to rehearse at night - in stokers, ZhEKs, in the club of the Frunze Military Academy. According to Spivakov himself, once in Tomsk the orchestra gave three concerts on the same day: at five, seven and nine o'clock. And the listeners brought food to the musicians - potatoes, pies, dumplings.

The path to the Great Hall of the Conservatory for the Moscow Virtuosos was short-lived: to say that the orchestra was popular is not enough, only superlatives are suitable here. Following the example of his festival in French Colmar, he organized a festival in Moscow, where he invites world stars. Next to the creative forces, another line has appeared - charitable, the Spivakov Foundation knows how to find and support talent, and scholarship holders compete only with themselves (one of the first was Evgeny Kisin).

In the 2000s, Vladimir Teodorovich created another group - the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia. It is based in the Moscow International House of Music, whose president is Vladimir Spivakov.

Yuri Bashmet. Photo: Valentin Baranovsky / TASS

Yuri Bashmet

Here is a man with a happy fate. He, like Yuri Gagarin, is the first. Of course, he is not carried in an open-top limousine through the streets of our capital and all other capitals of the world, they do not call him the name of the street and square. However... Music schools are named after him, and enthusiastic fans all over the world laid at his feet, probably, a million scarlet roses - or even more.

Did he know, when he transferred from violin to viola at the Lviv Central Music School, that this instrument, which until now was considered unpretentious, would glorify? And the Beatles are to blame for everything. It can be said that they gave the world both the viola and Bashmet. Like any teenager, he got carried away - so much so that he made his own group and, secretly from his parents, performed at the holidays. And then he didn’t know how to admit that he had a bundle of large denomination banknotes hidden away, while my mother spent one in a month.

After the Lviv Central Music School, he entered the Moscow Conservatory, went to the first foreign competition - he immediately swung at the prestigious ARD in Munich (and there were no others in the viola) and won! Do you think his career started here? Just not at home. In the Great Hall of the Conservatory, he played solo when his viola sounded already in New York, Tokyo and on European stages. In Moscow, they observed subordination: “How can we give you a hall when we have honored and popular people on our staff?” (It didn't matter that they were members of the orchestra.)

Do not want to release with solo programs? I'll create an orchestra. Fans and fans traveled all over Russia for the Moscow Soloists, it was one of the best chamber orchestras in the USSR. And then - the sound of the viola was heard by composers who, by a lucky chance (XX century!) were looking for new means of expression. They created an idol for themselves and the public, began to write new and new opuses for the viola. Today, there are dozens of works dedicated to him, and the composer's passion does not stop: everyone wants to write for Bashmet.

Yuri Bashmet today directs two orchestras (“Soloists of Moscow” and “New Russia”), heads several festivals (the most famous of them is the Winter Festival in Sochi), devotes a lot of time to working with children: he organizes master classes and works with a youth symphony orchestra, where the best of the best play, of course.

Yuri Temirkanov. Photo: Alexander Kurov / TASS

Yuri Temirkanov

Did Sergei Prokofiev guess that the little boy, the son of the head of the Committee for the Arts of Kabardino-Balkaria (he took care of the Moscow musical "landing party" during the evacuation), would become one of the best conductors in the world? And besides, a passionate admirer of the music of Prokofiev himself: on the account of Yuri Temirkanov not only the performance of the composer's famous scores, but also the revival of forgotten ones. His interpretations of Shostakovich's symphonies or Tchaikovsky's operas are regarded as standard, they are guided by them. His orchestra - with a long name, which in common parlance turned into "Merit" (from the honored team of Russia - the Academic Symphony Orchestra of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic named after D. D. Shostakovich), - entered the ranking of the best orchestras in the world.

At the age of 13, Temirkanov arrived in Leningrad, and connected his fate with this city. The Central Music School at the conservatory, the conservatory itself, first the orchestral department, then the conducting department, with the legendary Ilya Musin. His career developed rapidly: after the conservatory, he made his debut at the Maly Opera Theater (Mikhailovsky), the next year he won the competition and went on tour - to America - with Kirill Kondrashin and David Oistrakh. Then he headed the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra and in 1976 became the chief conductor of the Kirov Theatre. Where he created those same reference interpretations of Tchaikovsky's operas, and he staged one of them - The Queen of Spades. By the way, Valery Gergiev recently restored this production and returned it to the stage of the Mariinsky Theater. In 1988, this is the conductor's special pride: he was chosen - and not appointed "from above"! - the chief conductor of the very "Merit", and then the artistic director of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic.

Algis Zhuraitis. Photo: Alexander Kosinets / TASS

Algis Zhuraitis

People's Artist of Russia, laureate of the State Prize of the USSR Algis Zhuraitis lived for 70 years and 28 of them worked in the best theater of a large country - the Bolshoi. A native of Lithuania, he graduated from the Vilnius Conservatory (and later received another education at the Moscow Conservatory) and made his debut at the Lithuanian Opera and Ballet Theatre. The talented conductor was quickly noticed in the capital - and Zhuraitis got a place in Moscow: first he was an assistant conductor of the Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra of the All-Union Radio, then a conductor of the Mosconcert and, finally, in 1960 he got to the Bolshoi Theater.

Zhuraitis became famous for his work with Yuri Grigorovich: the famous choreographer produced most of the performances at the Bolshoi with Zhuraitis, including the legendary Spartak.

Scandalous fame was brought to the conductor by his article in the newspaper "Pravda", dedicated to the experimental performance of Alfred Schnittke and Yuri Lyubimov "The Queen of Spades": as a result of the publication, the production did not wait for the premiere, it was banned. Much later, in his interviews, Schnittke would suggest that behind the appearance of this publication was the secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU for ideology - Mikhail Suslov, known for his skillful intrigues.

For the last 20 years, the conductor has been married to singer Elena Obraztsova. “In an instant, I fell in love with Algis Zhuraitis. I don't understand how it happened - in one second! They were returning from a tour and found themselves in the same compartment ... There were no provocations from both sides. We sat and chatted. And suddenly a spark flared up between us! And I couldn't live without him anymore."